L.A. theaters' spirits up despite recession

April 05, 2009 The phrase "ticket sales are off 10%" rolls easily off the lips of playhouse administrators. Bigger venues have responded by focusing more precisely on target audiences, stretching budgets as far and creatively as possible, tinkering with pricing strategies and compelling season-ticket campaigns, and using the Internet not only for sales but also for creating buzz on such social networking sites as Facebook and Twitter. Using a "Welcome Home to the Pantages!" theme, inviting back existing subscribers after two years of "Wicked," Broadway/L.A.'s parade of mainstream moneymakers through November lists "Rain," "Mamma Mia!" "Dirty Dancing," "Topol in Fiddler on the Roof," "Legally Blonde" and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas."

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