The Davenport Theatre Has Closed

[JBroadway]

Posted: 2/8/19 at 7:31pm

Picked this up over on ATC! Quite a piece of news! I'm not familiar with this source though - not sure how reliable it is. Anyone have any insight? 

http://broadwayjournal.com/davenport-theatre-ends-five-year-run/

[HogansHero]

Posted: 2/8/19 at 7:50pm

Boroff is reliable. 

[Fordham2015]

Posted: 2/8/19 at 9:01pm

Theatermania covered it too

https://www.theatermania.com/off-broadway/news/davenport-theatre-ends-opperation_87769.html?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=08feb2019

[SomethingPeculiar]

Posted: 2/8/19 at 10:38pm

He announced on his Blog on Jan. 20 that he was closing the theatre because he couldn't make a deal with the landlord, and was selling everything from sound equipment and pianos to water coolers.

Around that time, I saw a post on social media saying that the Davenport space would be a perfect location for the new Drama Bookshop. Which isn't a bad theory...it probably has more square footage than the old store, it's on a busy theatre-centric block, and there's already a blackbox upstairs. (Though if not there, I wonder where the new shop will be?)

[HogansHero]

Posted: 2/8/19 at 10:48pm

"couldn't make a deal with the landlord" is, of course, a euphemism for "unwilling to pay the rent." LOL

[EthelMae]

Posted: 2/8/19 at 11:56pm

Very sad. Might be a gym next it said...sigh.

[Islander_fan]

Posted: 2/9/19 at 9:33am

HogansHero said: ""couldn't make a deal with the landlord" is, of course, a euphemism for "unwilling to pay the rent." LOL"

Uh, not really. Landlords are raising rent costs left and right throughout the city forcing stores/businesses and yes, in this case, theatres to close. So to say that it is a fact that because they tried means they refused to pay is just not at all accurate. Look at the Drama bookshop. They were forced to close up because the landlords were raising the rent higher than they could afford. And, while I don’t have the info in front of me, I wouldn’t be surprised to find that they were trying to do everything in their power to be able to stay where they are.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 2/9/19 at 10:37am

Islander_fan said: "Uh, not really. ."

Really. You can (as the DBS did) say that you are leaving because the rent is too damn high (to borrow a phrase from Jimmy McMillan). Saying "couldn't make a deal" is a euphemism. 

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 2/9/19 at 1:33pm

HogansHero said: "Islander_fan said: "Uh, not really. ."

Really. You can (as the DBS did) say that you are leaving because the rent is too damn high (to borrow a phrase from Jimmy McMillan). Saying "couldn't make a deal" is a euphemism."

What an odd hill on which to wage etymological war, Hogan! "Couldn't make a deal" isn't like "creative differences" which is used as a placeholder for almost everything.

If one cannot afford the rent, then one is unable to successfully close the deal. The latter phrase is no more disingenuous than your "refuses to pay the rent" when, in almost every case, the only reason to "refuse" to pay rent is because it leaves the individual or institution underwater financially.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 2/9/19 at 3:05pm

I don't see any "war" being waged. If the rent ask was too high, then why not say so? When you don't, it's a euphemism. And when someone has a certain reputation, choice of words is more interesting than it might be if you or I were saying it. 

It's like "Lost Our Lease" signs. If you don't care, feel free to move on.

[David10086]

Posted: 2/9/19 at 3:14pm

HogansHero said: "Islander_fan said: "Uh, not really. ."

Really. You can (as the DBS did) say that you are leaving because the rent is too damn high (to borrow a phrase from Jimmy McMillan). Saying "couldn't make a deal" is a euphemism."

Rent is not always the case with commercial property when making a deal.

Oftentimes, it has to do with the length of the lease, especially if it's a renewal: the tenant may want  to renew for ten years, while the landlord is only interested in renewing for three, or even 'year to year'.  There's no security for the tenant (no one wants to establish themselves in one location only to be in the position to look for another place a few years later.) so a deal can't be reached.

 Or reverse: a landlord may want the tenant to renew with a 10 year lease, while the tenant is interested in 5 or less - sometimes they want to try a smaller space to get started with hopes of expansion in a few years and don't want to be locked into a long-term lease. 

As a small business owner of 25 years who renewed many commercial leases for my retail spaces, I know this through experience. Either party may have a difference in long-range plans, and can't reach a deal. 

 

 

I know through the experience of owning a small retail business for 25 years. 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 2/9/19 at 4:09pm

@David, that's of course true, but I don't think that's the case here.