On May 2, my wife and I attended Hal Holbrook's performance of Mark Twain Tonight at the Bell Auditorium. I saw him perform this nearly 12 years ago, and while I didn't think it was possible, his show has gotten even better.
One sad thing I noticed was the number of empty seats. I believe the Bell holds about 2,600 people. My guess is that the auditorium was about one-third empty. A little research on the Internet shows that the rest of Mr. Holbrook's performances for the rest of the year are completely sold out. Why?
I'm sure one of the reasons is because whoever is responsible for ticket sales in Augusta didn't even put them on sale until about four weeks before the show. Advertisements for the show began before Christmas of last year! Earlier in the year, when I called the Bell to ask about ticket sales, I only got a scripted response, saying I'd have to check back later. I e-mailed everyone possible at the entertainment complex's Web site, asking about a time frame for ticket sales. Not one person ever replied.
When I was finally able to purchase the tickets, at the box office window, I asked if still cameras would be allowed during the performance. The agent checked a list that she had before her, and told me that taking pictures would be allowed. Imagine my surprise when I, along with several others around me, were turned around at the door, and had to return our cameras to the car. Not being able to take pictures does not upset me; the lack of communication surrounding the Bell Auditorium does.
Perhaps Mayor Deke Copenhaver needs to forget about his new baseball stadium for now. The city lost about $36,000 of possible revenue on the unsold seats last Saturday. We need a competent group running the Augusta Entertainment Complex first.
Scott Finley
Augusta
Comments
Lower prices and they will come. There is something about the management that sets prices at a rate just high enough so thst the average joe cannot attend. Lower prices and the per ticket profit would be lower but the volume would increase dramatically resulting in an overall windfall. Just check out the Civic Center during Winter Jam or Summer Jam concerts when all tickets are $10 at the door - it's consistently packed.
Never heard the first ad for the show.
Years ago my wife and I attended one of the BB King Blues Shows in Augusta. We paid big bucks and had great floor seats near the stage. One slight problem, they allowed folks from the nosebleed section to come down on the floor and stand in front of us. We complained to the ushers ad the cops standing around but they said there was nothing they could do about it. I have been to Lord knows how many concerts in my life. Some have been general admission so I expect folks to crowd the stage. Other venues I have been in, if you didn't have a ticket for a particular area, you jolly well didn't get into that area. Other than for plays, where everyone stays in their seats, we have not been back to any performance at the JB Arena or the Bell.
TechLover, it is a protected Constitutional Right for those people to block your view.
I have been at poorly-attended shows at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, and when I tried to improve my view by moving to a closer seat in an empty section, the gestapo ushers made me go back to the seat I purchased. I guess Augusta ushers are just kinder than Atlanta ushers.
TechLover, I feel your pain, I "camped out" at the local Publix to get front row seat tickets for the REO Speedwagon/Styx concert. Paid a lot of money and had the same thing happen. We ended up standing most of the show. Ushers didn't give a d@#n. Concerts in real cities people who don't have floor tickets don't get on the floor. I could have written your post.
Minimum ticket prices are set by the contract that is signed by the venue and the artist. To lower prices, the artist must agree, and they usually don't. And I don't know of any actor that allows picture-taking during their performance. It is incredibly rude, distracting, and disrespectful both to the performers and the audience. Why would you want to take pictures during the performance, anyway? Why would anyone pay to see a performance and have to put up with camera flashes in their face?
It's also dangerous. Anyone that has ever performed can tell you that flash photography can blind a performer temporarily and that can cause accidents. I also don't think there should be people filming theater events. The lights on their recorders are distracting to the audience and detract from their enjoyment of the occasion. No one likes to go out anymore because people don't behave properly anymore at cultural events. They pop gum, rattle programs, talk to each other, come and go during the performance, some have even smuggled in food and picnicked during classical music performances. These performances are not in your family den or breakfast nook! Nor is it the family matinee at your dollar theater. There is such a thing as theater etiquette. And while you're learning your theater etiquette, teach your children how to behave, too.
I would have paid gladly for this event had I ever heard it was upcoming. Where were the ads?
I'm with ITDoc and others on this. They could have easily filled the Bell if they had advertised it as heavily as they have done other performances. The traditional ways of getting the publics attention have changed and organizers need to reach out in different avenues to get the word out.
Corgimom, Baroness--obviously you should have reread my letter before commenting, as the general thrust of my comments concerned the Bell auditorium, not picture taking. I am fully aware of the etiquette involved in theater performances; I've seen hundreds of them, from locations as diverse as Podunk, Arkansas to Broadway. And for that matter, as my letter stated, I've seen Mr. Holbrook's performance before, and in that instance, picture taking was allowed. I have never broken any rule at any performance at any time in my life, nor had I any intention of doing so last Saturday. As I SAID ( sigh), my point concerned the fact that the Bell Auditorium told us one thing, then did another. They waited 'til the last minute to put the tickets on sale; and poorly advertised it all along. No one wit the Bell ever answered a single email. THAT'S the point I'm making. Since you two seem to be the reincarnations of Emily Post, surely you would agree that "etiquette" in this case means addressing the issue at hand, not going off on your own personal tangent....
Augustans don't support anything unless it is free or comes with a buffet. And we wonder why shows don't want to come to Augusta. And to top it off, the marketing of the shows that do come here is horrible!
Welcome to the cultural wasteland of Disgusta. Next time go to Atlanta or Columbia to see a show. Worth the drive, trust me.
Welcome to the cultural wasteland of Disgusta. Next time go to Atlanta or Columbia to see a show. Worth the drive, trust me.
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