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Ruth Eckerd Hall announces the first segment of its 2001-02 season, with few surprises. But, the schedule is just what the north Pinellas audience ordered.
By JOHN FLEMING
© St. Petersburg Times, published June 3, 2001
CLEARWATER -- If it ain't broke, don't fix it. That seems to be the programming strategy at Ruth Eckerd Hall, which announces Act I of its 2001-02 season today. "I always get asked, why do we keep bringing back the Tony Bennetts or Paul Ankas and those kinds of acts," said Bobby Rossi, director of entertainment. "Granted if they started doing half houses, we'd probably stop, but there's a reason we keep doing shows with them. They sell out the hall."
And that translates into a healthy bottom line. In the current fiscal year, which runs through the end of September, Ruth Eckerd has already broken the previous record for ticket sales, with gross revenue of $6.4-million, and it still has as many as nine summertime shows to go.
"We had a stretch of 13 straight sellouts in February and March," Rossi said. "From the end of Dame Edna through Steve and Eydie, Anne Murray, Chicago, Engelbert Humperdinck, Aida, the Moscow Festival Ballet, Tony Bennett and doo-wop."
In a way, you could call the Clearwater venue the house that Anne Murray built. During the hall's 18-year history, the Canadian singer has played it more often -- a dozen times, including next December's Christmas show -- than anyone else.
Murray is part of a group of Canadian entertainers who draw well in the winter, when Canadian visitors flock to Florida.
"Last season we had Paul Anka, Diana Krall, Anne Murray -- all Canadians -- and we put 'em on a flyer and advertised them at a Blue Jays game," Rossi said. "People are sitting at a spring training game, and they say, "Wow, we can't get tickets for these people in Toronto, and here they are five minutes up the road. Let's go.' "
Along with Murray, other reliables returning for next season include violinist Itzhak Perlman, Miami City Ballet's Nutcracker, the Smothers Brothers, the Colors of Christmas concert, Don Rickles and Debbie Reynolds. The Act II schedule, including many events from February on, will be announced in the fall.
Two musical productions new to the Tampa Bay market are on next season's schedule: The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, with Ann-Margret, and Swing! Performers making their Ruth Eckerd Hall debuts include Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart, David Cassidy and the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra.
The dance lineup is strong, with the Paul Taylor Dance Company, Twyla Tharp Dance and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, among others, but Rossi figures some performances will still be a tough sell.
"You sort of say to yourself, "If these don't sell. . . .' " he said. "Alvin Ailey and Nutcracker will sell out, but I know Paul Taylor and Tharp are going to be difficult to sell, as sad as that sounds. Ballet Hispanico generally does well because you're crossing over to a world stage community, so they don't see it so much as dance as an international event."
Rossi, a onetime rock concert promoter, is credited with diversifying the programming at Ruth Eckerd in recent years. He cites the four sold-out concerts by Van Morrison in May 1997 as a turning point.
"We got a new level of member when we did Van Morrison and then came right back with Dan Fogelberg and Ringo (Starr) and Boz Scaggs and Bonnie Raitt," he said. "We got something like 3,000 new members, and I think we've retained a majority of them."
Ruth Eckerd members, who pay a minimum donation of $35, get advance notice of concerts and priority in ticket buying. A lot of rock bookings are announced on relatively short notice.
The hall also has benefited from explosive growth in north Pinellas.
"There has been such a growth of young families from the Pasco line all the way to Ruth Eckerd Hall," Rossi said. "Certainly, when you put a superstar show up, the folks in Tampa and St. Petersburg are coming over, but really, our bedroom community with the right kind of marketing can support this hall all year long."
If there's something missing from Ruth Eckerd's variety show programming, it's what Rossi calls household-name comedians. They've been snapped up by television.
"Comedy is great, but we just can't get the comedians," he said. "They're on the road forever, and then they get a sitcom and stop touring. Chris Rock, Dennis Miller, Dana Carvey, Tim Allen, Drew Carey -- they all stopped. Ellen DeGeneres only started back when her show got canceled. It's frustrating, because they're sort of the minstrels of the business, and you always look to do more of them. It goes in cycles."
Below is Act I of the 2001-02 season at Ruth Eckerd Hall. Members will be mailed ticket order forms in July. Tickets for the general public go on sale Aug. 25. For information, call (727) 791-7400 or check www.rutheckerdhall.com.
Ann-Margret in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Nov. 13-17; Bernadette Peters in concert, Jan. 4; Neil Simon's The Sunshine Boys, Jan. 5; Rent, Jan. 24-26;Swing! Feb. 15-17; The Odd Couple starring Barbara Eden & Rita McKenzie, March 16; Ragtime, April 12-14.
Ottmar Liebert & Luna Negra, Oct. 6; David Cassidy, Oct. 13; John Prine, Oct. 20; Chuck Berry's 75th Birthday Celebration with Little Richard, Oct. 25; the Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart and Bembe Orisha, Oct. 28; Travis Tritt, Nov. 2; Judy Collins Wild Flower Folk Festival with Richie Havens, Roger McGuinn and Janis Ian, Nov. 3; Kenny Loggins, Nov. 29; Jay Black & the Americans with Little Anthony and the Imperials, Nov. 30.
Steven Wright, Oct. 18; Gallagher, Nov. 9; Debbie Reynolds and Don Rickles, Nov. 19; the Smothers Brothers, Dec. 2
Western Opera Theater: Cosi Fan Tutte, Nov. 19; London City Opera: The Merry Widow, Jan. 12; Teatro Lirico D'Europa: Turandot, Feb. 23; Opera a la Carte: The Mikado, Feb. 27.
Moscow State Symphony Orchestra, Nov. 10; Salute to Vienna, Dec. 31; Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Feb. 6; Van Cliburn Gold Medalist, March 5; Itzhak Perlman, March 23.
Paul Taylor Dance Company, Dec. 1; Twyla Tharp Dance, Jan. 17; Ballet Hispanico, Feb. 28; Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, March 6-7; Royal Winnipeg Ballet: Sleeping Beauty, March 29.
Spirit of the Dance, Dec. 26-2; Burn the Floor, Feb. 10; Moiseyev Dance Company, Feb. 21.
Colors of Christmas with Michael McDonald, Peabo Bryson, Sheena Easton and Oleta Adams, Nov. 23; Anne Murray's Christmas Comes to Clearwater, Nov. 25; Miami City Ballet/Florida Orchestra: The Nutcracker, Dec. 7-9; A Christmas Carol, Dec. 10; Dave Koz's Smooth Jazz Christmas, Dec. 12; The Chocolate Nutcracker, Dec. 14; Manhattan Transfer Christmas Holiday Concert, Dec. 15; Richard Nader's Holiday Oldies Reunion starring Felix Cavaliere's Rascals, Ben E. King, Lesley Gore and Lou Christie, Dec. 28.
Fred Travalena's Hollywood Holiday Concert, Nov. 27; The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra Christmas, Dec. 4; A Christmas Carol, Dec. 11; Dallas Brass: A Merry Christmas with Brass, Dec. 18; Manhattan Rhythm Kings, Jan. 8; Florida Orchestra, Jan. 16; American Swing Orchestra, Jan. 22; Pieces of 8, Jan. 29.