The Palm Beach Post from West Palm Beach, Florida • Page 146

The Palm Beach Post Jumpin' Jack Flash: It's a pass, pass, pass? Leslie on the Stones at the Super Bowl, 7J. i 1 Li I Li Li SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2006 Palrr.EeachPcst.com ENTERTAINMENT I I ST mil v. C-J 1 ifp-' IANNIS WATERSStaff Photographer 9:30 p.m. last Sunday DESOLATION: The lobby of the Crown Abacoa theater in Jupiter is nearly deserted on the 16-screen megaplex's final evening of business, THE CHANGING FORTUNES OF THE MOVIE BUSINESS Now slowing at a theater near you: Movie attendance is starting to decline. In billions Good ni AND got, 1 7J i A7 1.49 Ml 1.53 1.41 it i ooo.

iuck 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 7 Money spent on DVDs both sales and rentals is steadily climbing: Movie theaters are closing, including one last week in Abacoa. Attendance is declining. Home DVD viewing is up. Are we really on the way to the last picture show? 212 22-8 16.1 In billions 11.6 6.8 2.5 $.8 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 200S Meanwhile, average theater ticket prices are going up. 1SS5: $4.35 2004: $6.21 right night, one might have expected a certain public outcry.

And yet, on the theater's final evening last Sunday, only a few dozen patrons showed up. And of those, even fewer seemed to be aware of the news. Just one indicated he was there for the purpose of paying his last respects. It turned out he was a former Crown Theatres employee. The movie theaters have lost the feeling of what they had," said Andy Orban, a Hungarian emigre and film buff who worked as a cleaning person See THEATERS, 5J By CHARLES PASSY Palm Beach Post Arts Writer When Jupiter's Crown Abacoa theater shut its doors last weekend, it was hard to tell what was more significant the fact that the 16-screen megaplex was closing after a mere five years in business or the fact that no one seemed to care.

In a sense, the latter prompted the former: The theater was calling it quits because of a "history of operating losses," according to a sign posted on the doors. But given that it could still draw hundreds for the right film on the Sources: National Association of Theatre Owners and Exhibitor Relations, Digital Entertainment Group. Ding dong! The witch is here! It's the hottest ticket of the South Florida theater season 41,696 seats already sold. And they were mostly gone the day that tickets went on sale. What inspired such a frenzy? It's the road tour of Wicked, the musical prequel to Wizard of Oz told from the witches' point of view, which opens Wednesday at the Broward Center for about two weeks.

Here is what you need to know right now: A show that the people embraced and didn't let the critical establishment call the tune. Is the set as cool as everybody says? Yes, it's a gigantic timepiece clockworks and it consumes the whole stage. Fast fact: The Time Dragon, part of the set has a wingspan that is the same as a Cessna 172. A 'Wicked' conversation: Theater critic Hap Erstein talks with novelist Gregory Maguire about how he devised his pre-Wizard of Oz tale. 10J.

It's sold out, but can I get a ticket? Tickets are Very Only availability is standing room ($28.25) and lottery seats. Lottery is drawn two hours prior to show time, for $25 seats in front row. Limit Two to a person. How wickedly popular Is this show? Totally wicked. The $14 million New York production is consistently the top-grossing show on Broadway.

From Jan. 23 to 29, it sold $1.34 million in tickets, a completely sold-outweek. The critics must have loved It, huh? Well, not exactly. It won only three Tonys and got mixed reviews. But this is one -I HARPER LEE: The reclusive star A brief very brief chat with To Kill a Mockingbird author Harper Lee, whose novel was chosen last week as the third book in the 'Read Together Palm Beach County' campaign.

It was a big week for Lee: She was nominated for an Oscar, too -sort of (actress Catherine Keener got the nod for playing her in Capote). Page 6J. 5 Stephanie J. Block as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch.