The Strand is shrinking….. 

We started with 385 permanent seats.  Those pesky Sound Guys kept complaining about their cramped quarters.   We just listened politely and smiled.   Then, on purpose, they rented some really great equipment for the Christmas Show.   This was $25,000 worth of wireless microphones and all the support equipment.   Only AFTER we rented the stuff, did they say "oh, we need to remove the 2 seats next to the sound booth for this equipment."  Right…this was the play all along, even though they don’t admit it.   We went from 385 to 383.   The sound booth is scheduled for an expansion and those 2 great seats are going to be just a memory.

Then in December we received a very nice donation of 2 follow spots.  These are 2000 watt fixtures, and although old, the optics are great.   We had prepared the upper NE corner of the balcony for a spotlight.   We installed one of the two, and it works great.   Then, everyone said "hey, how about the other?  Aren’t we going to install it too?"   The bad part about that is we would be required to remove the 4 seats in the SE corner of the balcony.   These are great seats, but more importantly they are our "Teenager Only!" seats.   They are in the corner (where it is dark), the other 300+ seats have their backs to these seats.   If you sit there, we are sure you aren’t watching the stage, hence "Teenagers Only!". 

Time marches on.  We realize that the 2nd spot light will be a great benefit.  The 4 seats, including the 2 top corner seats, were removed.  In its place will be a platform and a spotlight.   After 93 years of clandestine activities, the seats are making way for equipment necessary to our stage performers needs.  383 in now 379.  Hopefully that will be it, but we still don’t trust those Sound Guys!

Below are the 4 seats before their removal:

Steve Frazee and David Finkel break a "rule of the house" by sitting in the spot reserved for Teenagers.  Notice all hands are visible!