A Sad Closing

So, the Crown Uptown Theater in Wichita is closing up. I read about that in today’s Wichita Eagle. That’s sad, but I can understand how, in this economy and with the death of Ted Morris some months ago how that could happen.
Mr. Morris was the driving force…creator, owner, and mover behind the Crown. His wife took over operations following his death, and said that she wanted to get out while she still had the money to pay bills, etc. She blamed the economy, but I suspect that they lost some customers due to Mr. Morris not being there any more. Others may not have bought seats figuring the performances somehow were not as good as before. I don’t think any of that would be true, but you know how illogical we consumers can be.
We weren’t regulars at the Crown, but we did attend from time to time and bought season tickets once or twice. Yes, it was somewhat pricey. One could easily spend a hundred dollars for a couple there in a night. But the live shows were, for the most part, well worth the money and the meals were usually good.
Not only is that one less venue for a night out, but it puts a number of people out of work in our community. I know we should be used to that by now, but I cringe a little each time I hear of layoffs here or closings there, knowing that there will be people filing for unemployment, hitting the streets (or the Internet) with a resume, or just wondering what to do next. I’ve been there, done that, and it isn’t fun.
I know they served alcohol there and some of their shows didn’t seem appropriate for my sense of “sensibility”. But to borrow a phrase from my brother, “You can’t sling a dead cat” without hitting a restaurant in Wichita that serves alcohol. One would have to eat at McDonalds or Burger King almost exclusively if one were to avoid the places that served alcohol. I don’t know about you, but I don’t care to try that.
One can also decide which shows to patronize and which to pass. That’s one reason we didn’t buy season tickets any more than we did. Some years the show line up didn’t have what we thought we wanted to see.
In any event, it’s a sadder day in this community because of the closing of the Crown. They worked hard there and it’s been a good run.