Dear Fox Theater Board of Directors
I know that whatever you have heard about me or from former associates of the theater about how I am pretty much satan’s spawn. I recently saw this editorial in the Newspaper and I wanted to send you some ideas and some reflections from the piece in the Hutch News. I only offer these ideas and reflections based on I love the theater and live entertainment and have worked with and around Jane Gates from the Old Fox in Salina and worked closer with John from the McPherson Opera House.
First off let me address the actual piece that the Hutchinson News printed. First off this woman does hit it on the head square with the comment about the board and the new E.D. whomever is hired to focus on entertainment and entertainers. I do not agree with her “few bright spots” comment cause not only was Don McLean a good show, but some of the others such as Rich Little and the 140Confernce was a good idea. {Now I understand 140 was a rental but it was still a good idea} The Summer movie comment is just off base, period. I think the movies that were played last summer and year before were great. Some folks want to see these films on screen and not on a computer screen or netflix.
Here is my suggestion on the movie thing, One thing Jane Gates did one time, and it worked{which of course in classic Salina Kansas style, it worked so lets never do it again} She had an entertainer booked so night before she showed one of their movies, tied it into the performer and it worked. For instance if you have an Elvis impersonator coming in, show an Elvis movie night before or week before. Something else John in McPherson did one time is show old Black and White movies and did movie and popcorn for 5 bucks. Heck show old horror movies and remember you can show any dang movie you want, cause they are all in the Salt mine, Hutch is a good mine for movies. Another option on the movie is show a movie and before have a entertainer in the lobby playing before the movie. Something Bob Collidy is getting ready to do is setup a mini movie house down on Mainstreet, he got Jennifer Randall from 3rd Thurs to let him have the space, why should this happen when we have the Fox Theater?
This comment she makes on Live entertainment, bad live entertainment? I am not pivy to what is going on over there, but it’s either budget, or contacts? She says the board shares in the blame? Yeah like the blaming the board of directors in Salina Kansas, Jane in the past has brought in acts and paid alot of money cause one of her board wanted a certain performer or when I was working at 92.7 The zoo in Salina, Jane came in and did a radio spot one time, I asked her why she was doing a ballet, and did 1 every year. She told me one of her board members wanted it cause they did not wanna travel, so guess what 1 ballett every year that only 2 people went to? Really? Oh and this whole “Laid down the marker nonsense” I got news for Mary from Hutchnews.com, Most of Steifel’s shows are either packed houses by Jane giving away a boat load of tickets day of, she does 2 for 1 or she loves giving away tickets and filling the house with St. John’s Military folks. Another thing that has happened is she brings in folks like John Legend{Yes that sounds great but what happens is Jane paid a discount to get him cause he played KC night before, she then charges 70 dollar tickets on a Tuesday} whom she had to giveaway tickets to fill the place. However Mary did not get her facts str8 before printing but I am telling you the facts now cause I love the Fox and Hutchinson Ks.
Let me also fill ya in on some things, Jane has told me and my former camera person Ross Long, She can not get folks from Salina to come to shows, she gets most of her support from Wichita. Why can’t Hutch get that instead? Something else Fox in Hutch has not ticked off folks in town like Jane has in Salina, which believe me would take another 2 pages for me to explain all that. The big problem the Fox has is it has to compete with every “classic” building in KS, Newton, Wichita, McPherson,Junction City, Kansas City and Salina all have these and people’s
entertainment dollars are limited. Plus why compete with the Salina, do your own thing find your own niche. Or better yet compete with McPherson not Salina… If you compete with Jane Gates in Salina, you need to attract Wichita and KC folks. Plus if all these agents that Jane talks to have 2 offers or hell Fox could under cut her and give her a run for her money. Something else on this topic is Its hard to attract coming down the road to Hutchinson, Salina and McPherson venues have advantages of jumping on 35 or 70 highway and come to the venue.
One of the things in Salina KS, they have 4 car dealers and they will spend money{hell one of them brought in Flordia Georgia Line{One of the hottest country groups going now} they hooked up a deal with the Mall, and the city and they paid the city to bus folks from the parking lot at the mall to their car lot. So guess what 2 folks made money as well as the car lot. So this is the next issue with the Fox Theater. Corperations that we have in Hutch do not like spending money, and when they do they spend it into wrong spots, for instance… Craig Parrott runs 3rd Thursdays Concert on the Creek and he gets Lowen Corp to spend anywhere from 3-5 grand each year on events, Lowen says “We love Live entertainment” well if they do why not spend 3-5 grand and bring in a great act who could fill the Fox.
Another thing which is odd about Randy Matthews was he fought with Chris from Small ville about showing Superman Movie durn the Smallville Fest. Now it was planned to happen but Randy kept ducking Chris and it was not till he talked to Shelby and you 2 folks that this came to happen, which also meant Fox missed out on some advance PR for the movie showing.
Now let me give you some ideas you can use to maybe stir up some interest in the Fox Theater. One thing comes to mind is Art, Library and downtown have art in it, Why not have artist showcase art in the building, Opera House in Mac and Salina does it, why not here?
Second idea is Media partners, One thing Randy has always told me as to why he never wanted to work with me was I have paid deals with folks? I see Hutchinson News is a partner, well guess what if this is happening, get a written interview with every performer coming in at least a week before their event at the Fox. I see Eagle Radio, Cliff Shank’s Stations, Radio KS,etc on board as sponsors, well get every entertainer to do phone interviews with the stations a week or 2 days before the event, they can give away tickets or drum up extra ticket sales. When I was at 92.7 in Salina we did this constantly. Another idea is in some cases performers come in night before, which means they can do radio and poss tv rounds morning of to sell last minute tickets, {Hey if you hear blah blah on radio get tickets for a discount}
3rd Idea is if you have performers on a regular schedule, you have openers for the event that are local. John did this in McPherson Kansas with Morgan Wilk opening for Pam Tillus, Guess what most of the tickets sold were Hutchinson folks coming to see the “Hometown Girl” open for a legend. You could do that here, for instance Roseanne Cash is Nov, well guess what you could find a local country act who could open and sell tickets that way. To follow up on the local opener aspect is have someone in the lobby performing before the event as folks are going in. {Jane Gates did this and it worked then of course she canned it} What the setup is on this, For instance we will use Roseanne Cash as an example, You have local acoustic act in the lobby as folks are going in. This artist sells tickets to get folks to come see them, they play for exposure and also if you have Radio partner{KHUT} interview them at the event or morning of show. This gets them some pop and they will not need to be paid. Then you have another act open up on stage for Roseanne cash. Then when you do your next Country act, you have the lobby act open for the star and you get a new acoustic act in the lobby, this would cycle through and get lot of ground covered. Now in the case of Sept 20th comedy show, you could have a local comic from Wichita or Salina or even KC{I have acts I can turn you onto} they would come in simply for gas money or even sometimes do it for exposure.
4th idea is to use local performers to play period, an idea that Jane Gates did in Salina is had a local blues night with local performers and they did it as a fundraiser for the venue. John in McPherson has done this every year and it works. An idea me and John are working on right now is next year to do a Sunday afternoon Christian Music event, we bring in Brian Davis Band,etc and they play for fundraiser for the Opera House, then they take an offering to pay the performers. Its an idea that is fairly cheap and effective.
5th idea which is something that only apply s to certain folks, For instance you bring {I know he has been here and I think it did not do well} Garrison Keeler. Keeler has a ton of books, you have an autograph signing at Blue Bird books. Then you also have a special VIP dinner at the Fox before the show. You can buy a ticket to the show or a VIP package with tickets and dinner. This could work. I know John in McPherson does this constantly and no one has attempted to do the book signing idea. For instance Jane brought in Kenny Rodgers to Salina, she should have had a book signing either before or after show. Kenny had a book out at the time and missed the chance.
I just submit this to you as some ideas I had and some feedback, I just believe in the Fox and believe in you folks.
Thank you,
James Lowe
“Jiggy Jaguar”
