Rialto: Big Acts, Bigger Ticket Sales In 2020

JOLIET, IL — In years past, the Rialto Square Theatre often went into hibernation over the winter months. But since VenuWorks took over management and gave Valerie Devine the keys to the theater, the quality and quantity of shows has changed for the better.

This Thursday night brings another star performer to downtown Joliet, Netflix comedian Nate Bargatze, also known as The Tennessee Kid. "Bargatze’s comedy is both clean and relatable, evident in his six appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon following four appearances on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," his marketing promo reads.

At least 1,700 tickets have already been sold for The Tennessee Kid's "Good Problem To Have" show at 7 p.m. There are roughly 100 seats still available, mostly in the balcony, Devine told Joliet Patch during Tuesday afternoon's interview.

"He's doing very well for us," Devine said of The Tennessee Kid's ticket sales. The Rialto opened with illusionist/prankster/magician Michael Carbonaro on Jan. 10, drawing a near-sold out performance of 1,800 ticket sales. "He was so incredibly personal with the audience," Devine, the Rialto's executive director, said. "It was a great show. What a nice, nice, guy."

In early February, the monthly series, "Reels at the Rialto," shows one of the all-time greatest movies, The Godfather, at 7 p.m. Feb. 6. All seats are general admission. Tickets are only $5.

At 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8, local music talent, Tim Placher, will present Tim Placher's Rock-n-Roll Songbook, Plus! (Look for a must-read Joliet Patch article about Placher's upcoming event later this week.)

At 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15, Phil Mogg's band UFO drops into Joliet for his final concert tour. The Rialto has already sold more than 1,300 tickets for UFO, Devine said.

On Friday night, Feb. 21, famous foul-mouthed, scotch-drinking, cigar-smoking comedian Ron White appears for back to back Rialto shows. "White has been one of the top grossing standup comedians on tour in the country," his promo reads.

White's 7 p.m. show sold out quickly, prompting the Rialto to add a rare 10 p.m. show.

White's 10 p.m. show is floor-only seating, for now. A few hundred floor seats are still available. If the floor sells out, the Rialto may open up the balcony seating, Devine said.

The next night, Saturday, Feb. 22, the Rialto welcomes country music outlaw Cody Jinks. His 7 p.m. show has already sold close to 1,800 tickets, Devine said.

On Sunday, Feb. 23, the Rialto brings in a Broadway musical, Finding Neverland. Several hundred seats are still available for the 7:30 p.m. event and tickets start at $43.

Then, on Saturday, Feb. 29, a name that needs no introduction will bring his legendary blues talents to downtown Joliet. Buddy Guy has an 8 p.m. concert. With more than a month still to go, the Rialto has already sold 1,700 tickets for Guy, Devine said.

The following weekend, Friday, March 6, the Rialto will host Hairball, which has a great promotion slogan: "A band puts on a concert - Hairball puts on an event! Hairball is a Rock & Roll experience you won't soon forget."

At 8 p.m. Saturday, March 7, the Rialto brings three country music icons to Joliet on the same night for Country Unplugged: Joe Diffie, Mark Chesnutt, & David Lee Murphy.

Looking further down the road, to May 8, the Rialto welcomes Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles, which has been heralded as "the greatest concert experience you will ever see." The Associated Press raves: “The next best thing to seeing The Beatles!”

Devine said the Rialto has already sold 1,700 tickets for the Sept. 11. performance featuring the Charlie Daniels Band and the Marshall Tucker Band. That concert was only announced last week. It is sure to be a sellout, she said. "I thought Charlie would do very well," Devine said. "We're nine months out, and we're already at 1,700."

The upcoming April 7 Chicago concert was an immediate sellout, Devine said.

Devine said the Rialto would be beefing up its promotions for some of the March, April and May shows as those dates get closer. According to her marketing research, many people often wait until the week or two beforehand to decide whether to see a concert or show.

RELATED: Dec. 24 Joliet Patch article: Comedians Rejuvenating Rialto Square Theatre