Long Center: Playing Without a 'Chaperone'

Musical theatre fans eager for an intoxicating taste of the effervescent musical comedy The Drowsy Chaperone will not be able to get it at the Long Center this month as planned. The national tour of the Tony Award winner, which was set to drop into Dell Hall for a week after its current run at the Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco, will be heading directly to San Diego instead. Ticket sales were sluggish, and without a longer stay to allow word of mouth to build – something that in other markets has helped boost attendance for this less-familiar show – the Long Center opted to cancel. But there will be more theatre in the new venue, starting with Chazz Palminteri's A Bronx Tale, which kicks off its 14-city national tour in Austin Sept. 3-6. Then look for Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy Nov. 25-30 and The King Operetta Jan. 17 and 19. For more information, visit www.thelongcenter.org.