Life, food, events, and community in Albuquerque, NM

Morning Fix: Sliding into Home

Next week's guest Morning Fixer: Jeff

Comment by cathyray on June 5, 2009 at 8:00am: poor Darren! The article is hilarious.

Comment by shotsie on June 5, 2009 at 8:29am: I don't get it - we have a dance company taking over the lease on the theatre on Central at Washington, and another promising 300 performances a year at Kimo - do we really have that much support for dance in Albuquerque? I mean, how much dance can this community really absorb? I think the city council has been watching too much "Dancing With the Stars"....(except the show is on the same night when the council meets)
I see the Kimo as a home to a professional theatre company, where lights and props can be set up for weeks at a time (in Tucson, the Kimo equivalent has been home to the Arizona Theatre Company for the past 30 years).

Comment by slamwagon on June 5, 2009 at 8:58am: Sure wish these companies building in ABQ would through us A+E people a bone. (puppy-dog eyes)

Comment by sophie on June 5, 2009 at 8:58am: The company at the Hiland (NDI-NM) is a school and not a competitor to Keshet. I would be astonished if Keshet can book 300 nights, but I also seriously doubt that they intend to do it with dance only.

Comment by Phil_0 on June 5, 2009 at 9:17am: I don't think the intention is in any way that Keshet will be filling the schedule with their own performances. Rather, the deal gives them a place to train and perform in exchange for taking over booking for a wonderful but (IMO) chronically underused facility. I think the city is simply betting that a company embedded in the local arts scene can do a better job filling the Kimo's dance card than whichever city employees are doing it currently.

Comment by Masshole in Fringecrest on June 5, 2009 at 9:18am: Can we all agree that the Kimo was sorely underutilized, though? I see this Keshet takeover as VERY positive. Rumor has it that the last Shins show at Popejoy was originally envisioned for the Kimo, buut red tape (read City administrative incompetence?) got in the way.... My first job was at a Theatre Company housed in the Kimo. La Compania de Teatro de Alburquerque. Great potential there.

Comment by mombat on June 5, 2009 at 9:26am: Keshet already has several public peformances every year, as well as events for school kids. I agree with Phil and Masshole, I think that they will bring some energy to a wonderfu/ but under used space.

Comment by Hermes_505 on June 5, 2009 at 10:47am: Yes, yes, use the space, wasn't used before, blah blah. But are they "taking over" as Massholio stated? Underutilization aside, projecting 300 nights of dance is not all that apetizing to the masses [cue: gag reflex, eyes rolling to back of head]. Hope there's a little more diversity planned.

Comment by once banned twice shy on June 5, 2009 at 10:49am: The KiMo's problems stem directly from the city: the administration pulled all the paid staff from the KiMo, leaving only one caretaker (I think the "caretaker" is still there) and filling in the rest with "temp" hires--used to be the stagehand's union, but that's another long story. Anyway, the KiMo's booking staff was pulled and basically the place has been kind of abandoned--run by city people who have ZERO clue about running and booking a theatre. So look to the city to blame for the underutilization of the KiMo.