jab5983 Posted July 12, 2012 Report Share Posted July 12, 2012 How does everyone feel about the recent name changes at the Center? It is now called the "Center for Comedy" and the Desilu Playhouse name was changed to Desilu Studios! When questioned about the name change on facebook this was the response from the Center: Lucy Desi Center Yes, the Center recently retitled the Playhouse portion of the attraction Desilu Studios in an effort to be more encompassing of the entire experience and theme within, and reduce confusion in the marketing of the attraction. While there is keen historical relevance with "Playhouse", it was a rather specific reference relative to the entire scope of the legacy and attraction contents, and not readily grasped by the public. Lucy Desi Center Yes, the Center recently retitled the Playhouse portion of the attraction Desilu Studios in an effort to be more encompassing of the entire experience and theme within, and reduce confusion in the marketing of the attraction. While there is keen historical relevance with "Playhouse", it was a rather specific reference relative to the entire scope of the legacy and attraction contents, and not readily grasped by the public. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted July 12, 2012 Report Share Posted July 12, 2012 I was aware of the Lucy-Desi name change, but the Desilu swish is news to me. Interesting. Yes, the Center recently retitled the Playhouse portion of the attraction Desilu Studios in an effort to be more encompassing of the entire experience and theme within, and reduce confusion in the marketing of the attraction. Well, I can see how the name COULD be confusing, however unlikely, if people showed up to the "Playhouse" expecting non-stop performances or screenings...but it does seem unlikely. How does "Studios" reflect the experience better than "Playhouse"? There is stuff in there that had absolutely no connection to Desilu Studios -- like the doorway from CBS Columbia Square. If it is going to reflect the "entire [presumably Desilu Studios] experience", are we going to get special Star Trek exhibits or something? LOL scope of the legacy and attraction contents, and not readily grasped by the public. It is never a good idea in marketing to underestimate your audience. I'm just glad they didn't go down the "We need to re-educate the public" route. That is the surest road to failure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taylor Posted July 12, 2012 Report Share Posted July 12, 2012 The more I read the more I believe the Center is crapping on Lucy's legacy every year. Just leave stuff the hell alone. It's about Lucy first and foremost, am I right? Next year I'll be attending The Festival of Comedy in Jamestown, not Lucy Fest, and that saddens me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted July 12, 2012 Report Share Posted July 12, 2012 If they want to avoid confusion they should just change the name of the building this "Desilu Studios" is housed in. Unsuspecting tourists might think that comedian Michael Rapaport appears nightly. :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jab5983 Posted July 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2012 If they want to avoid confusion they should just change the name of the building this "Desilu Studios" is housed in. Unsuspecting tourists might think that comedian Michael Rapaport appears nightly. :rolleyes: jab5983 -isn't the focus the history of lucy, desi and I love lucy? Not sure why that wouldn't be marketable...it seems like changing the name to desilu studios gives the impression that you will start to include information about other television shows that were produced by the studio.... Lucy Desi Center Hi Jessica, we get the question frequently, "what is the Desilu Playhouse?," "are plays performed there?", and we are often confused with the Lucille Ball Little Theater, just a few blocks away, where plays ARE performed. "Studios" more readily conveys the idea that you're getting a behind-the-scenes look at the production side of things, a bit more than Playhouse for a lot of people. A focus on Desilu, the incredible production company Lucy and Desi formed together, is of course a focus on the history of Lucy, Desi and I Love Lucy! How isn't it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rappy Posted July 13, 2012 Report Share Posted July 13, 2012 jab5983 -isn't the focus the history of lucy, desi and I love lucy? Not sure why that wouldn't be marketable...it seems like changing the name to desilu studios gives the impression that you will start to include information about other television shows that were produced by the studio.... Lucy Desi Center Hi Jessica, we get the question frequently, "what is the Desilu Playhouse?," "are plays performed there?", and we are often confused with the Lucille Ball Little Theater, just a few blocks away, where plays ARE performed. "Studios" more readily conveys the idea that you're getting a behind-the-scenes look at the production side of things, a bit more than Playhouse for a lot of people. A focus on Desilu, the incredible production company Lucy and Desi formed together, is of course a focus on the history of Lucy, Desi and I Love Lucy! How isn't it? https://www.facebook.com/pages/Westinghouse-Desilu-Playhouse/107608175928402 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rappy Posted July 13, 2012 Report Share Posted July 13, 2012 https://www.facebook.com/pages/Westinghouse-Desilu-Playhouse/107608175928402 I see the Center drifting from Lucy and Desi. And the Center is using Lucy and Desi for profit to build Jamestown. Shame on them. Jamestown thinks that the Center is going to be the Copperstown of Comedy using Lucy's name. I want Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz the way they were....Not stand up comedy. I will just sit back and watch. I have Lucy's childhood home to stay at and celebrate the real comedy of Lucy with friends. Join me there if you think the Center is headed in the wrong direction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annaleigh Posted July 13, 2012 Report Share Posted July 13, 2012 Sad. Desilu Studios is good but Center for Comedy?! Excuse me? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucey Posted July 13, 2012 Report Share Posted July 13, 2012 …. Unsuspecting tourists might think that comedian Michael Rapaport appears nightly. Well, for the right sort of consideration, my son (whose name is also "Michael Rapaport") might be willing to do that! :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucey Posted July 13, 2012 Report Share Posted July 13, 2012 I recently sent this letter to Journey and members of the board: Dear Ms. Gunderson: I don't believe we've met. Permit me to introduce myself: I am a lifetime member of the Center (unless, of course, you've decided not to recognize lifetime members of the Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center, on the grounds that its life has ended and that it has been replaced by a new entity called the "Lucy Desi Center for Comedy"?). And my wife and I are the principal benefactors of the Center (that is, of the previous incarnation of the Center). I note with interest that you have not only changed the name of the Center (has this, by the way, been legally recognized in the bylaws, incorporation documents, and not-for-profit paperwork?), but you have also changed the name of the principal facility in the Rapaport Center from "Desilu Playhouse" to "Desilu Studio". This is odd. Do you know why it was called "Playhouse" instead of "Studio"? (Now, there's a good trivia question for one of your contests!) I freely admit that the "Playhouse" designation has been confusing to certain mapmakers, who think that it's a theater rather than a museum, but, in fact, the "Playhouse" was so called precisely because the original Playhouse was a theater: It was the theater where "I Love Lucy" was filmed. Because the main exhibit in the Center's Playhouse consists of the replicas of the "I Love Lucy" sets, it was decided to call it "Playhouse", because it re-created the original Playhouse with its sets. You may have been puzzled by my reference to "Rapaport Center", above. When we donated a half-million dollars to the Center to enable them to purchase the "I Love Lucy" set replicas and to renovate the Prendergast Building, it was renamed in our honor. If you don't believe this, please go outside and look up. I always felt a bit awkward that so locally famous a name as "Prendergast" was being replaced, so it was agreed that the building itself is still the Prendergast Building, but that it houses the Rapaport Center. And the Rapaport Center itself consists of the Desilu Playhouse (i.e., "Studio"), the Tropicana Room, a gift shop, a kitchen (which, in case you didn't know, we also donated), and the Lucy-Desi Center's offices. And did you know that my wife also donated and curated many of the principal exhibits in the Playhouse (oops; I mean "Studio")? So, why, then, do you single out on your website only the donor of one of the exhibits (the bedroom set), and not any of the other people who have donated much more than that? And why, just out of curiosity, is the webpage that celebrated the donors of the Rapaport Center now a "404 - Not Found" webpage? I was going to make these observations on your "Join the Conversation" blog, but clicking on that link at http://www.lucy-desi.com/visitor-info/ leads nowhere—it's a dead link. And your actual blog at http://www.lucy-desi.com/blog/ doesn't seem to allow responses. When you click on the aptly named "No Response" button (which has the URL http://www.lucy-desi.com/lucy-desi-center-unveil-new-audio-guide-tours/#respond—note the anchor name: "respond"—and which has the pop-up comment "Comment on Lucy-Desi Center"), it simply expands the item and still does not offer any obvious facility for responding or commenting. Given the dead link mentioned above, and this very non-bloglike blog, I think you probably need to get a webmaster who knows what he or she is doing. (You may also need a new marketing director: The ads for the upcoming festival talk about someone named "Lucille Arnaz"; there's no such person—her professional name is "Lucie Arnaz" and her legal name is "Lucie Luckinbill".) Very truly yours, Bill Rapaport Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucey Posted July 13, 2012 Report Share Posted July 13, 2012 I recently sent this letter to Journey and members of the board: … Interestingly, my email to Journey was rejected! Either I had the wrong address (jgunderson@lucy-desi.com), or -- could it be? -- email from folks with "rapaport" in their email addresses is automatically rejected? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rappy Posted July 13, 2012 Report Share Posted July 13, 2012 Interestingly, my email to Journey was rejected! Either I had the wrong address (jgunderson@lucy-desi.com), or -- could it be? -- email from folks with "rapaport" in their email addresses is automatically rejected? They blocked me from Facebook, so maybe you are right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucey Posted July 13, 2012 Report Share Posted July 13, 2012 Interestingly, my email to Journey was rejected! Either I had the wrong address (jgunderson@lucy-desi.com), or -- could it be? -- email from folks with "rapaport" in their email addresses is automatically rejected? Well, just to be fair, email to their official "info@lucy-desi.com" address is also bouncing; maybe they're having server problems? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annaleigh Posted July 13, 2012 Report Share Posted July 13, 2012 This really sucks, why the hell are they doing this?! Do not understand, I know for a little while they even changed the URL of Lucy-Desi.com to Lucycomedyfest.com. My dream is to go to this town and enjoy all Lucy, see the 2 houses, park, her grave, and go to these two museums. But at this rate it will have nothing to do with Lucy within 10 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted July 13, 2012 Report Share Posted July 13, 2012 [quote name=DroopyDrawers ' timestamp='1342212630' post='40351] I know for a little while they even changed the URL of Lucy-Desi.com to Lucycomedyfest.com. I think that was just temporary while they revamped the Lucy-Desi.com site, which now appears to be back up and running. Lucilleball.com, which used to be a standalone site (although it had only a few things on it) which was started up by Lucy's family, also now redirects to the Center. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jab5983 Posted July 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2012 it's a shame the way the center has treated mary and bill. They gave their time and money so that people could enjoy lucy's legacy for years to come and now the center doesn't even acknowledge this. Why would anyone want to donate their hard earned money to this place in the future after hearing about this.... lucy legacy should be about fun and laughter not all this drama that surrounds the center looking forward to visiting lucy lane during the festival. Thank you to mary and bill for providing a welcoming environment for fans to celebrate lucy that weekend! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted July 13, 2012 Report Share Posted July 13, 2012 They gave their time and money so that people could enjoy lucy's legacy for years to come and now the center doesn't even acknowledge this. Not sure what you mean here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jab5983 Posted July 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2012 not sure what you don't understand? Did you read the letter above? Have your read the writeup about desilu studios on the center's website? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rappy Posted July 13, 2012 Report Share Posted July 13, 2012 Not sure what you mean here. Brock, in the centers new write up on the Desilu Studio, they mention the donor for the bedroom set and no else. Many folks donated items to the Center including me. Why is only one family mentioned for a bedroom set? We were mentioned as being the donors for the playhouse. Now we are not! No respect I say! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annaleigh Posted July 13, 2012 Report Share Posted July 13, 2012 Brock, in the centers new write up on the Desilu Studio, they mention the donor for the bedroom set and no else. Many folks donated items to the Center including me. Why is only one family mentioned for a bedroom set? We were mentioned as being the donors for the playhouse. Now we are not! No respect I say! What a**holes! We just need our voices heard, especially your family! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted July 13, 2012 Report Share Posted July 13, 2012 Brock, in the centers new write up on the Desilu Studio, they mention the donor for the bedroom set and no else. Many folks donated items to the Center including me. Why is only one family mentioned for a bedroom set? We were mentioned as being the donors for the playhouse. Now we are not! No respect I say! Ah, I see. Thanks for the clarification! That's a shame... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rappy Posted July 13, 2012 Report Share Posted July 13, 2012 [quote name=DroopyDrawers ' timestamp='1342216593' post='40362] What a**holes! We just need our voices heard, especially your family! I have done nothing but be honest for Lucy's honor. The archives are a mess. I announced that long ago and I am the bad guy. Now the new audio tour is coming...The Center spent 10,000 on that. What about the damn archives. I could care less about audio for the tour. Why can't they take care of what they have first. I would bet that the very first contract that I donated for Beauty for the Asking is still on a table somewhere. It was never archived and I found it years later on a book shelf. I don't care about the comedy direction they are taking. I want "Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz's legacy and archives taken care of and respected. Jamestown has one thing in mind here. Bring money and tourist to Jamestown. I say bring fans to honor the Queen of comedy to Jamestown where she came from. Do it right and you will bring money and tourists to your town. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rappy Posted July 13, 2012 Report Share Posted July 13, 2012 [quote name=DroopyDrawers ' timestamp='1342216593' post='40362] What a**holes! We just need our voices heard, especially your family! Thanks Droopy! Me and a lot of other folks who donated so much time for the love of Lucy. The folks at the Center want their paycheck. The ones who left because of drama could have cared less about money. What a shame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taylor Posted July 14, 2012 Report Share Posted July 14, 2012 I agree. Nevermind...apparently I can't say it here on the forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucey Posted July 14, 2012 Report Share Posted July 14, 2012 Telling that to us folks reading this lounge is preaching to the choir (not always, but usually). It's the Center (Journey, the Board, etc.) who need to be told. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.