With the economy in recession, local performing arts groups have decided to offer a discounted tickets for the remainder of the arts season. WFPL’s Elizabeth Kramer reports.
Last month, many of the city’s largest performing arts organizations began discussing how to fill more seats when the economy means many people have less disposable income. Today, seven arts groups announced they will make a limited number of $10 tickets available on the day of 70 performances scheduled for this season.
The Kentucky Center is offering $10 tickets for 10 of its performances. Stephen Klein is Center’s president.
“If it actually gets people in to see the shows, if it can create more of an audience for them, that could mean future ticket sales, future contributed dollars, more of a bonding with the arts institutions,” Klein says.
The Louisville Ballet, Stage One and PNC Broadway Across America are participating, but more than 40 performances are from the schedules of Actors Theatre of Louisville and the Louisville Orchestra.
Jennifer Bielstein is the managing director at Actors Theatre.
“Even if people cannot afford to pay right now what it really costs us to produce a piece of performing art, we still want them to be able to come to the theater and be here long term when things look better for everybody,” Bielstein says.
Brad Broeker is the orchestra’s CEO. He says the program will make the orchestra affordable to anyone new to classical music or other art forms. He says it could even continue into next year.
“If the public reacts to it in a very positive way and lots of folks come out, it ought to be something we would consider for next year in some form or fashion,” Broeker says.
Since the economy sank into recession, arts groups across the country have faced ticket sales and are looking to retain their audiences.
LIST OF PERFORMANCES
JANUARY 8
The Louisville Orchestra, A Tribute to Oscar
6:30 p.m.,Brown Theatre
JANUARY 9
Actors Theatre of Louisville, Match Games
8 p.m., Bingham Theatre
The Louisville Orchestra, Chase Pops Series
ABBAmania
8 p.m.,Louisville Palace
JANUARY 10
The Louisville Orchestra, A Tribute to Oscar
7:30 p.m., Ogle Center, IUS
JANUARY 16
The Louisville Orchestra, Hilliard Lyons Classics Series
Mozart Symphony No. 35
8 p.m., Brown Theatre
JANUARY 17
The Louisville Orchestra, Hilliard Lyons Classics Series
Mozart Symphony No. 35
8 p.m., Brown Theatre
JANUARY 24
The Louisville Orchestra, Yum! orKIDStra Series
Be Spotted
11 a.m., Brown Theatre
JANUARY 31
Stage One,Brothers of a Common Country: A Story of Abraham Lincoln
5 p.m., Bomhard Theater
Kentucky Center Presents, Tango Fire
8 p.m., Brown Theatre
The Louisville Orchestra, Chase Pops Series
Air Supply
8 p.m., Louisville Palace
FEBRUARY 7
Stage One, Brothers of a Common Country: A Story of Abraham Lincoln
5 p.m., Bomhard Theater
The Louisville Orchestra, Hilliard Lyons Classics Series
Neruda Songs
8 p.m., Whitney Hall
FEBRUARY 13
Louisville Ballet, Hilliard Lyons Cinderella
8 p.m., Whitney Hall
FEBRUARY 14
Louisville Ballet, Hilliard Lyons Cinderella
8 p.m., Whitney Hall
The Louisville Orchestra, Chase Pops Series
Jack Jones
8 p.m., Louisville Palace
FEBRUARY 19
The Louisville Orchestra, Violins and Voodoo
Hardscuffle, Inc., Coffee Classics Series
10:30 a.m., Whitney Hall
FEBRUARY 20
The Louisville Orchestra, Violins and Voodoo
Hilliard Lyons Classics Series
8 p.m., Whitney Hall
Kentucky Center Presents, Annual Mardi Gras Party with Feufollet and Lil’ Nathan
8 p.m., Bomhard Theater
FEBRUARY 25
Kentucky Center Presents, The Pink Floyd Experience
7:30 p.m., Whitney Hall
FEBRUARY 28
The Louisville Orchestra, Yum! orKIDStra Series
The Listener with Magic Circle Mime
11 a.m., Brown Theatre
MARCH 1
Actors Theatre of Louisville
Humana Festival of New American Plays, Ameriville (preview)
7 p.m., Bingham Theatre
MARCH 3
PNC Broadway Across America, Cirque Dreams: Jungle Fantasy
7:30 p.m., Whitney Hall
Actors Theatre of Louisville
Humana Festival of New American Plays, Ameriville (preview)
7:30 p.m., Bingham Theatre
MARCH 4
PNC Broadway Across America, Cirque Dreams: Jungle Fantasy
7:30 p.m., Whitney Hall
Actors Theatre of Louisville
Humana Festival of New American Plays, Ameriville (opening)
7:30 p.m., Bingham Theatre
MARCH 5
The Louisville Orchestra, A Bernstein Salute
6:30 p.m., Brown Theatre
PNC Broadway Across America, Cirque Dreams: Jungle Fantasy
7:30 p.m., Whitney Hall
MARCH 6
Actors Theatre of Louisville
Humana Festival of New American Plays, Slasher (preview)
7:30 p.m., Bingham Theatre
Kentucky Center Presents, Joe Bonamassa
8 p.m., Bomhard Theater
MARCH 7
Actors Theatre of Louisville
Humana Festival of New American Plays, Slasher (preview)
5 p.m., Bingham Theatre
The Louisville Orchestra, A Bernstein Salute
7:30 p.m., Ogle Center, IUS
Alltech Festival presents Mark Morris Dance Group with the MMDG Music Ensemble
8 p.m., Brown Theatre
Actors Theatre of Louisville
Humana Festival of New American Plays, Ameriville
9 p.m., Bingham Theatre
MARCH 8
Actors Theatre of Louisville
Humana Festival of New American Plays, Slasher (opening)
2:30 p.m., Bingham Theatre
PNC Broadway Across America, Cirque Dreams: Jungle Fantasy
6:30 p.m., Whitney Hall
Actors Theatre of Louisville
Humana Festival of New American Plays, Ameriville
7 p.m., Bingham Theatre
LEO Presents A Little Off Center, Reduced Shakespeare Company: Completely Hollywood (abridged)
7 p.m., Bomhard Theater
MARCH 10
Actors Theatre of Louisville
Humana Festival of New American Plays, Absalom (preview)
7:30 p.m., Pamela Brown Auditorium
Actors Theatre of Louisville
Humana Festival of New American Plays, Ameriville
7 p.m., Bingham Theatre
MARCH 11
Actors Theatre of Louisville
Humana Festival of New American Plays, Absalom (preview)
7:30 p.m., Pamela Brown Auditorium
Actors Theatre of Louisville
Humana Festival of New American Plays, Slasher
7:30 p.m., Bingham Theatre
MARCH 12
Actors Theatre of Louisville
Humana Festival of New American Plays, Absalom (opening)
7:30 p.m., Pamela Brown Auditorium
Actors Theatre of Louisville
Humana Festival of New American Plays, Ameriville
7:30 p.m., Bingham Theatre
MARCH 13
Actors Theatre of Louisville
Humana Festival of New American Plays, Absalom
8 p.m., Pamela Brown Auditorium
LEO Presents A Little Off Center The Very Worst of Varla Jean Merman
8 p.m., Bomhard Theater
MARCH 14
Actors Theatre of Louisville
Humana Festival of New American Plays, Absalom
2:30 p.m., Pamela Brown Auditorium
Actors Theatre of Louisville
Humana Festival of New American Plays, The Hard Weather Boating Party (preview)
5 p.m., Bingham Theatre
Actors Theatre of Louisville
Humana Festival of New American Plays, Absalom
8 p.m., Pamela Brown Auditorium
Actors Theatre of Louisville
Humana Festival of New American Plays, Slasher
9 p.m., Bingham Theatre
MARCH 15
Actors Theatre of Louisville
Humana Festival of New American Plays, Absalom
2:30 p.m., Pamela Brown Auditorium
Actors Theatre of Louisville
Humana Festival of New American Plays, The Hard Weather Boating Party (preview)
7 p.m., Bingham Theatre
Actors Theatre of Louisville
Humana Festival of New American Plays, Absalom
7:30 p.m., Pamela Brown Auditorium
MARCH 21
Kentucky Opera and The Louisville Orchestra, Iolanta
8 p.m., Whitney Hall
MARCH 26
The Louisville Orchestra, Enchantment with Orchestra Hardscuffle, Inc., Coffee Classics Series
10:30 a.m., Whitney Hall
MARCH 27
The Louisville Orchestra, Enchantment with Orchestra, Hilliard Lyons Classics Series
8 p.m., Whitney Hall
MARCH 28
Stage One, Go, Dog, Go!
2 p.m., Bomhard Theater
Stage One, Go, Dog, Go!
5 p.m., Bomhard Theater
MARCH 31
LEO Presents A Little Off Center, One Night of Queen performed by Garry Mullen and The Works
7:30 p.m., Brown Theatre
APRIL 3
Stage One, Go, Dog, Go!
2 p.m., Bomhard Theater
Louisville Ballet, ReVive’s Rite of Spring
8 p.m., Whitney Hall
APRIL 4
Louisville Ballet, ReVive’s Rite of Spring
2 p.m., Whitney Hall
Stage One, Go, Dog, Go!
2 p.m., Bomhard Theater
Stage One, Go, Dog, Go!
5 p.m., Bomhard Theater
Louisville Ballet, ReVive’s Rite of Spring
8 p.m., Whitney Hall
APRIL 9
The Louisville Orchestra, Shostakovich 6, Hardscuffle, Inc., Coffee Classics Series
10:30 a.m., Whitney Hall
The Louisville Orchestra, Shostakovich 6, Hilliard Lyons Classics Series
8 p.m., Whitney Hall
APRIL 23
The Louisville Orchestra, Symphonie Fantastique, Hardscuffle, Inc., Coffee Classics Series
10:30 a.m., Whitney Hall
APRIL 25
The Louisville Orchestra, Symphonie Fantastique, Hilliard Lyons Classics Series
8 p.m., Whitney Hall
MAY 19
Brown-Forman Midnite Ramble, Alvin Ailey® American Dance Theatre
7:30 p.m., Whitney Hall
MAY 20
Brown-Forman Midnite Ramble, Alvin Ailey® American Dance Theatre
7:30 p.m., Whitney Hall
{ 1 comment }
Elizabeth Kramer’s January 6th article regarding reduced ticket prices to Louisville arts orgs’ performances makes no mention of how the public can take advantage of the offer.
Who should be called? The Kentucky Center? or each individual performing arts organization?
Please provide details, if available. Thanks.
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