“Wicked,” the first touring Broadway Show to play at the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Greensboro, finished its historic run on Sunday, Oct. 24.
The 24-performance run was seen by over 66,000 people. Not only was it the first Broadway show at the Tanger Center, it was also the longest and highest grossing Broadway show ever in the triad region.
Matt Brown, managing director of the Greensboro Coliseum Complex and the Tanger Center, said, “The amazing success of ‘Wicked’ was an incredible start to our inaugural Broadway season as audiences were blown away by this spectacular production. With three weeks of capacity crowds at every performance, this record-setting run demonstrated that Tanger Center bring and undeniable energy to downtown Greensboro and generates tremendous economic impact to the entire Piedmont Triad Region.”
Based on analysis by The Broadway League, the New York City-based trade association for the Broadway industry, Wicked’s impact on the local economy is estimated at over $11 million. The impact is generated by tourism dollars spent at hotels, restaurants, parking and more. Also, Broadway shows are large stage productions that employ nearly 100 stagehands, hair and wardrobe professionals, musicians and merchandise sellers.
Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan said, “This is just the beginning of the economic impact that the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts will have on our economy. A big thanks goes out to our generous donors who made this happen. This investment will continue to pay dividends for years to come.”
The Tanger Center was scheduled to hold its grand opening on Friday, March 20, 2020. However, COVID-19 restrictions were put in place earlier that week, so the Tanger Center didn’t have its first show until Rhiannon Giddens and Friends performed on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021.
Also, because The Tanger Center had never been open – unlike the Greensboro Coliseum – it didn’t qualify for any COVID relief funds.
They make similar claims about all the soccer fields up in Bryan Park.
Soccer tournaments bring 100s of families that stay in hotels and eat at resturants. I had kids that played club soccer. We traveled out of town for at least three tournaments a season.
Glad to hear, but would someone explain how this figure was generated and who were the main beneficiaries? Figures like these get tossed about all the time, but they are rarely based on reality.
I bet that I saw the tv commercial 11,000,000 times for Wicked.
Who pays for that, and how much did that cost?
Just wondering
I believe the News & Record did their best to discourage people from going to this with their ready publishing of whiney letters about not requiring vaccinations or testing while ignoring letters (like mine) that praised the production for how superbly done it all was.
I’m sure the Broadway League would tout such statistics. This boondoggle is a playground for the elite on the backs of taxpayers just like Matt Browns entire Coliseum Complex.
That is a bit left field. When I attended the Friday night sold out show, there were people there from a wide range of backgrounds. Some dressed up in suit and tie or nice evening dresses while others showed up in tshirt and jeans. Why does Greensboro have such a negative view of the arts? Arts and entertainment are an important part of building a sustainable growth economy. Greensboro has done an amazing job with building a vibrant active downtown. All that investment and increase in property values has had a very positive impact to the tax base. Why all the negative comments?
“Statistics don’t lie, but liars use statistics!”
The clue to the $11 million figure is RIGHT IN THE ARTICLE: “The impact is generated by tourism dollars spent at hotels, restaurants, parking and more. Also, Broadway shows are large stage productions that employ nearly 100 stagehands, hair and wardrobe professionals, musicians and merchandise sellers”.
The City collects SALES taxes on these services at point of sale and it is easy to interpolate the retail income from the amount of sales tax collected – in almost real time. Also, the employment numbers and salaries of cast, musicians, crew and support personnel are well know and can be looked up on the AEA, IATSE websites. I used to run theatre companies and had to submit regular attendance/revenue and in-kind donation reports to the institutions, including the city, who provided my company with grant money. Part of the grant process is cost-justifying the money they receive via AUDITED IMPACT STATEMENTS. As a non-profit organization, my books and nightly receipts and deposit slips were available and subject to audit at any time.
The skepticism exhibited by the general public is a disturbing sign that the public is unaware of the mechanics behind economic development and generally accepted accounting procedures. That said, the $11 million figure may be a ROUND UP ESTIMATE by the city until month end data from the surrounding businesses is tabulated – but I guarantee you they didn’t MAKE IT UP.
Right now GPAC is stealing business from DPAC. Just wait until they builds WSPAC.
build WSPAC
Well said Tuna. The lack of trust overriding simple concepts on the Rhino times comment sections is a sign of the broader issues with the modern conservative trends of distrust, division and anti-anything they not apart of the conservative talking points. This lack basic economics is one of the primary reasons I have left the republican party.
I agree with this 100%. Most people who comment here appear to disgruntled with life and angry. It’s kind of sad actually.
Exactly. Taxes from parking and hotels now go to pay interest on loans for this Monument DE Tanger. Before long it will be other taxes, fees, and fines on folks that don’t need their arts subsidized on the backs of those that can least afford it. The Coliseum complex operates at a loss and always will and so will the Performance Arts Boondoggle soon enough. Does it generate revenue and increase property value for councilmembers and their cabal of well heeled donors ? Probably? Does it saddle low income folks with the prospect of more taxes and fees? Yes , absolutely.
Nothing wrong with having access to the arts.I wonder,though,if people without much disposable income would benefit at all.
If there is any public money in it,lets make sure all the public can go.
Economic develop projects such as Tanger Center increase property values in around the downtown area which increases the tax base and tax income that are used to support services that benefit lower income portions of the community. The baseball stadium project did the same thing for downtown and you can see the benefits of that investment with more hotels, businesses, and apartments in the downtown area.