If a locally-grown food eater is a locavore, then a consumer of local entertainment would be..."locaudience?" klunky..."locamused?"...not quite there... "bored?"...definitely not!
Have you ever considered actively supporting your local entertainment industry? (I'm talking about family-friendly stuff here.) What about the part of the industry that is really just entertainment and not "recreation?" Sorry Boondocks and Lagoon, you're out.
Okay, a few things are going to come up as we talk about local entertainment, and it's funny because they are basically the same things that come up for people as they consider eating locally. I'm going to look specifically at cost, quality, economy, variety and availability.
COST
Redbox is pretty cheap, I admit. And it would be difficult to get an indefinite number of tickets to a live-entertainment event produced locally for under $2...except, wait! There are often local entertainment options that are FREE!
Exhibit A: in Utah, along the Wasatch Front, a list of summer concert series offered to public free of charge, as of summer 2012
and there's more but I'm bored with linking, do a google search.
QUALITY
Alright, let's admit upfront that it might be pretty hard to address this issue. It depends entirely on what you mean by quality. Hollywood can throw plenty of money at a lousy product. For me, "Wild, Wild West," "Pearl Harbor" and Russell Crowe's "Robin Hood" were not what I mean by Quality.
But if you want to be hoity-toity about it, there are plenty of Hollywood movies filmed in Utah, (and yes, a film being shot in Utah, if only for a day, makes a sizeable contribution to the health of our economy) and you can find a list of them on the Utah Film commission website under "filmed in Utah." It's a fun list!
When a film comes to town they purchase loads of food, pay for utilities, hotels, transportation, property rentals, etc. so don't be bugged by the "incentives" offered to film here. It is worth it in revenue generated by the cast and crew's presence.
Let's assume you are bit more open minded however. There are a lot of Utah Filmmakers and there is a wide range of quality, but part of the fun is sifting through it, because hey, these guys could be your neighbors. You can find a fun list of Utah production companies online, but keep in mind that not the same as distribution companies.
Disclaimer: I have worked with local film production companies like Dark Sun Studios and others. You'll find through out this post that I may or may not be biased to local entertainment because it often provides my paycheck!
ECONOMY
Films aren't the only kind of local entertainment that provide a boost for the local economy. Consider the other kind of theatre. The one with a stage.
Disclaimer: I have been employed as an actress many times by Desert Star Theatre and credit them with helping my husband get through a second degree with no student debt...Biased!
Take for example, the economic impact of a trip to Desert Star. You're ticket goes to pay for food, and the wages of the kitchen staff that cooked it (on site), the server who brought it to you (local teenage kid), the box office staff who helped you get your ticket (local young adults), the performers on stage (mostly from Salt Lake and Davis Counties), and the pianist (exceptionally talented, those piano players, seriously!)! The sets are produced locally by local artists and labor and sometimes printers. The costumes are constructed or purchased locally (yes you have seen things onstage from the racks at Hot Topic in the Fashion Place Mall and Forever 21 in the South Towne Mall). Oh, and the play itself, not purchased from some New York based licensing company with profits going to a playwright with no personal connection to the area. ALL the plays are original works written by playwrights who live and work along the Wasatch Front. The production team and everyone all the way up to the owner either live in Utah full-time or did until very recently. Your money stays here and finds it's way back to you in the income taxes we pay, the shopping we do, the eating we do (just ask the 7-11 next door to the theatre), and the copious amounts of make-up and hair products we purchase.
They are not the only theatre in the valley however. Below is a brief, incomplete list of links to help you find a live theatrical performance along the Wasatch Front. All of this production companies and venues keep your money in our local economy to varying degrees, but generally a much larger percentage than seeing the touring company of "Wicked," going to Broadway, or watching another movie.
VARIETY
What about hypnotists, stand-up comedians, improv troupes, magicians, clowns (if you don't think they are scary), bands, recording artists, pianists, dancers, and on ad nauseum. So, stop whining about variety. Here are a few shout-outs though:
The Improvables - I'm in this troupe and besides being funny, these are generous performers and it makes the comedy and the atmosphere that much more enjoyable.
Anything with musician Ben Mayfield, ridiculously talented pianist.
http://www.theculturalhallpodcast.com/ appropriate and Mormon-themed by hilarious guy Richie Steadman.
THE PIANO GUYS!
These guys are getting very famous these days, but I can't grudge them that at all. Super talented, entertaining and deserving of the fame and fortune.
Christopher Fair, magic with a flare! We've seen this guy a bunch of times at the Davis County Fair and my kids love his show every time!
AVAILABILITY
Check your city website calendar, use that Google search or Facebook Feed and find something to do. There is always something going on. Still concerned about cost? Ask if the venue or company has a policy of taking volunteer ushers and letting them see the show for free. Pioneer Theatre Company and Capital Theatre both do that, though it is not a one-show-and-never-again commitment. Let me repeat--there is always something going on.
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