Press release from Count Basie Theatre
Pollstar magazine, the leading concert industry trade publication, has released its list of the top-selling live performance venues in the world – and Red Bank’s historic Count Basie Theatre has come in at number 40.
With sales of nearly 85,000 tickets through June 30, the Basie sold more tickets than some of the biggest theatres in the world; namely Radio City Music Hall, and the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
The first half of 2015 falls in line with the Basie’s current three-year trend of escalating ticket sales, capacity percentage and show totals. In 2014, just over 213,000 people attended a Count Basie Theatre event, more than any previous year. And during its 2014-15 fiscal year, the venue operated at nearly 75 percent paid capacity — meaning that, on average, the theatre was three-quarters full for every event.
“We’re thrilled to rank ahead of world-famous venues like Radio City or the Theatre at MSG,” said Count Basie Theatre President and CEO Adam Philipson. “It’s a testament to the vibrant community in which we reside and the region we serve as a nonprofit performing arts center.”
The trend looks like it’s continuing, too, Philipson says. Since the July 1 start of its fiscal year, the Count Basie Theatre has sold nearly 12,000 tickets to upcoming scheduled events.
“The Basie’s mission is to offer a broad spectrum of programming – from educational shows for children and families, to the most exclusive rock and pop concerts, to cultural events that, together, embrace our community as a whole,” Philipson added. “That only 39 other theatres in the world attracted as many customers as we have thus far in 2015 confirms that we’re meeting this goal.”
