ACMT Cancels November Show — 'No Good Venue'

The Alameda Children's Musical Theatre has canceled its fall production of Meet Me in St. Louis, which was scheduled to open in November at the at Historic Alameda High School.

ACMT board members announced the decision to supporters in an email Sunday. 

They cited loss of space at Alameda's Altarena Playhouse and the technical difficulties of mounting a show at the Kofman Auditorium as reason for the cancellation.

"We have determined that ACMT simply does not have the human, technical and financial resources needed to stage this production at Kofman and that no suitable alternate venue is available," said the email signed by Page Barnes, president of the ACMT Board of Directors.

According to the announcement, "The current Altarena Board informed us that they had decided that the Altarena would no longer be rented to any outside group, including ACMT. We were repeatedly assured that the decision was not the result of anything that ACMT had done.

"Scheduling was also not mentioned as a factor. Indeed, the Altarena has not announced any performances planned during the brief period of time that has traditionally been set aside for ACMT to use the theater.

"Instead, the Altarena Board told us that it had made its decision based on its determination that theater rentals were simply not part of the Altarena's mission, and therefore, the theater would no longer be rented."

The email said that the only venue "that met our minimum technical requirements, was in a practical location, and was still available for rent was Kofman Auditorium.

"We realized that the technical challenges of performing in such a large venue were well beyond the capacity of our all-volunteer board to handle without significant additional professional technical help and that hiring professional help to assist us with design, lighting, sound and other issues was cost prohibitive. Moreover, the costs of sets, costumes and other line items would far exceed our normal budget for such items."

Staging Meet Me in St. Louis at the Kofman Auditorium would, therefore, be "an imprudent financial risk," the email said.

According to the announcement, ACMT will perform Willie Wonka at in the spring of 2013.

ACMT will celebrate its 30th anniversary next year.