“We are feeling it together,” said Ian MacKenzie-Thurley, executive director of the Fitton Center for Creative Arts. “The impact is massive and immediate.”
Laurin Sprague, board chairman for the Butler Philharmonic, said: “Chasing money is hard. This is a tough place to be right now.”
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The Butler Philharmonic includes an orchestra, chorus and youth orchestra and has more than 150 members. So far, the organization has postponed four performances, he said.
He estimated the group may lose between $25,000 to $30,000 if the performances are cancelled. That could impact next year’s season, he said.
Sprague said the postponed shows also have impacted the group’s search for a new conductor. The philharmonic had hoped to use different conductors at all the shows and select from the candidates.
“We’re in no man’s land right now,” he said.
Six performances have been postponed, one has been cancelled and a six-week arts program has been cancelled at the Fitton, MacKenzie-Thurley said.
“It’s a challenge,” he said.
He also sympathizes for all the performers who lost revenue due to COVID-19.
“They are suffering too,” he said.
The staff at Fitton has tried to contact every ticket holder, every member, every sponsor, he said. He said some of them, when offered a full refund for their ticket, have donated the money back.
“We really are a community,” MacKenzie-Thurley said. “It’s just the way it is.”
Even though the Rotary Club of Hamilton canceled its biggest fundraiser of the year, the group will continue awarding college scholarships, said President Lisa Guliano.
The annual musical production, this year it was “Oliver!,” was canceled after first being postponed, Guliano said. She said the Rotary typically nets $10,000 to $17,000 from the production and uses those proceeds to fund its scholarship program. She said this year’s scholarships, valued at $1,000 each, will be awarded through the Hamilton Community Foundation.
Guliano said the timing of the coronavirus put show producers “in a very tough position.” She said the show at Parrish Auditorium was cancelled one week before opening night.
The Greater Hamilton Civic Theater canceled its last show of the season “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” that was scheduled to be performed in May at Parrish Auditorium, said Jane Winkler, a board member.
Fortunately, Winkler said, the production was in its early stages and only the cast had been announced. But, she said, the $4,000 royalty fees for the production probably won’t be refunded.
She’s thankful that many of the season-ticket holders have donated the cost of the last show back to the organization.
Winkler said she’s hopeful the 2020-21 season can start in October.
Three shows, or half of the season, were lost at Middletown Lyric Theater, said Charlie Shafor, the manager of the community theater.
Those canceled shows probably cost MLT $17,000 to $18,000 and when asked how he recovers the lost revenue, Shafor said: “That’s what we’re trying to figure out.”
He called MLT, in its 41 season, “a check-to-check theater.”
Shafor has contacted Middletown Community Foundation and donors about their continued financial support and he’s hoping the theater can reopen in September.
He said this season “started with a bang” because of ticket sales and sponsorship and MLT was on strong financial footing. Then the coronavirus hit. Closing, he said, would be the last resort.
The Sorg in Middletown lost about $6,000 to $7,000 when it canceled a concert featuring a Bee Gees cover band, said Roger Daniel, board president. He said about 600 tickets were sold at $30 each for the sold-out show on March 14.
Since then, Daniel said several concerts have been postponed until later in the summer.
Meanwhile, with no revenue being generated, the bills keep showing up.
“We’re hurting as far as money goes,” Daniel said.
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