March Meltdown was at the Coliseum, so the BCPA is still looking for their first show this year to make money. The Performance Fee below is from a show called the Adventures of the Tortoise and the Hare. I still don’t have that report.
I was missing one report from the BCPA – March Meltdown. The report claims a profit of $9,202.00
Performance fee:
The FIRST show to have a profit in 2022: $1,702.00
The Illinois Symphony rents the BCPA, still waiting to find out how much they pay. So far this year they have rented it twice.
By: Diane Benjamin
None of the reports below have been posted to the City website as of 9:00 am today.
Why would the City of Bloomington not post good reports from events at the Coliseum? I had to FOIA reports for all events held so far in 2022 at both the Coliseum and the BCPA. All Coliseum events were rentals which means the City wasn’t risking money. Total estimated net revenue from 5 events:
$155,367.50.
Tim Gleason want to hire someone to book events at both.
1)
IHSA Dance: $44,624.79 (Rental)
2)
ISU Hockey: $2,774.00 (Rental)
3)
IHSA Wrestling: $28,375.12 (Rental)
4)
IHSA Cheerleading: $70,391.59 (Rental)
5)
March Meltdown: $9202.00 (Rental)
BCPA Reports:
1/14/2022 Neverly Brothers Profit: $2,458.02 before artist fee of $7,000.00 = <$4,541.98>
Attendance: 318
1/29/2022 Daily Show Writers Comedy Profit: $4,761.43 before artist fee of $10,950.00 = <$6,188.57>
Attendance: 338
2/4/2022 The Drifters Profit: $11,151.73 before artist fee of $11,500.00 = <$348.27>
Attendance: 484
2/8/2022 That Golden Girls Show Profit: $3,126.01 before artist fee of $12,800.00 = <$9,673.99>
Attendance: 238
2/23/2022 Bessie Billie Nina Pioneering Women in Jazz Profit: $382.00 before artist fee of $15,500.00 = <$15,118.00>
Attendance: 181
I am missing one event report from 2/10. I will add it to the list when it is received.
Total BCPA losses so far in 2022:
<$35,870.81>
The BCPA has yet to show a profit on any event since reopening. Are we supposed to celebrate the Coliseum profits covered the BCPA losses? If that was the case I wouldn’t have to FOIA event reports for both to find out.
The BCPA staff isn’t fooling anybody by not putting the artist fee on the reports.
BCPA Source Documents, listed here to make reading easier:
Performance Fee for missing event report:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
Bessie Bells average ticket was $2.11? (382/181) I’m guessing the profit must have come from selling concessions.
Another way to look at it is taxpayers paid 181 people $83.52 each to be entertained for an hour or so. (15118/181)
I never realized what a money looser these events were until you presented the gross profit, then the artist’s fee and net loss like you did.
Unfortunately the BCPA management doesn’t measure success in dollars and cents. They measure in feelings. Do they feel the artist was paid enough for their efforts is their barometer. They have no regard for the many more taxpayers who are coughing up the money so they can feel good.
The BCPA needs to consolidate some of the other theaters under their roof and loose the taxpayers less money.
If “entertainment” is the objective, move every city and county office and parasitic taxing body to the Coliseum.
I think the BCPA would make a great strip club with a casino in the basement. The Coliseum would make a good Mega-church. Just trying here to think outside the box…
One could limit the bleeding at both venues if one hired experienced directors and staff. As usual, the city makes sure friends are hired as directors and staff consists of relatives and friends of city employees that have zero to no experience in sports. entertainment or theatrical management , marketing or promotion. At the BCPA, directors have scheduled acts they personally enjoy or those in their circle of influence. Few are well- known to a wider audience and fail at the nox office as one would expect. Shows are limited at the arena due to outside variables in some cases. That said, a clever director and staff could work around those limitations. There are so.mamy junior, high school and college sporting events that the venue could host if they put forth the effort in hockey, ice skating, basketball and non- traditional competitions if they did their homework even in the summer. Per usual, it’s just easier to.make an excuse so the local status quo is protected.
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