Jimmy Tingle's Off Broadway to Close

[dashford.livejournal.com]

The Somerville Journal is reporting that Jimmy Tingle's Off Broadway theatre will close at the end of this month when its lease runs out.  The theatre opened in November 2002.

Comments

[desireearmfeldt]

Any idea what will happen to the space?

[ceo]

Burrito joint. Bet on it.

[talonvaki.livejournal.com]

Oooh, goody. We sure could use some burrito restaurants in Davis Square.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

Anyone know anything about why he doesn't want to stay? That "article" is just a press release.

[magid.livejournal.com]

I wonder where the shows that are already booked there will go (Actors' Shakespeare Project had listed it as the venue for Henry V Jan 10 - Feb 3, and I assume that there are others).

[ron_newman]

Somerville News Writer's Festival is moving to the Dilboy VFW. Don't know about the rest of the shows.

[ron_newman]

I found out about it from this message on the Somerville Arts Council mailing list.

After I got the message, I walked over the the theatre and rang the doorbell. The women who answered the door confirmed that they were closing, but didn't have any more information. A few minutes later, I ran into Alderman Jack Connolly at Mr. Crepe, who was very surprised when I told him the news.

[ifotismeni]

oh yikes @_@ i hope it stays a performance space!

[ron_newman]

It started out as the Boston Baked Theatre, some time in the late 80s or early 90s. It then went through a couple of other short-lived owners (and names) before it became Jimmy Tingle's.

[ifotismeni]

... that's not saying it's going to stay a theater though =/

[ron_newman]

I don't know anything more about its future, only its past.

[ifotismeni]

lol, i don't quite understand... my comment was about its future, ron! :P

[gildersleeve.livejournal.com]

I think that Ron's pointing out the past of the space is a good indication of the fact that the landlord wants it to remain a theater (and indeed, if you have ever been there, it is clear that you really couldn't put anything else down there besides storage space, as it is really far down in the building).

The Gorin family, who own the building, seem to be very reasonable landlords who have a genuine interest in keeping good local tenants and have a very good reputation. I suspect that in that spirit, they will do their best to retain a tenant willing to use the theater as a theater. Of course, who knows where the market will be.

[wallacestreet.livejournal.com]

Of all the buildings in the Square, I can't think of one which has been more supportive of local business. That building, if I'm not mistaken, has Jimmy Tingle's, Poor Little Rich Girl, and McIntyre & Moore as the main tenants. Can't get much more local than that. I've got to believe that when West Coast Video moved out last year, Poor Little Rich Girl wasn't the only interested tenant.

[ron_newman]

Statement from Jimmy Tingle.

[kissoflife.livejournal.com]

Aw, man, that was sad! Now I'm sad I've only been to a couple shows there.

[ron_newman]

Somerville News article on Tingle's closing

“It’s been a dynamite 5 years,” said Tingle, a stand up comedian and the theater’s owner, artistic director, producer and principal performer. “But after 5 years, it got to be too much work and responsibility for me. I was losing the time I need to write, to perform, to sleep. I decided at the last minute not to renew the lease.”

Lots of quotes from Alderman Jack Connolly, too.