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Highlands Today

Economic Woes Felt By Live Entertainment Venues

But Little Theatre, SFCC Still Planning For Success

Jasmina Meyer/Highlands Today

Cast member Toni Ford retouches props for the Baker's cart in the production of Beauty and the Beast at Highlands Little Theatre in Sebring. Ford said everyone is a volunteer and they all do a little bit of everything.

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By BILL RETTEW JR. Highlands Today

The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 24, 2008

Updated: 10/24/2008 01:16 pm

SEBRING - It's getting tougher for staff of a local landmark theater and the largest auditorium in the county to put patrons in the seats.

Sales are down at Highlands Little Theatre and audience tastes are changing at South Florida Community College.

The main auditorium at SFCC seats 1,444 and has attracted performers Art Garfunkel, Eddie Money and Creedence Clearwater Revisted, with Kenny Rogers scheduled to appear Feb. 11.

Doug Andrews is dean of cultural programs at SFCC.

"People are more careful how they use their discretionary funds," said Andrews.

Pete Pollard, a HLT veteran and board president, agreed with Andrews.

"When times tend to get tough, and dollars get tighter, one of the first things people cut is entertainment," said Pollard.

Andrews talked on Tuesday about how ticket sales "flip-flopped" between the community college's two major performance series. And while tickets for the Artist's Series dropped off, Matinee Series tickets sales are "going gangbusters."

Season tickets for 10 matinee series shows, featuring upcoming acts straight from Branson and Las Vegas stages, sell for $96 to $142.

The Artist Series typically attracts bigger names, including future shows with Maureen McGovern and the Czech Symphony Orchestra, with season tickets selling for $236 to $473.

"Discretionary funds become more important," said Andrews about the changes. "And quality at the matinee shows gets better and better because of the support - and it's a tremendous value."

The non-profit Highlands Little Theatre is about to celebrate its 35th anniversary.

Pete Pollard, board president and veteran HLT actor and staffer, said Wednesday sales of season tickets went from an all-time high of 51 percent of overall attendance, to 39 percent.

Over the past four years, sales are down 9 percent.

Early HLT sales for 2008-2009 rebounded and already surpassed that recent all -time low for season tickets.

With outstanding debt, the landmark theater lost money for the 2006-2007 season, but was back on track and profitable last season.

Pollard cited several key changes at HLT.

"We know things are tough out there," said Pollard. "It's taken us back to our roots and forced us to be more frugal."

Health code requirements and difficulty recruiting volunteers led to outsourcing of meal preparation to The Depot. Half the cost of a $40 ticket, which includes dinner, supports the cost of the meal.

Pollard said more theatergoers than ever are foregoing the more expensive tickets, which includes a meal, and instead opting for a cheaper seat and eating somewhere else.

As a cost-cutting measure, costumes were rented, rather than handmade onsite, as is typical, for the upcoming presentation of HLT's most expensive production ever - at a cost of $20,000 - Disney's "Beauty and the Beast."

Play selection was affected, with more audience input taken and royalty rates considered.

Directors were asked to trim budgets. One reason "Pirates of Penzance" was chosen for production was because it's in the public domain, with no need to pay royalty rates.

The play selection committee recently started scheduling plays and musicals two years in advance, rather than one year, which is typical. \

This will give the theater a chance to more favorably schedule theatre productions and market to corporate sponsors. Season tickets could also go on sale earlier.

Set construction for "AIDA" was first budgeted at $2,500, but after using props and materials on hand, the price was instead cut to $500.

And patrons for the annual Zenon Award voting chose the "AIDA" set as the best of the year for the 2007-2008 season.

The theater is in debt and the board hopes to raise enough to pay off a $100,000 mortgage. Much of the debt is associated with the new HLT Thakkar Pavillion.

Pollard stressed that the theater is stable and its future secured.

"We've got the talent and we've got the experience," said Pollard. "Two generations will keep the theater very much alive."

Bill Rettew Jr. may be contacted at 386-5857 or wrettew@highlandstoday.com

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