Ticket Sales Double for New Season at Bankhead Theater

The Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center announced this week that initial ticket sales for the upcoming LVPAC Presents season at the Bankhead Theater more than doubled compared with the same period sales for last season. Announced in June, the 2014-2015 season includes approximately 40 events spanning a range of musical genres, as well as cirque, comedy and dance performances. Ticket sales in the first five days after the season launched on June 26th were 133 percent higher than sales in the first five days last year.

The increase is particularly notable as early sales data for this season reflects only advance ticket purchases of the new Subscription Series packages. Single tickets for the 2014-2015 LVPAC Presents season only went on sale to the public on August 5th and the response has already been unusually high. In addition, the ticket sales were achieved across a slightly smaller season, as fewer events are currently scheduled for 2014-2015 than the prior year.

The increased sales data is one of several important indicators for LVPAC as the organization pushes towards its 2014 fundraising goal of $4 million. Support for the Bankhead Theater and Bothwell Arts Center has been strong since a joint proposal to resolve the outstanding debt on the Bankhead Theater between LVPAC, the City of Livermore, Alameda County, and the Bank of New York/Mellon was announced in June. LVPAC membership has now risen to an all-time high of more than 630 members, helping to broaden the donor base.

“We are very encouraged by the response to the 2014-2015 LVPAC Presents season,” said Ed Estrada, who recently assumed the role of theater manager and was integrally involved in the season’s programming. “Our goal was to offer a broad range of events that would appeal to the equally broad tastes of audiences across the Tri-Valley and we believe we have delivered on that. Filling the Bankhead with exciting performances and keeping the Bothwell alive with art creation are central to LVPAC’s contribution to the community,” he added.

As with virtually every performing arts center in the country, however, ticket sales do not cover the full cost of producing events and operating the theater. Although approximately three-quarters of the $4 million fundraising goal has been accounted for, $323,000 of it must be secured by early September and the remainder by year-end, to fulfill the terms of the joint debt buyout proposal and to continue operations through 2014.

On September 12th, the LVPAC Presents 2014-2015 season opens with the return of the acclaimed National Acrobats of the People’s Republic of China in the visually spectacular show “Peking Dreams.”

LVPAC’s largest fundraising event of the year, the Annual LVPAC Lobster Clambake follows on Saturday evening, September 13th at Wente Vineyards with proceeds going to both the Bankhead Theater and the Bothwell Arts Center. Now in its second year, the casually elegant event offers attendees an authentic New England-style lobster clambake menu, award-winning wines and live music. With live and silent auctions that include unique local tours, vacation destination packages, fine dining opportunities, plus tickets for performing arts, sports and other events, the gala fundraiser will provide welcome support for LVPAC’s broad-based efforts to promote the visual and performing arts in the Tri-Valley.

—Information submitted by Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center