Successful Fan-To-Fan Ticket Reselling Initiative was an Olympic First
Tickets.com—a leading global provider of integrated, high-performance ticketing solutions—employed its proprietary, web-based ProVenue Ticketing Management System to handle 100-percent of the ticketing for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. ProVenue efficiently and successfully facilitated all primary sales for Olympic and Paralympic events—and in December of 2009, Tickets.com also established the first-ever officially sanctioned secondary ticketing platform in Olympic history.
“Ticketing operations ran smoothly throughout the Games,” said Caley Denton, Vice President, Ticketing and Consumer Marketing for the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC). “Tickets.com was an exceptional partner and the ProVenue Ticketing System was easy to understand and convenient to use. It served fans across Canada and around the world, handling extreme volume with no complications. We consider it a great success.”
The fan-to-fan secondary ticket marketplace implemented in ProVenue for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games exceeded all sales expectations. The innovative platform allowed fans to post their tickets for resale or donate their tickets to charities and community organizations—It also had the functionality to provide sponsors the ability to consign available ticket inventory for resale at face value to Olympic fans. By making these transactions through the official and secure Vancouver 2010 ticketing website, all parties involved had the assurance that their tickets were genuine.
“We were pleased that the introduction of official secondary ticketing for the Games enjoyed such robust sales. Since this type of operation hadn’t been done before at the Olympic level, we weren’t sure what to forecast in terms of budget numbers, ticket price ceilings, or transaction volume,” said Larry Witherspoon, Chief Executive Officer, Tickets.com. “The fact that we were able to rise to the challenge in handling the extraordinary demand is extremely gratifying and a major milestone for our ProVenue product.”
The fan-to-fan marketplace enabled ticket holders and sponsors to sign into their Vancouver 2010 ticketing account and post their tickets for resale to other fans. Sellers could name their own price, and buyers benefited from a wide range of ticket options. The variety of ticketing options helped to ensure that venues were full of cheering spectators during the Games.
The Vancouver 2010 experience builds on a longstanding record of Olympic ticketing success for Tickets.com, including involvement with the Atlanta 1996 Summer Games, the Sydney 2000 Summer Games and the Salt Lake 2002 Winter Games. Tickets.com continues its support of the Olympic movement as an official supplier of the Canadian Olympic team through 2012.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
2010 Stanley Cup Playoff Tickets on sale April 5
BuffaloSabres.com
The Buffalo Sabres have announced that individual game tickets for the four potential first-round homes games in the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs will go on sale Monday, April 5 at 9 a.m. Dates and opponent have yet to be determined. There will be approximately 2,000 tickets available for each game.
Tickets will be available in person at the HSBC Arena Box Office, all tickets.com outlets in Tops Markets, online at www.sabres.com, tickets.com or charge by phone at 1-888-223-6000. Fans are encouraged to purchase online to avoid potential lineup delays at the arena box office.
Ticket prices range from $58 for 300 Level III/IV seats, to $173 for 200 Club Level seats.
View complete pricing structure >
The Buffalo Sabres have announced that individual game tickets for the four potential first-round homes games in the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs will go on sale Monday, April 5 at 9 a.m. Dates and opponent have yet to be determined. There will be approximately 2,000 tickets available for each game.
Tickets will be available in person at the HSBC Arena Box Office, all tickets.com outlets in Tops Markets, online at www.sabres.com, tickets.com or charge by phone at 1-888-223-6000. Fans are encouraged to purchase online to avoid potential lineup delays at the arena box office.
Ticket prices range from $58 for 300 Level III/IV seats, to $173 for 200 Club Level seats.
View complete pricing structure >
Monday, March 29, 2010
Oakland A's Launching Jumbo Tickets for 2010 Season
The Oakland A's are launching a new fan-friendly ticket option for the 2010 season. Within the barcode of each Plaza Club ticket or Value Deck ticket will be added-value. These "Jumbo" Tickets can be used throughout the Coliseum for redemption at various concession stands for food and beverages and at merchandise stands for souvenirs.New for 2010, the Value Deck includes a Jumbo Ticket added-value of $6.
Plaza Club seats feature a lower ticket price in 2010 as well as a $10 Jumbo Ticket added-value embedded in each barcode, making it one of the most desirable seating areas in the Coliseum.
Purchase Plaza Club & Value Deck Tickets with Jumbo Ticket Added-Value
Friday, March 26, 2010
Lifehouse and Daughtry coming to Times Union Center
Heather Wheeler
Albany Student Press
Alternative rockers Lifehouse will be joining Daughtry at the Times Union Center, Sunday March 28 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are currently on sale through Tickets.com, from $27.50 to $37.50.
Post-grunge rockers Cavo will be opening the show. Chris Daughtry appears on the bands’ fifth studio album, “Smoke & Mirrors,” having co-written the track “Had Enough” with Richard Marx and Lifehouse lead singer/guitarist Jason Wade. Daughtry also lends vocals to the song.
Chris Daughtry has certainly proven that winning the title of American Idol is not needed in order to use the show as a launching pad for your music career. Although he finished in fourth place in the shows fifth season, Chris Daughtry was offered the position of lead singer in the band Fuel. He turned them down, instead deciding to front his own band. The band’s self-titled debut album, released in November 2006, has been on the Billboard Top 200 chart for over two years. The album also spawned an incredible seven singles, all of which reached the Billboard Hot 100 in at least a 25 spot.
Lifehouse is just the latest band in a long line of musicians that Chris Daughtry has collaborated with. He has also lent his pen to 3 Doors Down, Matchbox 20, Shinedown and Nickelback.
It’s no surprise that other artists respect his ideas. Since 2007, the band Daughtry has won seven American Music awards, including Best Break Through Artist and Favorite Band, Duo or Group Pop-Rock. Daughtry has also won two American Music Awards, two World Music Awards and the People’s Choice Award Best Rock Song for the single “Home.” In 2008, Daughtry walked away with four Grammy nominations.
Before inviting Lifehouse along for the second leg of their current U.S. tour, Theory of a Deadman shared the stage with Daughtry.
Albany Student Press
Alternative rockers Lifehouse will be joining Daughtry at the Times Union Center, Sunday March 28 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are currently on sale through Tickets.com, from $27.50 to $37.50.
Post-grunge rockers Cavo will be opening the show. Chris Daughtry appears on the bands’ fifth studio album, “Smoke & Mirrors,” having co-written the track “Had Enough” with Richard Marx and Lifehouse lead singer/guitarist Jason Wade. Daughtry also lends vocals to the song.
Chris Daughtry has certainly proven that winning the title of American Idol is not needed in order to use the show as a launching pad for your music career. Although he finished in fourth place in the shows fifth season, Chris Daughtry was offered the position of lead singer in the band Fuel. He turned them down, instead deciding to front his own band. The band’s self-titled debut album, released in November 2006, has been on the Billboard Top 200 chart for over two years. The album also spawned an incredible seven singles, all of which reached the Billboard Hot 100 in at least a 25 spot.
Lifehouse is just the latest band in a long line of musicians that Chris Daughtry has collaborated with. He has also lent his pen to 3 Doors Down, Matchbox 20, Shinedown and Nickelback.
It’s no surprise that other artists respect his ideas. Since 2007, the band Daughtry has won seven American Music awards, including Best Break Through Artist and Favorite Band, Duo or Group Pop-Rock. Daughtry has also won two American Music Awards, two World Music Awards and the People’s Choice Award Best Rock Song for the single “Home.” In 2008, Daughtry walked away with four Grammy nominations.
Before inviting Lifehouse along for the second leg of their current U.S. tour, Theory of a Deadman shared the stage with Daughtry.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
SeatGeek: A Prediction Market for Concert and Sports Tickets
Ariel Schwartz
FastCompany
SeatGeek, launched Tuesday at TechCrunch50, is a Farecast-like Web site for sports and concert tickets in the secondary market. It's so simple, I'm surprised no one ever thought of it before.
The site predicts future ticket prices with an algorithm that aggregates information from hundreds of secondary market Web sites (StubHub, TicketCity, RazorGator, etc.) and combines it with a number of other factors to make its calculations. Potential ticket prices of an upcoming Yankees game, for example, could be predicted based on past and current prices, who's playing in the game, the weather forecast, and whether a Rolling Stones concert is going on next door. Overall, the algorithm is 80% accurate, according to SeatGeek co-founder Jack Groetzinger.
When I searched SeatGeek for this Sunday's Seattle Mariner's game against the Yankees, I was instructed to wait on buying cheap, medium priced, and expensive seats, as all three categories are predicted to decrease moderately in price. A search for Monday's LA Angels game against the Yankees predicted steady prices for cheap and medium priced seats, and a moderate decrease in expensive seats. SeatGeek also provided me with the option to receive an e-mail alert when prices hit rock bottom.
What if SeatGeek's is wrong about a prediction and a customer waits to buy tickets, only to find that prices have skyrocketed? The company plans to implement an optional insurance policy on its predictions--so if SeatGeek is wrong, they'll compensate accordingly.
SeatGeek's revenue plan is based on that optional insurance policy, along with an 8-10% cut of the purchase price on deals listed on the site and a future premium service for ticket brokers.
"There's so much antagonism towards Ticketmaster and other concert promoters," Groetzinger explained. "This is a tool to fight back."
The site is still limited in its scope, predicting only MLB games and select concerts, but eventually SeatGeek plans to expand into NFL games and more. It's a work in progress, to be sure--a search on SeatGeek for "the Yankees" came up blank, but "Yankees" yielded multiple results--but one that has the potential to make a dent in the ticket brokering industry.
FastCompany
SeatGeek, launched Tuesday at TechCrunch50, is a Farecast-like Web site for sports and concert tickets in the secondary market. It's so simple, I'm surprised no one ever thought of it before.
The site predicts future ticket prices with an algorithm that aggregates information from hundreds of secondary market Web sites (StubHub, TicketCity, RazorGator, etc.) and combines it with a number of other factors to make its calculations. Potential ticket prices of an upcoming Yankees game, for example, could be predicted based on past and current prices, who's playing in the game, the weather forecast, and whether a Rolling Stones concert is going on next door. Overall, the algorithm is 80% accurate, according to SeatGeek co-founder Jack Groetzinger.
When I searched SeatGeek for this Sunday's Seattle Mariner's game against the Yankees, I was instructed to wait on buying cheap, medium priced, and expensive seats, as all three categories are predicted to decrease moderately in price. A search for Monday's LA Angels game against the Yankees predicted steady prices for cheap and medium priced seats, and a moderate decrease in expensive seats. SeatGeek also provided me with the option to receive an e-mail alert when prices hit rock bottom.
What if SeatGeek's is wrong about a prediction and a customer waits to buy tickets, only to find that prices have skyrocketed? The company plans to implement an optional insurance policy on its predictions--so if SeatGeek is wrong, they'll compensate accordingly.
SeatGeek's revenue plan is based on that optional insurance policy, along with an 8-10% cut of the purchase price on deals listed on the site and a future premium service for ticket brokers.
"There's so much antagonism towards Ticketmaster and other concert promoters," Groetzinger explained. "This is a tool to fight back."
The site is still limited in its scope, predicting only MLB games and select concerts, but eventually SeatGeek plans to expand into NFL games and more. It's a work in progress, to be sure--a search on SeatGeek for "the Yankees" came up blank, but "Yankees" yielded multiple results--but one that has the potential to make a dent in the ticket brokering industry.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
St. Bonaventure's season will continue at the Reilly Center
Mary Jane Stevens
Olean Times Herald
When the St. Bonaventure women's basketball team's Atlantic 10 Tournament run ended, senior forward Dana Mitchell said she didn't want her career to end in Upper Marlboro, Md.
It won't.
For the second consecutive year, postseason women's basketball is coming to the Reilly Center.
After advancing to the A-10 quarterfinals, where they suffered their worst lost of the season, a 17-point loss to Dayton, the Bonnies' record stands at 22-9. That guaranteed them the fewest losses in the Division-I era, as they can finish with 10 at most. Last year, they finished with 11. The Flyers earned an eight seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Robert Morris finished its season with a 23-8 record, and it was 17-1 in the Northeast Conference. The Colonials won the conference's regular season title, but they fell to eventual tournament champion St. Francis, N.Y. in the tournament semifinals.
If the Bonnies win, they could meet a familiar foe in the second round, March 20-23. Duquesne (20-11) , with whom the Bonnies split a pair of games in A-10 play, plays at Northwestern (16-14) Thursday. Joe McKeown, who coached at George Washington for 19 years, now coaches the Wildcats.
Five A-10 teams, including St. Bonaventure and Duquesne, made the tournament, and four of them are in the Bonnies' quarter of the draw. Saint Joseph's (17-14), Richmond (19-12) and Charlotte (17-13) also earned bids.
Three other A-10 teams - Temple (14-8), Dayton (24-7) and Xavier (27-3) - were awarded NCAA bids on March 15.
Last season, the Bonnies made their first postseason appearance and advanced all the way to the tournament's quarterfinal round. They lost to eventual-champion South Florida in front of 4,133 fans at Bob Lanier Court.
Tickets are available through the Reilly Center ticket office and through Tickets.com. Adults tickets are $8, tickets for students and children between the ages of 7-15 are $5, and children under six will be admitted free.
Olean Times Herald
When the St. Bonaventure women's basketball team's Atlantic 10 Tournament run ended, senior forward Dana Mitchell said she didn't want her career to end in Upper Marlboro, Md.
It won't.
For the second consecutive year, postseason women's basketball is coming to the Reilly Center.
After advancing to the A-10 quarterfinals, where they suffered their worst lost of the season, a 17-point loss to Dayton, the Bonnies' record stands at 22-9. That guaranteed them the fewest losses in the Division-I era, as they can finish with 10 at most. Last year, they finished with 11. The Flyers earned an eight seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Robert Morris finished its season with a 23-8 record, and it was 17-1 in the Northeast Conference. The Colonials won the conference's regular season title, but they fell to eventual tournament champion St. Francis, N.Y. in the tournament semifinals.
If the Bonnies win, they could meet a familiar foe in the second round, March 20-23. Duquesne (20-11) , with whom the Bonnies split a pair of games in A-10 play, plays at Northwestern (16-14) Thursday. Joe McKeown, who coached at George Washington for 19 years, now coaches the Wildcats.
Five A-10 teams, including St. Bonaventure and Duquesne, made the tournament, and four of them are in the Bonnies' quarter of the draw. Saint Joseph's (17-14), Richmond (19-12) and Charlotte (17-13) also earned bids.
Three other A-10 teams - Temple (14-8), Dayton (24-7) and Xavier (27-3) - were awarded NCAA bids on March 15.
Last season, the Bonnies made their first postseason appearance and advanced all the way to the tournament's quarterfinal round. They lost to eventual-champion South Florida in front of 4,133 fans at Bob Lanier Court.
Tickets are available through the Reilly Center ticket office and through Tickets.com. Adults tickets are $8, tickets for students and children between the ages of 7-15 are $5, and children under six will be admitted free.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Justin Bieber's first headlining tour will stop in Tulsa
Jennifer Chancellor
Tulsa World
The BOK Center announced that teen heartthrob/singer Justin Bieber will perform in Tulsa on July 6.
Tickets are $41.50 and $51.50, plus fees, and go on sale at 10 a.m. March 27, at tulsaworld.com/BOK, the Arby’s Box Office at the BOK Center, all Tickets.com outlets and (866) 7-BOKCTR.
The "My World" tour the Canadian-born 16-year-old's first headlining tour of North America.
"My World 2.0," is a studio release of 10 new songs expected on March 23. It is the second part to his multi-platinum-selling debut, released last year.
His debut, "My World," sold over a million copies in a handful of weeks, and earned him his first four Top 40 hits on the Hot 100, “One Time,” “One Less Lonely Girl,” “Love Me” and “Favorite Girl.”
VIP packages for the “My World” Tour will be available while supplies last through a special fan club presale, starting 10 a.m. March 18. Public on-sale starts March 27.
Bieber's skyrocket ride to fame is a do-it-yourself fantasy come to fruition. By age 12, he had taught himself how to play the piano, drums, guitar and trumpet. He and his mother started posting his cover versions of tunes by Usher, Chris Brown, Stevie Wonder and Justin Timberlake.
In short time, a record producer saw him and flew Bieber to Atlanta, where he met with R&B singer-songwriter Usher, and sang for him in person. Soon thereafter, he met with Antonio L.A. Reid at Island Records, who signed him to Island Records in October 2008.
By late 2009, Bieber released his debut studio album, which almost instantly sold more than 1 million copies. Usher also makes a guest appearance on the album.
He has since performed for President and first lady Obama, with Steve Wonder and on "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest."
For more information about the fan club complete tour and ticket information, see BieberFever.com.
Tulsa World
The BOK Center announced that teen heartthrob/singer Justin Bieber will perform in Tulsa on July 6.
Tickets are $41.50 and $51.50, plus fees, and go on sale at 10 a.m. March 27, at tulsaworld.com/BOK, the Arby’s Box Office at the BOK Center, all Tickets.com outlets and (866) 7-BOKCTR.
The "My World" tour the Canadian-born 16-year-old's first headlining tour of North America.
"My World 2.0," is a studio release of 10 new songs expected on March 23. It is the second part to his multi-platinum-selling debut, released last year.
His debut, "My World," sold over a million copies in a handful of weeks, and earned him his first four Top 40 hits on the Hot 100, “One Time,” “One Less Lonely Girl,” “Love Me” and “Favorite Girl.”
VIP packages for the “My World” Tour will be available while supplies last through a special fan club presale, starting 10 a.m. March 18. Public on-sale starts March 27.
Bieber's skyrocket ride to fame is a do-it-yourself fantasy come to fruition. By age 12, he had taught himself how to play the piano, drums, guitar and trumpet. He and his mother started posting his cover versions of tunes by Usher, Chris Brown, Stevie Wonder and Justin Timberlake.
In short time, a record producer saw him and flew Bieber to Atlanta, where he met with R&B singer-songwriter Usher, and sang for him in person. Soon thereafter, he met with Antonio L.A. Reid at Island Records, who signed him to Island Records in October 2008.
By late 2009, Bieber released his debut studio album, which almost instantly sold more than 1 million copies. Usher also makes a guest appearance on the album.
He has since performed for President and first lady Obama, with Steve Wonder and on "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest."
For more information about the fan club complete tour and ticket information, see BieberFever.com.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Gartner Says Worldwide Mobile Phone Sales to End Users Grew 8 Percent in Fourth Quarter 2009; Market Remained Flat in 2009
Worldwide mobile phone sales to end users totalled 1.211 billion units in 2009, a 0.9 per cent decline from 2008, according to Gartner, Inc. In the fourth quarter of 2009, the market registered a single-digit growth as mobile phone sales to end users surpassed 340 million units, an 8.3 per cent increase from the fourth quarter of 2008.
"The mobile devices market finished on a very positive note, driven by growth in smartphones and low-end devices," said Carolina Milanesi, research director at Gartner. ”Smartphone sales to end users continued their strong growth in the fourth quarter of 2009, totalling 53.8 million units, up 41.1 per cent from the same period in 2008. In 2009, smartphone sales reached 172.4 million units, a 23.8 per cent increase from 2008. In 2009, smartphone-focused vendors like Apple and Research In Motion (RIM) successfully captured market share from other larger device producers, controlling 14.4 and 19.9 per cent of the worldwide smartphone market, respectively.”
Throughout 2009, intense price competition put pressure on average selling prices (ASPs). The major handset producers had to respond more aggressively in markets such as China and India to compete with white-box producers, while in mature markets they competed hard with each other for market share. Gartner expects the better economic environment and the changing mix of sales to stabilise ASPs in 2010.
Read more >
"The mobile devices market finished on a very positive note, driven by growth in smartphones and low-end devices," said Carolina Milanesi, research director at Gartner. ”Smartphone sales to end users continued their strong growth in the fourth quarter of 2009, totalling 53.8 million units, up 41.1 per cent from the same period in 2008. In 2009, smartphone sales reached 172.4 million units, a 23.8 per cent increase from 2008. In 2009, smartphone-focused vendors like Apple and Research In Motion (RIM) successfully captured market share from other larger device producers, controlling 14.4 and 19.9 per cent of the worldwide smartphone market, respectively.”
Throughout 2009, intense price competition put pressure on average selling prices (ASPs). The major handset producers had to respond more aggressively in markets such as China and India to compete with white-box producers, while in mature markets they competed hard with each other for market share. Gartner expects the better economic environment and the changing mix of sales to stabilise ASPs in 2010.
Read more >
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Moya Angela, Adrienne Warren Lead Cast of DREAMGIRLS In Seattle
Broadway World
Producer John Breglio and Broadway Across America-Seattle announced casting today for the national tour of DREAMGIRLS, coming to Seattle from April 6 -11. DREAMGIRLS will introduce Moya Angela as Effie White and feature, as The Dreams, Syesha Mercado as Deena Jones, Adrienne Warren as Lorrell Robinson, and Margaret Hoffman as Michelle Morris with Chaz Lamar Shepherd as Curtis Taylor, Jr., Chester Gregory is James "Thunder" Early, Trevon Davis as C.C. White, Milton Craig Nealy as Marty Madison in a cast of 26 that also features Tallia Brinson, Felicia Boswell, Ronald Duncan, Patrice Covington, Talitha Farrow, Brittney Griffin, James Harkness, Robert Hartwell, Eric Jackson, Chauncey Jenkins, Jared Joseph, Nikki Kimbrough, Brittany Lewis, Douglas Lyons, Kimberly Marable, Jarran Muse, Amaker Smith and Marc Spaulding.
Tickets for DREAMGIRLS range from $27 to $75 and are available on-line at tickets.com, stgpresents.org or BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com. Tickets are also available by calling 877-STG-4TIX (4849) or in person at The Paramount Theatre Box Office (Monday through Friday, 10am to 6pm). Group orders of 15 or more may be placed by calling 1-888-214-6856.
Full of onstage joy and backstage drama, DREAMGIRLS tells the story of an up-and-coming, 1960s singing girl group, and the triumphs and tribulations that come with fame and fortune. Hopeful talents Deena Jones, Lorrell Robinson and Effie White are performing as The Dreamettes when ambitious agent Curtis Taylor, Jr. discovers them. He lands them a job as backup singers for the soul and rock ‘n' roll sensation James "Thunder" Early and begins to guide their quickly rising career. However, when the beautiful Deena emerges as the star of the group rather than the full-voiced Effie, the girls are brought to personal and professional crossroads.
DREAMGIRLS is directed and choreographed by Robert Longbottom with co-choreography by Shane Sparks, scenic design by Robin Wagner, costume design by William Ivey Long, lighting design by Ken Billington, sound deign by Acme Sound Partners, and media design by Howard Werner for Lightswitch. DREAMGIRLS features music by Henry Krieger and lyrics and book by Tom Eyen with additional material by Willie Reale. DREAMGIRLS is produced by John Breglio for Vienna Waits Productions.
The original Broadway production of DREAMGIRLS opened December 20, 1981, at the Imperial Theatre and won six Tony Awards and three Drama Desk Awards in 1982. It closed on Broadway August 11, 1985, after 1,521 performances. The original Broadway production was directed by Michael Bennett and choreographed by Bennett and Michael Peters. DREAMGIRLS was adapted into a motion picture by DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures, and opened in December 2006. The film won two Academy Awards, five Golden Globes, and two Screen Actor's Guild Awards in 2007 in addition to a Grammy Award for Best Song written for a Motion Picture ("Love You I Do"). The most popular song from the film, "Listen," has been incorporated into the new stage version of DREAMGIRLS as a stirring Act II duet for Deena and Effie. This all-new production of DREAMGIRLS premiered at Harlem's legendary Apollo Theater in New York City on November 22, 2009, before embarking on an international tour.
The performance schedule for the Seattle engagement of DREAMGIRLS at The Paramount Theatre (911 Pine St., Seattle) is:
Tuesday¸ April 6 7:30 pm
Wednesday, April 7 7:30pm
Thursday, April 8 7:30pm
Friday, April 9 8:00pm
Saturday, April 10 2:00pm and 8:00pm
Sunday, April 11 1:00pm and 6:30pm
Tickets for DREAMGIRLS range from $27 to $75 and are available on-line at tickets.com, stgpresents.org or BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com. Tickets are also available by calling 877-STG-4TIX (4849) or in person at The Paramount Theatre Box Office (Monday through Friday, 10am to 6pm).
Producer John Breglio and Broadway Across America-Seattle announced casting today for the national tour of DREAMGIRLS, coming to Seattle from April 6 -11. DREAMGIRLS will introduce Moya Angela as Effie White and feature, as The Dreams, Syesha Mercado as Deena Jones, Adrienne Warren as Lorrell Robinson, and Margaret Hoffman as Michelle Morris with Chaz Lamar Shepherd as Curtis Taylor, Jr., Chester Gregory is James "Thunder" Early, Trevon Davis as C.C. White, Milton Craig Nealy as Marty Madison in a cast of 26 that also features Tallia Brinson, Felicia Boswell, Ronald Duncan, Patrice Covington, Talitha Farrow, Brittney Griffin, James Harkness, Robert Hartwell, Eric Jackson, Chauncey Jenkins, Jared Joseph, Nikki Kimbrough, Brittany Lewis, Douglas Lyons, Kimberly Marable, Jarran Muse, Amaker Smith and Marc Spaulding.
Tickets for DREAMGIRLS range from $27 to $75 and are available on-line at tickets.com, stgpresents.org or BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com. Tickets are also available by calling 877-STG-4TIX (4849) or in person at The Paramount Theatre Box Office (Monday through Friday, 10am to 6pm). Group orders of 15 or more may be placed by calling 1-888-214-6856.
Full of onstage joy and backstage drama, DREAMGIRLS tells the story of an up-and-coming, 1960s singing girl group, and the triumphs and tribulations that come with fame and fortune. Hopeful talents Deena Jones, Lorrell Robinson and Effie White are performing as The Dreamettes when ambitious agent Curtis Taylor, Jr. discovers them. He lands them a job as backup singers for the soul and rock ‘n' roll sensation James "Thunder" Early and begins to guide their quickly rising career. However, when the beautiful Deena emerges as the star of the group rather than the full-voiced Effie, the girls are brought to personal and professional crossroads.
DREAMGIRLS is directed and choreographed by Robert Longbottom with co-choreography by Shane Sparks, scenic design by Robin Wagner, costume design by William Ivey Long, lighting design by Ken Billington, sound deign by Acme Sound Partners, and media design by Howard Werner for Lightswitch. DREAMGIRLS features music by Henry Krieger and lyrics and book by Tom Eyen with additional material by Willie Reale. DREAMGIRLS is produced by John Breglio for Vienna Waits Productions.
The original Broadway production of DREAMGIRLS opened December 20, 1981, at the Imperial Theatre and won six Tony Awards and three Drama Desk Awards in 1982. It closed on Broadway August 11, 1985, after 1,521 performances. The original Broadway production was directed by Michael Bennett and choreographed by Bennett and Michael Peters. DREAMGIRLS was adapted into a motion picture by DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures, and opened in December 2006. The film won two Academy Awards, five Golden Globes, and two Screen Actor's Guild Awards in 2007 in addition to a Grammy Award for Best Song written for a Motion Picture ("Love You I Do"). The most popular song from the film, "Listen," has been incorporated into the new stage version of DREAMGIRLS as a stirring Act II duet for Deena and Effie. This all-new production of DREAMGIRLS premiered at Harlem's legendary Apollo Theater in New York City on November 22, 2009, before embarking on an international tour.
The performance schedule for the Seattle engagement of DREAMGIRLS at The Paramount Theatre (911 Pine St., Seattle) is:
Tuesday¸ April 6 7:30 pm
Wednesday, April 7 7:30pm
Thursday, April 8 7:30pm
Friday, April 9 8:00pm
Saturday, April 10 2:00pm and 8:00pm
Sunday, April 11 1:00pm and 6:30pm
Tickets for DREAMGIRLS range from $27 to $75 and are available on-line at tickets.com, stgpresents.org or BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com. Tickets are also available by calling 877-STG-4TIX (4849) or in person at The Paramount Theatre Box Office (Monday through Friday, 10am to 6pm).
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Pearl Jam coming to Buffalo
The Buffalo News
Pearl Jam is coming to HSBC Arena at 7:30 p.m. May 10, concert promoter Live Nation announced. Band of Horses is also on the bill.
Tickets are $69.50 and go on sale at noon March 20 through Tickets.com, LiveNation.com and at the HSBC Arena box office. Handbills are available now.
The Buffalo show is one of 11 dates announced today, according to the group's Web site.
The Black Eyed Peas are also headed to HSBC Arena, with an Aug. 11 date for the group now confirmed. Ticket info for that show has not yet been released.
Pearl Jam is coming to HSBC Arena at 7:30 p.m. May 10, concert promoter Live Nation announced. Band of Horses is also on the bill.
Tickets are $69.50 and go on sale at noon March 20 through Tickets.com, LiveNation.com and at the HSBC Arena box office. Handbills are available now.
The Buffalo show is one of 11 dates announced today, according to the group's Web site.
The Black Eyed Peas are also headed to HSBC Arena, with an Aug. 11 date for the group now confirmed. Ticket info for that show has not yet been released.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Fresno Grizzlies Announce Premium Giveaways For Every Saturday Home Game In 2010
Our Sports Central
As part of the week-long unveiling of their Promotional Schedule, the Fresno Grizzlies announced their complete lineup of premium giveaways for the 2010 season. Fans will be treated to mainstays like jersey t-shirts, baseball caps and team photos, will have a chance to collect unique bobbleheads and Webkinz, and even win cold hard cash.
Opening weekend brings with it a pair of giveaways. The first 2,000 fans through the gate on Kids Opening Day, a 1:05pm start on Saturday, April 17th, will receive a Webkinz Lil' Kinz. The popular interactive toys will make another appearance at Chukchansi Park the final weekend of the regular season.
Sunday, April 18th, the first 10,000 fans into the ballpark will receive a 2010 Magnet Schedule, presented by AT&T Real Yellow Pages.
The Grizzlies wrap up a promotion-packed first homestand with a Team Photo giveaway to the first 2,500 fans at Chukchansi Park on Friday, April 23rd. The giveaway will be accompanied by traditional Friday Night Fireworks, as well as a team autograph session before the game.
The organization kicks off May with a Drag Kings T-Shirt giveaway to the first 2,500 fans to arrive on Saturday, May 1st. The Grizzlies' world-famous dancing grounds crew will be commemorated on a stylish T-shirt, presented by Ironworkers Local 155.
The following week, Saturday, May 8th, the first 2,500 fans will receive a Fresno Grizzlies Baseball Cap, presented by Ahart Benefit Insurance Services.
On Saturday, May 22nd the first 2,500 fans will receive a Catcher's Style Backpack, presented by Eye-Q Vision Care. The item is designed to look like a catcher's chest protector, but functions as a regular backpack, giving the biggest baseball fans a way to celebrate the game in everyday life.
The first 3,000 fans on June 5th will receive a "Grizzlies Greats" Collector Card Set, featuring some of the best players in franchise history, presented by Disabled American Veterans.
Usually you have to bring your own mitt to the ballpark. But fans will have a chance to take home their very own new glove, as Tickets.com presents a Baseball Glove giveaway Saturday, June 19th to the first 1,500 fans through the turnstiles.
As part of an increased fan participation element this season, fans will get to vote on the team's official website, FresnoGrizzlies.com, for their favorite 2010 Grizzlies player to be recognized on a Jersey T-Shirt, given to the first 2,000 fans through the gates on Saturday, June 26th. The shirt will replicate the Grizzlies grey road jerseys, and is presented by Central California Blood Center.
If gloves, hats and bobbleheads just aren't your style, there is still one giveaway in 2010 that everyone can get excited about. Mark your calendars on Saturday, July 17th for the Cold Hard Cash Giveaway, presented by Chukchansi Gold Resort and Casino. The first 2,500 fans through the turnstiles will receive an envelope with anywhere from $1 to $1,000 inside, with a total of $7,500 to be given away at the game.
The bobbles are back, starting Saturday, July 31st with Buster Posey Bobblehead Night, presented by Bar-S Foods. The Giants' mega-prospect, rated by mlb.com as a top-five talent in all of the minor leagues, will be immortalized in bobblehead form, available to the first 2,500 fans in attendance.
Two weeks later, on August 14th, the Grizzlies will celebrate Parker Bobblehead Night, presented by Wendy's, as the first 2,500 fans at Chukchansi Park will receive a bobblehead featuring the Grizzlies beloved mascot. True to form, Parker will be commemorated amidst one of his most popular, crowd-pleasing skits: the infamous Mascot Evolution of Dance.
For the final giveaway of the season, the Grizzlies will again ask for the fans to get involved and vote for their favorite Webkinz Lil' Kinz, which will be given away to the first 2,000 in the park on Saturday, September 4th. Fans will be directed to the team's Facebook page to vote for the Webkinz pet they want to receive.
The 2010 Fresno Grizzlies Promotional Calendar is being released over the course of the next several days. Theme Nights and Theme Jerseys will be announced on Thursday and Celebrity Guest Appearances on Friday. Value-oriented weekday promotions will be announced next week.
The 2010 promotional lineup will continue to grow and evolve through Opening Day and into the season, and more fun theme nights and events will be added and announced in the future. Promotions are always subject to change.
The Fresno Grizzlies open the home portion of their 2010 campaign on Friday, April 16th when they welcome the Portland Beavers to downtown Fresno. Single-game tickets for the 2010 season will go on sale on Monday, March 15th at 9:00am. For information on season tickets or mini-plans, both on sale now, visit the new FresnoGrizzlies.com or call the Grizzlies front office at 559.320.HITS.
2009 Fresno Grizzlies Premium Giveaway Schedule
Saturday, April 17: Webkinz Lil' Kinz (2,000)
Sunday, April 18: 2010 Magnet Schedule (10,000), presented by AT&T Real Yellow Pages
Friday, April 23: Team Photo (2,500)
Saturday, May 1: Drag Kings T-Shirt (2,500), presented by Ironworkers Local 155
Saturday, May 8: Fresno Grizzlies Baseball Cap (2,500), presented by Ahart Benefit Insurance Services
Saturday, May 22: Catcher's Style Backpack (2,500), presented by Eye-Q Vision Care
Saturday June 5: "Grizzlies Greats" Card Set, presented by Disabled American Veterans (3,000)
Saturday, June 19: Baseball Glove (1,500), presented by Tickets.com
Saturday, June 26: Jersey T-Shirt (2,000), presented by Central California Blood Center
Saturday, July 17: Cold Hard Cash (2,500), presented by Chukchansi Gold Resort and Casino
Saturday, July 31: Buster Posey Bobblehead (2,500), presented by Bar-S Foods
Saturday, August 14: Parker Bobblehead (2,500), presented by Wendy's
Saturday, September 4: Webkinz Lil' Kinz (2,000)
As part of the week-long unveiling of their Promotional Schedule, the Fresno Grizzlies announced their complete lineup of premium giveaways for the 2010 season. Fans will be treated to mainstays like jersey t-shirts, baseball caps and team photos, will have a chance to collect unique bobbleheads and Webkinz, and even win cold hard cash.
Opening weekend brings with it a pair of giveaways. The first 2,000 fans through the gate on Kids Opening Day, a 1:05pm start on Saturday, April 17th, will receive a Webkinz Lil' Kinz. The popular interactive toys will make another appearance at Chukchansi Park the final weekend of the regular season.
Sunday, April 18th, the first 10,000 fans into the ballpark will receive a 2010 Magnet Schedule, presented by AT&T Real Yellow Pages.
The Grizzlies wrap up a promotion-packed first homestand with a Team Photo giveaway to the first 2,500 fans at Chukchansi Park on Friday, April 23rd. The giveaway will be accompanied by traditional Friday Night Fireworks, as well as a team autograph session before the game.
The organization kicks off May with a Drag Kings T-Shirt giveaway to the first 2,500 fans to arrive on Saturday, May 1st. The Grizzlies' world-famous dancing grounds crew will be commemorated on a stylish T-shirt, presented by Ironworkers Local 155.
The following week, Saturday, May 8th, the first 2,500 fans will receive a Fresno Grizzlies Baseball Cap, presented by Ahart Benefit Insurance Services.
On Saturday, May 22nd the first 2,500 fans will receive a Catcher's Style Backpack, presented by Eye-Q Vision Care. The item is designed to look like a catcher's chest protector, but functions as a regular backpack, giving the biggest baseball fans a way to celebrate the game in everyday life.
The first 3,000 fans on June 5th will receive a "Grizzlies Greats" Collector Card Set, featuring some of the best players in franchise history, presented by Disabled American Veterans.
Usually you have to bring your own mitt to the ballpark. But fans will have a chance to take home their very own new glove, as Tickets.com presents a Baseball Glove giveaway Saturday, June 19th to the first 1,500 fans through the turnstiles.
As part of an increased fan participation element this season, fans will get to vote on the team's official website, FresnoGrizzlies.com, for their favorite 2010 Grizzlies player to be recognized on a Jersey T-Shirt, given to the first 2,000 fans through the gates on Saturday, June 26th. The shirt will replicate the Grizzlies grey road jerseys, and is presented by Central California Blood Center.
If gloves, hats and bobbleheads just aren't your style, there is still one giveaway in 2010 that everyone can get excited about. Mark your calendars on Saturday, July 17th for the Cold Hard Cash Giveaway, presented by Chukchansi Gold Resort and Casino. The first 2,500 fans through the turnstiles will receive an envelope with anywhere from $1 to $1,000 inside, with a total of $7,500 to be given away at the game.
The bobbles are back, starting Saturday, July 31st with Buster Posey Bobblehead Night, presented by Bar-S Foods. The Giants' mega-prospect, rated by mlb.com as a top-five talent in all of the minor leagues, will be immortalized in bobblehead form, available to the first 2,500 fans in attendance.
Two weeks later, on August 14th, the Grizzlies will celebrate Parker Bobblehead Night, presented by Wendy's, as the first 2,500 fans at Chukchansi Park will receive a bobblehead featuring the Grizzlies beloved mascot. True to form, Parker will be commemorated amidst one of his most popular, crowd-pleasing skits: the infamous Mascot Evolution of Dance.
For the final giveaway of the season, the Grizzlies will again ask for the fans to get involved and vote for their favorite Webkinz Lil' Kinz, which will be given away to the first 2,000 in the park on Saturday, September 4th. Fans will be directed to the team's Facebook page to vote for the Webkinz pet they want to receive.
The 2010 Fresno Grizzlies Promotional Calendar is being released over the course of the next several days. Theme Nights and Theme Jerseys will be announced on Thursday and Celebrity Guest Appearances on Friday. Value-oriented weekday promotions will be announced next week.
The 2010 promotional lineup will continue to grow and evolve through Opening Day and into the season, and more fun theme nights and events will be added and announced in the future. Promotions are always subject to change.
The Fresno Grizzlies open the home portion of their 2010 campaign on Friday, April 16th when they welcome the Portland Beavers to downtown Fresno. Single-game tickets for the 2010 season will go on sale on Monday, March 15th at 9:00am. For information on season tickets or mini-plans, both on sale now, visit the new FresnoGrizzlies.com or call the Grizzlies front office at 559.320.HITS.
2009 Fresno Grizzlies Premium Giveaway Schedule
Saturday, April 17: Webkinz Lil' Kinz (2,000)
Sunday, April 18: 2010 Magnet Schedule (10,000), presented by AT&T Real Yellow Pages
Friday, April 23: Team Photo (2,500)
Saturday, May 1: Drag Kings T-Shirt (2,500), presented by Ironworkers Local 155
Saturday, May 8: Fresno Grizzlies Baseball Cap (2,500), presented by Ahart Benefit Insurance Services
Saturday, May 22: Catcher's Style Backpack (2,500), presented by Eye-Q Vision Care
Saturday June 5: "Grizzlies Greats" Card Set, presented by Disabled American Veterans (3,000)
Saturday, June 19: Baseball Glove (1,500), presented by Tickets.com
Saturday, June 26: Jersey T-Shirt (2,000), presented by Central California Blood Center
Saturday, July 17: Cold Hard Cash (2,500), presented by Chukchansi Gold Resort and Casino
Saturday, July 31: Buster Posey Bobblehead (2,500), presented by Bar-S Foods
Saturday, August 14: Parker Bobblehead (2,500), presented by Wendy's
Saturday, September 4: Webkinz Lil' Kinz (2,000)
Monday, March 15, 2010
STG Presents Jim Gaffigan at Paramount Theatre, 10/9
Broadway World
BWW News Desk
Seattle Theatre Group (STG) present Jim Gaffigan on Saturday, October 9, 2010 at 7:00pm at the Paramount Theatre.
Jim Gaffigan has proven himself a major talent beloved to a wide range of audiences after achieving milestones in stand-up, acting and writing. As approachable as he is edgy, Jim is responsible for some of the funniest and most memorable moments in recent television (primetime, cable and the late-night circuit) and film.
As a stand-up comedian, Gaffigan's clever, quiet style has earned him an unprecedented number of appearances on both CBS' LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN and NBC's LATE NIGHT WITH Conan O'Brien. His recent one hour Comedy Central Special, CD and DVD, all entitled "Beyond the Pale" have catapulted Gaffigan to one of the most popular touring and recorded comedians in the country today. The DVD for "Beyond the Pale" went Gold within the first six months.
After Gaffigan's first appearance on DAVID LETTERMAN, the host personally chose him to develop a sitcom for World Wide Pants. Eighteen months later, WELCOME TO NEW YORK debuted on CBS to critical acclaim. He then co-starred with Ellen Degeneres on her CBS sitcom THE ELLEN SHOW. For two years he had recurring roles both on FOX's THAT 70'S SHOW and NBC's ED. Jim has also had roles on SEX AND THE CITY, THIRD WATCH and each of the LAW & ORDER shows, among others. Jim can be seen this November in MY BOYS, TBS' first original scripted comedy series.
On film, Jim has endeared himself to audiences by taking on vivid supporting characters in a number of genres. In the cult hit SUPER TROOPERS, Gaffigan got huge laughs and famously helped add "meow" to the lexicon of Vermont state troopers. Jim's quiet dramatic turn in THE GREAT NEW WONDERFUL, a meditation on the aftermath of 9/11, took audiences and critics by surprise as he embodied an office worker broken by tragedy who ultimately explodes in rage.
Gaffigan's other recent film credits include the forthcoming independent films THE LIVING WAKE and STEPHANIE DALEY. He has also been featured in TRUST THE MAN, 13 GOING ON 30, THREE KINGS, FINAL, IGBY GOES DOWN, ENTROPY and THIRTY YEARS TO LIFE. In 2004, he co-starred in TNT's BAD APPLE, with Chris Noth.
Gaffigan recently signed on to co-write and lend his voice to 20 new episodes of PALE FORCE, a series of animated shorts that will air regularly on CONAN and on the internet via webisodes starting in October. The series focuses on two pale crime-fighting superheroes that, like Gaffigan and O'Brien, are equipped with fair skin.
Many recognize Gaffigan from his numerous award-winning commercial campaigns, which include Sierra Mist, ESPN, Saturn and Rolling Rock. His commercial presence earned him Business Week's 1999 "Salesman of the Year" honor.
Gaffigan currently lives in New York with his family.
Tickets: $46.75 & $36.75, not including applicable fees. Tickets are on sale Friday, March 12th at noon at Tickets.com, in person at the Paramount box office (Mon-Fri 10am-6pm), 24-hour kiosks located outside The Paramount & Moore Theatres, charge by phone at 877-784-4849, or online at www.STGPresents.org.
About STG
Seattle Theatre Group is the 501 (c)(3) non-profit arts organization that operates the historic Paramount and Moore Theatres in Seattle, Washington. Our mission is to make diverse performing arts and education an integral part of our region's cultural identity while keeping these two landmark venues alive and vibrant. STG presents a range of performances from Broadway, off-Broadway, dance and jazz to comedy, concerts of all genres, speakers and family shows - at both historic theatres in Seattle and venues throughout the Puget Sound and Portland, Oregon.
BWW News Desk
Seattle Theatre Group (STG) present Jim Gaffigan on Saturday, October 9, 2010 at 7:00pm at the Paramount Theatre.
Jim Gaffigan has proven himself a major talent beloved to a wide range of audiences after achieving milestones in stand-up, acting and writing. As approachable as he is edgy, Jim is responsible for some of the funniest and most memorable moments in recent television (primetime, cable and the late-night circuit) and film.
As a stand-up comedian, Gaffigan's clever, quiet style has earned him an unprecedented number of appearances on both CBS' LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN and NBC's LATE NIGHT WITH Conan O'Brien. His recent one hour Comedy Central Special, CD and DVD, all entitled "Beyond the Pale" have catapulted Gaffigan to one of the most popular touring and recorded comedians in the country today. The DVD for "Beyond the Pale" went Gold within the first six months.
After Gaffigan's first appearance on DAVID LETTERMAN, the host personally chose him to develop a sitcom for World Wide Pants. Eighteen months later, WELCOME TO NEW YORK debuted on CBS to critical acclaim. He then co-starred with Ellen Degeneres on her CBS sitcom THE ELLEN SHOW. For two years he had recurring roles both on FOX's THAT 70'S SHOW and NBC's ED. Jim has also had roles on SEX AND THE CITY, THIRD WATCH and each of the LAW & ORDER shows, among others. Jim can be seen this November in MY BOYS, TBS' first original scripted comedy series.
On film, Jim has endeared himself to audiences by taking on vivid supporting characters in a number of genres. In the cult hit SUPER TROOPERS, Gaffigan got huge laughs and famously helped add "meow" to the lexicon of Vermont state troopers. Jim's quiet dramatic turn in THE GREAT NEW WONDERFUL, a meditation on the aftermath of 9/11, took audiences and critics by surprise as he embodied an office worker broken by tragedy who ultimately explodes in rage.
Gaffigan's other recent film credits include the forthcoming independent films THE LIVING WAKE and STEPHANIE DALEY. He has also been featured in TRUST THE MAN, 13 GOING ON 30, THREE KINGS, FINAL, IGBY GOES DOWN, ENTROPY and THIRTY YEARS TO LIFE. In 2004, he co-starred in TNT's BAD APPLE, with Chris Noth.
Gaffigan recently signed on to co-write and lend his voice to 20 new episodes of PALE FORCE, a series of animated shorts that will air regularly on CONAN and on the internet via webisodes starting in October. The series focuses on two pale crime-fighting superheroes that, like Gaffigan and O'Brien, are equipped with fair skin.
Many recognize Gaffigan from his numerous award-winning commercial campaigns, which include Sierra Mist, ESPN, Saturn and Rolling Rock. His commercial presence earned him Business Week's 1999 "Salesman of the Year" honor.
Gaffigan currently lives in New York with his family.
Tickets: $46.75 & $36.75, not including applicable fees. Tickets are on sale Friday, March 12th at noon at Tickets.com, in person at the Paramount box office (Mon-Fri 10am-6pm), 24-hour kiosks located outside The Paramount & Moore Theatres, charge by phone at 877-784-4849, or online at www.STGPresents.org.
About STG
Seattle Theatre Group is the 501 (c)(3) non-profit arts organization that operates the historic Paramount and Moore Theatres in Seattle, Washington. Our mission is to make diverse performing arts and education an integral part of our region's cultural identity while keeping these two landmark venues alive and vibrant. STG presents a range of performances from Broadway, off-Broadway, dance and jazz to comedy, concerts of all genres, speakers and family shows - at both historic theatres in Seattle and venues throughout the Puget Sound and Portland, Oregon.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Twins to Begin Selling Single-Game Tickets for Games at Target Field
The Twins on Saturday will begin selling single-game tickets to the public for this season. The series against the Red Sox that will open Target Field is sold out. Ticket availability in the 39,504-seat ballpark will be "limited by an unprecedented season-ticket sale of about 22,000 and the ability of each season-ticket account holder to buy an additional eight tickets per game during a two-day sale earlier this week."
Seattle Theatre Group Presents CIRQUE DREAMS ILLUMINATION 5/20-5/23
Broadway World
BWW News Desk
Get ready for the all new CIRQUE DREAMS ILLUMINATION from the creators of the groundbreaking hit and only show of its kind to ever perform on Broadway: CIRQUE DREAMS Jungle Fantasy (shown at The Moore Theatre in 2007). Hailed as, "Dazzling! A reason to stand up and cheer," by the New York Daily News, CIRQUE DREAMS ILLUMINATION will ignite Seattle when it performs at The Moore Theatre beginning May 20 for six performances. Tickets on sale Friday, March 5, 2010 at 10:00am.
Journey with fascination into the depths of a city that ignites with illumination when Cirque Dreams imagination, suspense and theatrical innovation turns EVERDAY ORDINARY...INTO BRIGHT AND EXTRAORDINARY! Audiences of all ages will marvel as city dwellers reinvent familiar objects, balance on wires, leap tall buildings and redefine the risks of flight in a story filled with astounding occurrences. One of a kind artists populate the streets of this magical metropolis and breathe energy into its landscape with urban acrobatics and never before seen phenomenal thrills of disbelief. Cirque Dreams' critically acclaimed dazzling costumes come alive to the sounds of jazz, ballroom, pop and more in this original score.
Created and directed by Neil Goldberg, Cirque Dreams Illumination is the latest brainchild of Goldberg's theatrical imagination and the Cirque Dreams brand of entertainment, creators of international performance, touring and Broadway sensations Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy, Cirque Dreams Holidaze, Cirque Dreams Pandemonia, Cirque Dreams Coobrila, Cirque Ingenieux and the first show of its kind at sea...Cirque Dreams & Dinner on board the Norwegian Cruise Line EPIC. Over 50 million fans have attended a Cirque Dreams show throughout the U.S. and abroad in the past 5 years.
"Cirque Dreams Illumination" is the company's 14th production since originating in 1993. "The Cirque Dreams brand of quality, originality and value combined with Broadway theatrics and international circus artistry continues to transcend imagination and appeal to audiences of all ages" says Goldberg. Critics and audiences alike have praised Cirque Dreams shows as "A whiz-bang family friendly spectacle" (LA Times), "Pure talent on a stage" (New Yorker) and "Executed to perfection." (Chicago Sun Times).
Tickets: Cirque Dreams Illumination tickets are $30.00 - $50.00 and are on sale Friday, March 5 at 10am. Purchase tickets online at www.stgpresents.org, by phone at (877) 784-4849, in person at The Paramount Theatre box office, Monday through Friday 10:00am-6:00pm and The Paramount and Moore Theatre venue kiosks, 24-hours a day, 7-days a week, powered by Tickets.com. The Moore Theatre is located at 1926 2nd Ave. in downtown Seattle.
Special $10 off discount available for students 14 years old and under. Group discounts for 10 or more are available by calling 866-798-7469.
About STG: STG is the 501 (c)(3) non-profit arts organization that operates the historic Paramount and Moore Theatres in Seattle, Washington. Our mission is to make diverse performing arts and education an integral part of our region's cultural identity while keeping these two landmark venues alive and vibrant. STG presents a range of performances from Broadway, off-Broadway, dance and jazz to comedy, concerts of all genres, speakers and family shows - at both historic theatres in Seattle and venues throughout the Puget Sound and Portland, Oregon.
BWW News Desk
Get ready for the all new CIRQUE DREAMS ILLUMINATION from the creators of the groundbreaking hit and only show of its kind to ever perform on Broadway: CIRQUE DREAMS Jungle Fantasy (shown at The Moore Theatre in 2007). Hailed as, "Dazzling! A reason to stand up and cheer," by the New York Daily News, CIRQUE DREAMS ILLUMINATION will ignite Seattle when it performs at The Moore Theatre beginning May 20 for six performances. Tickets on sale Friday, March 5, 2010 at 10:00am.
Journey with fascination into the depths of a city that ignites with illumination when Cirque Dreams imagination, suspense and theatrical innovation turns EVERDAY ORDINARY...INTO BRIGHT AND EXTRAORDINARY! Audiences of all ages will marvel as city dwellers reinvent familiar objects, balance on wires, leap tall buildings and redefine the risks of flight in a story filled with astounding occurrences. One of a kind artists populate the streets of this magical metropolis and breathe energy into its landscape with urban acrobatics and never before seen phenomenal thrills of disbelief. Cirque Dreams' critically acclaimed dazzling costumes come alive to the sounds of jazz, ballroom, pop and more in this original score.
Created and directed by Neil Goldberg, Cirque Dreams Illumination is the latest brainchild of Goldberg's theatrical imagination and the Cirque Dreams brand of entertainment, creators of international performance, touring and Broadway sensations Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy, Cirque Dreams Holidaze, Cirque Dreams Pandemonia, Cirque Dreams Coobrila, Cirque Ingenieux and the first show of its kind at sea...Cirque Dreams & Dinner on board the Norwegian Cruise Line EPIC. Over 50 million fans have attended a Cirque Dreams show throughout the U.S. and abroad in the past 5 years.
"Cirque Dreams Illumination" is the company's 14th production since originating in 1993. "The Cirque Dreams brand of quality, originality and value combined with Broadway theatrics and international circus artistry continues to transcend imagination and appeal to audiences of all ages" says Goldberg. Critics and audiences alike have praised Cirque Dreams shows as "A whiz-bang family friendly spectacle" (LA Times), "Pure talent on a stage" (New Yorker) and "Executed to perfection." (Chicago Sun Times).
Tickets: Cirque Dreams Illumination tickets are $30.00 - $50.00 and are on sale Friday, March 5 at 10am. Purchase tickets online at www.stgpresents.org, by phone at (877) 784-4849, in person at The Paramount Theatre box office, Monday through Friday 10:00am-6:00pm and The Paramount and Moore Theatre venue kiosks, 24-hours a day, 7-days a week, powered by Tickets.com. The Moore Theatre is located at 1926 2nd Ave. in downtown Seattle.
Special $10 off discount available for students 14 years old and under. Group discounts for 10 or more are available by calling 866-798-7469.
About STG: STG is the 501 (c)(3) non-profit arts organization that operates the historic Paramount and Moore Theatres in Seattle, Washington. Our mission is to make diverse performing arts and education an integral part of our region's cultural identity while keeping these two landmark venues alive and vibrant. STG presents a range of performances from Broadway, off-Broadway, dance and jazz to comedy, concerts of all genres, speakers and family shows - at both historic theatres in Seattle and venues throughout the Puget Sound and Portland, Oregon.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Mobile App or Browser-Based Site? Report Says The Browser Will Win on Mobile
Read Write Web
Richard MacManus
Mobile search company Taptu has released a detailed report showing that the future of the Mobile Web is likely to be dominated by cross-platform browser-based mobile web sites - rather than apps built specifically for iPhone, Android, or any other platform. Taptu calls the former "the Mobile Touch Web," which it defines as "Web sites created for mobile touchscreen devices, with finger-friendly layouts and lightweight pages that are fast to load over cellular networks."
Taptu estimates that there are 326,000 Mobile Touch Web sites worldwide, which they say compares to 148,000 iPhone apps in the App Store and 24,000 apps in the Android market. Taptu expects the browser-based mobile web market to grow much faster than the app market.
What kinds of sites are more likely to be browser-based for mobile phones? According to the report, 19% of the mobile sites measured were Shopping & Services sites; compared to 3.6% in the same category in the App Store. Content in the 'Social' category also has a higher chance of being a browser-based mobile site, rather than an app (12.9% to 1.7%).
Conversely, just 0.8% of mobile sites were gaming, compared to 18% of apps in the App Store. There is a similar discrepency in the 'Entertainment' category.
It seems then that commerce services are taking more advantage of mobile web browsers than gaming and entertainment providers. But why? Taptu says it's because "many [Commerce] products and services do not really fit into Apple's iTunes content-oriented billing system." Meanwhile, gaming and entertainment content is better delivered as an app, says Taptu, "since apps deliver a much richer, more interactive gaming experience than the casual games available on the Mobile Web."
Taptu says that the increasing sophistication of mobile browsers is one reason why browser-based mobile sites will flourish. In particular, it points to increasing support for HTML 5. See our analysis of Web vs. Native Mobile Apps if you'd like to know more about this.
According to Taptu, "it's getting easier and easier to create rich touch screen user experiences with the browser without having to create platform-specific apps." Taptu also points to increasing usage of open standard APIs, enabling Mobile Web developers to access "deeper device functions such as geolocation."
Taptu does concede that gaming content will probably continue to be delivered predominantly as download apps on iPhone and similar devices. However it claims that for "many other types of app, the economics of software development and publishing favours the Web development route."
Taptu predicts that "the Mobile Touch Web will grow vigorously over the next five years, and will approach the quality of user experience of Mobile Touch Apps across all the app categories except for games."
Richard MacManus
Mobile search company Taptu has released a detailed report showing that the future of the Mobile Web is likely to be dominated by cross-platform browser-based mobile web sites - rather than apps built specifically for iPhone, Android, or any other platform. Taptu calls the former "the Mobile Touch Web," which it defines as "Web sites created for mobile touchscreen devices, with finger-friendly layouts and lightweight pages that are fast to load over cellular networks."
Taptu estimates that there are 326,000 Mobile Touch Web sites worldwide, which they say compares to 148,000 iPhone apps in the App Store and 24,000 apps in the Android market. Taptu expects the browser-based mobile web market to grow much faster than the app market.
What kinds of sites are more likely to be browser-based for mobile phones? According to the report, 19% of the mobile sites measured were Shopping & Services sites; compared to 3.6% in the same category in the App Store. Content in the 'Social' category also has a higher chance of being a browser-based mobile site, rather than an app (12.9% to 1.7%).
Conversely, just 0.8% of mobile sites were gaming, compared to 18% of apps in the App Store. There is a similar discrepency in the 'Entertainment' category.
It seems then that commerce services are taking more advantage of mobile web browsers than gaming and entertainment providers. But why? Taptu says it's because "many [Commerce] products and services do not really fit into Apple's iTunes content-oriented billing system." Meanwhile, gaming and entertainment content is better delivered as an app, says Taptu, "since apps deliver a much richer, more interactive gaming experience than the casual games available on the Mobile Web."
Taptu says that the increasing sophistication of mobile browsers is one reason why browser-based mobile sites will flourish. In particular, it points to increasing support for HTML 5. See our analysis of Web vs. Native Mobile Apps if you'd like to know more about this.
According to Taptu, "it's getting easier and easier to create rich touch screen user experiences with the browser without having to create platform-specific apps." Taptu also points to increasing usage of open standard APIs, enabling Mobile Web developers to access "deeper device functions such as geolocation."
Taptu does concede that gaming content will probably continue to be delivered predominantly as download apps on iPhone and similar devices. However it claims that for "many other types of app, the economics of software development and publishing favours the Web development route."
Taptu predicts that "the Mobile Touch Web will grow vigorously over the next five years, and will approach the quality of user experience of Mobile Touch Apps across all the app categories except for games."
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Brewers record third-highest tickets sold in a single day with Arctic Tailgate
The calendar may still read February, but Brewers fans were thinking summer as tickets to individual games at Miller Park went on sale. Fans lined up at Miller Park for the "Arctic Tailgate" days before the windows opened, and slightly more than 95,000 tickets have been sold in the first six hours. That number represents the third-most Brewers tickets ever sold in a single day.
In addition, the Club announced that a total of four games have already sold out of individual game tickets. This marks just the second time in team history that a regular season game other than Opening Day has sold out on the first day of availability.
"Opening Day is fast approaching, and we want to thank the fans who once again have given us terrific momentum in ensuring a great environment at Miller Park all season long," said Brewers Executive Vice President - Business Operations Rick Schlesinger.
Opening Day once again was the game that people targeted early today, but availability was limited to standing room, obstructed and single tickets only.
"As people continue to purchase Season Seat plans, the available tickets for Opening Day do not come close to meeting the demand," Schlesinger said.
Fans still have the opportunity to obtain tickets to the Home Opener and all of the high demand games with the purchase of a partial or full Season Seat plan. Information on Season Seat plans is available by calling 414-902-4100.
Games that no longer have inventory remaining for single game buyers include (standing room only, single seats and obstructed view may remain):
April 5 versus the Rockies
April 10 versus the Cardinals
April 24 versus the Cubs
May 15 versus the Phillies
The top five single-day sales totals have all occurred on the first day of individual game sales (listed below):
#1 2009 - 104,000 sold
#2 2008 - 98,000 sold
#3 2010 - 95,000 sold
#4 2006 - 94,000 sold
#5 2005 - 90,000 sold
As part of last week's Arctic Tailgate activities, the first 2,000 fans at the Box Office received a free Arctic Tailgate t-shirt, a Klement's hot dog and a Pepsi.
Tickets remain on sale at the Miller Park Box Office, through brewers.com, by phone (414-902-4000) and at all tickets.com outlets.
In addition, the Club announced that a total of four games have already sold out of individual game tickets. This marks just the second time in team history that a regular season game other than Opening Day has sold out on the first day of availability.
"Opening Day is fast approaching, and we want to thank the fans who once again have given us terrific momentum in ensuring a great environment at Miller Park all season long," said Brewers Executive Vice President - Business Operations Rick Schlesinger.
Opening Day once again was the game that people targeted early today, but availability was limited to standing room, obstructed and single tickets only.
"As people continue to purchase Season Seat plans, the available tickets for Opening Day do not come close to meeting the demand," Schlesinger said.
Fans still have the opportunity to obtain tickets to the Home Opener and all of the high demand games with the purchase of a partial or full Season Seat plan. Information on Season Seat plans is available by calling 414-902-4100.
Games that no longer have inventory remaining for single game buyers include (standing room only, single seats and obstructed view may remain):
April 5 versus the Rockies
April 10 versus the Cardinals
April 24 versus the Cubs
May 15 versus the Phillies
The top five single-day sales totals have all occurred on the first day of individual game sales (listed below):
#1 2009 - 104,000 sold
#2 2008 - 98,000 sold
#3 2010 - 95,000 sold
#4 2006 - 94,000 sold
#5 2005 - 90,000 sold
As part of last week's Arctic Tailgate activities, the first 2,000 fans at the Box Office received a free Arctic Tailgate t-shirt, a Klement's hot dog and a Pepsi.
Tickets remain on sale at the Miller Park Box Office, through brewers.com, by phone (414-902-4000) and at all tickets.com outlets.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Cardinals announce giveaways, weekend themes for 2010 season
KSDK.com
The St. Louis Cardinals will have giveaways and weekend themes during the 2010 season.
Returning fan favorites on tap include a Rawlings Albert Pujols MVP bat, an Edward Jones Bob Gibson replica statue giveaway, and three bobblehead promotions featuring current pitcher Chris Carpenter, 1985 NL Rookie of the Year Vince Coleman, and 2010 Hall of Fame inductee Whitey Herzog. New promotions include an Ice Mountain kids' replica Matt Holliday Jersey, a Bank of America sponsored Albert Pujols Canvas Print, and a historic throwback, the return of the "BrockaBrella" umbrella hat giveaway, compliments of Ameren UE.
Former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy will make an appearance as the featured speaker for the club's annual Christian Day at the Ballpark on Saturday, July 17th.
The team is also bringing back Fireworks Nights for the first time at the new Busch Stadium, with a post-game display scheduled for two Fridays during the season, including, Friday, April 16th.
The 25th anniversary of the 1985 National League Champions will be celebrated the weekend of July 30 - August 1, with appearances by '85 team members, plus the Coca Cola/Schnucks Vince Coleman bobblehead, a Tickets.com special commemorative edition Whitey Herzog bobblehead and the 1985 throwback Build-a-Bear promotional day.
In addition, a number of games have been designated for special events and/or fan discounts, such as:
Busch Bash Fridays: Beginning two hours prior to every Friday home game, fans may enjoy music, prizes and current or former player appearances in the Ford Plaza, sponsored by Busch Beer.
North Star Ice Cream Sundays: Beginning two hours prior to every Sunday home game, fans may enjoy games, prizes, and complimentary North Star frozen treats (while supplies last) in the Ford Plaza.
Prairie Farms Run the Bases: Six weekend dates are scheduled where fans 15 and under may run the bases after the game.
Ice Mountain Autograph Nights: On select dates, fans 20 and under may get current and former players' autographs before the game.
Hunter Family Sundays: On most Sunday games, fans who purchase Terrace Reserved or Pavilion Reserved seating will receive a free Hunter Hot Dog and Coca-Cola.
The St. Louis Cardinals will have giveaways and weekend themes during the 2010 season.
Returning fan favorites on tap include a Rawlings Albert Pujols MVP bat, an Edward Jones Bob Gibson replica statue giveaway, and three bobblehead promotions featuring current pitcher Chris Carpenter, 1985 NL Rookie of the Year Vince Coleman, and 2010 Hall of Fame inductee Whitey Herzog. New promotions include an Ice Mountain kids' replica Matt Holliday Jersey, a Bank of America sponsored Albert Pujols Canvas Print, and a historic throwback, the return of the "BrockaBrella" umbrella hat giveaway, compliments of Ameren UE.
Former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy will make an appearance as the featured speaker for the club's annual Christian Day at the Ballpark on Saturday, July 17th.
The team is also bringing back Fireworks Nights for the first time at the new Busch Stadium, with a post-game display scheduled for two Fridays during the season, including, Friday, April 16th.
The 25th anniversary of the 1985 National League Champions will be celebrated the weekend of July 30 - August 1, with appearances by '85 team members, plus the Coca Cola/Schnucks Vince Coleman bobblehead, a Tickets.com special commemorative edition Whitey Herzog bobblehead and the 1985 throwback Build-a-Bear promotional day.
In addition, a number of games have been designated for special events and/or fan discounts, such as:
Busch Bash Fridays: Beginning two hours prior to every Friday home game, fans may enjoy music, prizes and current or former player appearances in the Ford Plaza, sponsored by Busch Beer.
North Star Ice Cream Sundays: Beginning two hours prior to every Sunday home game, fans may enjoy games, prizes, and complimentary North Star frozen treats (while supplies last) in the Ford Plaza.
Prairie Farms Run the Bases: Six weekend dates are scheduled where fans 15 and under may run the bases after the game.
Ice Mountain Autograph Nights: On select dates, fans 20 and under may get current and former players' autographs before the game.
Hunter Family Sundays: On most Sunday games, fans who purchase Terrace Reserved or Pavilion Reserved seating will receive a free Hunter Hot Dog and Coca-Cola.
Monday, March 8, 2010
ESPN Taps MLBAM to Provide Web-Streaming Services for Live Events
ESPN Retains MLBAM To Operate
ESPN360.com; Will Rebrand Site As ESPN3
John Ourand
Sports Business Daily
ESPN has retained MLBAM to operate the ESPN360.com broadband site. The deal will be announced today, with MLBAM starting to work with the broadband site April 4, coinciding with its name change to ESPN3. The move will allow ESPN to offer more HD streaming of live events, plus picture-in-picture and split screen applications. It also will allow ESPN360 to roll out new features, like scores, chats and schedules.
"Our seven-year relationship with MLBAM has grown from collaborations like ESPN.com and ESPN Insider, and the new ESPN3.com in April will take that relationship one step further," said ESPN Digital Media Senior VP & GM John Kosner. ESPN360 has about 50 million homes thanks to deals with companies like Comcast, Cox, AT&T and Verizon.
ESPN360.com; Will Rebrand Site As ESPN3
John Ourand
Sports Business Daily
ESPN has retained MLBAM to operate the ESPN360.com broadband site. The deal will be announced today, with MLBAM starting to work with the broadband site April 4, coinciding with its name change to ESPN3. The move will allow ESPN to offer more HD streaming of live events, plus picture-in-picture and split screen applications. It also will allow ESPN360 to roll out new features, like scores, chats and schedules.
"Our seven-year relationship with MLBAM has grown from collaborations like ESPN.com and ESPN Insider, and the new ESPN3.com in April will take that relationship one step further," said ESPN Digital Media Senior VP & GM John Kosner. ESPN360 has about 50 million homes thanks to deals with companies like Comcast, Cox, AT&T and Verizon.
San Jose Earthquakes to Host Houston Dynamo at Kezar Stadium
Our Sports Central
The San Jose Earthquakes will play the Houston Dynamo at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco on Wednesday, March 17 at 7:00 p.m. PT in an exhibition match. The Quakes will then play the Portland Timbers on Saturday, March 20 at Buck Shaw Stadium at 7:00 p.m. PT as their final tune-up for the regular season.
Season ticket holders can attend this match free of charge. All tickets for the Houston game are general admission and cost $10 to the general public and go on sale on Friday, March 5 at 10:00 a.m. PT. They can be purchased by calling Tickets.com at 1-800-225-2277 or online at sjearthquakes.com. Tickets are already on sale for the Portland game on March 20.
The Earthquakes made their only appearance at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco pm Feb. 16 against the Dynamo in 0-0 draw.
In 2009, the teams split their two regular season matchups, with both teams winning at home. San Jose won 3-2 with a wild first half on March 28 at Buck Shaw Stadium and Houston returned the favor on May 23, winning 3-1 at Robertson Stadium.
Most Up to Date Preseason Schedule
March 4-14 Team in London for training at Spurs Lodge, plus 2-3 matches
March 17 Earthquakes vs. Houston Dynamo at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco at 7:00 p.m. PT
March 20 Earthquakes vs. Portland Timbers at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara at 7:00 p.m. PT
The San Jose Earthquakes will play the Houston Dynamo at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco on Wednesday, March 17 at 7:00 p.m. PT in an exhibition match. The Quakes will then play the Portland Timbers on Saturday, March 20 at Buck Shaw Stadium at 7:00 p.m. PT as their final tune-up for the regular season.
Season ticket holders can attend this match free of charge. All tickets for the Houston game are general admission and cost $10 to the general public and go on sale on Friday, March 5 at 10:00 a.m. PT. They can be purchased by calling Tickets.com at 1-800-225-2277 or online at sjearthquakes.com. Tickets are already on sale for the Portland game on March 20.
The Earthquakes made their only appearance at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco pm Feb. 16 against the Dynamo in 0-0 draw.
In 2009, the teams split their two regular season matchups, with both teams winning at home. San Jose won 3-2 with a wild first half on March 28 at Buck Shaw Stadium and Houston returned the favor on May 23, winning 3-1 at Robertson Stadium.
Most Up to Date Preseason Schedule
March 4-14 Team in London for training at Spurs Lodge, plus 2-3 matches
March 17 Earthquakes vs. Houston Dynamo at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco at 7:00 p.m. PT
March 20 Earthquakes vs. Portland Timbers at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara at 7:00 p.m. PT
Friday, March 5, 2010
Seattle Theatre Group Presents "A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor" 3/27 & 4/3
Broadway World
Lauren Wolman
Seattle Theatre Group (STG) presents two live broadcasts of "A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor" (APHC) on Saturday, March 27 and Saturday, April 3 at 2:45pm at The Paramount Theatre.
APHC makes Seattle the place to be for two weeks in a row. Experience it live - the comedy sketches, music and Garrison Keillor's signature monologue, "The News from Lake Wobegon" along with different special guests each week (guests to be announced).
In its 36th season, APHC reaches over 4.3 million listeners on nearly 600 public radio stations nationwide. The program can also be heard on XM Radio, the Armed Forces Network Europe, the Far East Network, and in dozens of European cities. Creator Garrison Keillor is the recipient of Grammy, ACE and George Foster Peabody awards, and has been inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. A Prairie Home Companion is produced by Prairie Home Productions and presented by American Public Media. The show is sponsored nationally by General Mills, Inc. and by the Ford Company.
"A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor" tickets are $28.00 - $82.00 and are on sale now. Purchase tickets online at www.stgpresents.org, by phone at (877) 784-4849, in person at The Paramount Theatre box office, Monday through Friday 10:00am-6:00pm and The Paramount and Moore Theatre venue kiosks, 24-hours a day, 7-days a week, powered by Tickets.com. The Paramount Theatre is located at 911 Pine Street in downtown Seattle.
STG is the 501 (c)(3) non-profit arts organization that operates the historic Paramount and Moore Theatres in Seattle, Washington. Our mission is to make diverse performing arts and education an integral part of our region's cultural identity while keeping these two landmark venues alive and vibrant.
STG presents a range of performances from Broadway, off-Broadway, dance and jazz to comedy, concerts of all genres, speakers and family shows - at both historic theatres in Seattle and venues throughout the Puget Sound and Portland, Oregon.
Lauren Wolman
Seattle Theatre Group (STG) presents two live broadcasts of "A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor" (APHC) on Saturday, March 27 and Saturday, April 3 at 2:45pm at The Paramount Theatre.
APHC makes Seattle the place to be for two weeks in a row. Experience it live - the comedy sketches, music and Garrison Keillor's signature monologue, "The News from Lake Wobegon" along with different special guests each week (guests to be announced).
In its 36th season, APHC reaches over 4.3 million listeners on nearly 600 public radio stations nationwide. The program can also be heard on XM Radio, the Armed Forces Network Europe, the Far East Network, and in dozens of European cities. Creator Garrison Keillor is the recipient of Grammy, ACE and George Foster Peabody awards, and has been inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. A Prairie Home Companion is produced by Prairie Home Productions and presented by American Public Media. The show is sponsored nationally by General Mills, Inc. and by the Ford Company.
"A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor" tickets are $28.00 - $82.00 and are on sale now. Purchase tickets online at www.stgpresents.org, by phone at (877) 784-4849, in person at The Paramount Theatre box office, Monday through Friday 10:00am-6:00pm and The Paramount and Moore Theatre venue kiosks, 24-hours a day, 7-days a week, powered by Tickets.com. The Paramount Theatre is located at 911 Pine Street in downtown Seattle.
STG is the 501 (c)(3) non-profit arts organization that operates the historic Paramount and Moore Theatres in Seattle, Washington. Our mission is to make diverse performing arts and education an integral part of our region's cultural identity while keeping these two landmark venues alive and vibrant.
STG presents a range of performances from Broadway, off-Broadway, dance and jazz to comedy, concerts of all genres, speakers and family shows - at both historic theatres in Seattle and venues throughout the Puget Sound and Portland, Oregon.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Olympic secondary sales beat budget
SportsBusiness Daily
Don Muret
Larry Witherspoon is entering his sixth year as CEO of the MLB Advanced Media subsidiary Tickets.com. During the Tickets.com Executive Summit in Long Beach, Calif., last week, he sat down with SportsBusiness Journal staff writer Don Muret and discussed the state of the ticketing business in the wake of the merger between Ticketmaster and event promoter Live Nation, as well as the Vancouver Olympics, where Tickets.com operated an officially sanctioned secondary ticketing platform for the first time in the event’s history.
Break down your Vancouver operations.
Witherspoon: We [did] 100 percent of the ticketing up there. We did the primary sales all throughout last year, and in December, we launched the secondary fan-to-fan marketplace. With that, we have the whole spate of tools for the Olympic experience, the ability for people to donate their tickets to charity, the ability for sponsors to do consignment of tickets when they have available inventory, and the cart of integrated primary and secondary tickets, where you can see both marketplaces and make a decision based on what you want to buy. All very cool new stuff. [The secondary market] has exceeded every budgetary expectation we did set. It was $10 million, but the problem we have is that it’s never been done before, so how you budget for the unknown was hard for us. Frankly, the matchups that occur play a big part as well. There’s a lot of national pride involved, and some people are going to be willing to go to that game regardless of what it’s going to cost them.
Tickets.com handled both primary and secondary ticketing at the Vancouver Olympics.
How do see the ticketing landscape changing?
Witherspoon: Three years ago, we reinvented our product [with ProVenue software]; literally started from the ground up. It’s been a painful process, and there’s a reason nobody’s developed anything new in the past 10 to 15 years in the ticketing world: It’s hard. What we really see to our advantage is our ability to provide technology to a venue or a team that allows them full control. So we don’t do the “Here’s a big check. We’re going to take a large part of the service charge.” What we do say is “Here’s our license. We’ll take a small vig on a service charge ticket, you control what you want to do with your service charges, [and] you take control of how you want to sell to the public.” We’ve seen some good results. The Seattle Theatre Group is a client that came on board with us and eliminated their print-at-home fees, first time people have done that in a long time, and dropped some of their service charges a little bit. Great press.
Do you see that applicable in sports?
Witherspoon: It depends. I think sports are a little different in that you have the governing bodies. I understand how MLB works, but I don’t know how much flexibility teams have in their service fee setup. From our system perspective, for sure, it gives anybody the ability to control it and manage it and manage their own ticketing system, which obviously lowers our costs, which allows us to provide a lower point to them, so then they actually get a little bit more control over their fees and prices.
Where do you see the growth in sports? Derek Palmer, your chief commercial officer, mentioned the lack of an NBA team as a client.
Witherspoon: Right now, we do about half of MLB and we have two teams [Twins and Royals] on our new product [ProVenue 2.0] and we plan on adding a lot more teams. I feel that arenas with teams feel they have a little bit more control over their ability to move without the threat of lack of content, of “Am I going to make Ticketmaster/Live Nation mad,” where they get worried about what acts [they] are going to get in and things like that. If you look at it from that perspective, then technology becomes a really big play for them, because everybody wants more data, more touchpoints with the client, how the process is working. We provide all that technology, and to drive it we partner in and integrate with third-party dynamic pricing, like we did with the San Francisco Giants and Qcue.
It’s been reported that MLBAM is in talks with AEG about possibly forming a joint ticketing venture. What can you say at this point about those discussions?
Witherspoon: Nothing really. I think as the industry has changed recently, there are a lot of people talking to a lot of different companies. Where that all will go is still to be seen. Obviously, not even in the context of AEG, but there are large regional ticketing companies, there [are] large Broadway companies that have relationships with existing ticket providers that are now looking around. Our ability to provide a self-operational model puts us in a good discussion point with anyone, frankly, at this point.
Don Muret
Larry Witherspoon is entering his sixth year as CEO of the MLB Advanced Media subsidiary Tickets.com. During the Tickets.com Executive Summit in Long Beach, Calif., last week, he sat down with SportsBusiness Journal staff writer Don Muret and discussed the state of the ticketing business in the wake of the merger between Ticketmaster and event promoter Live Nation, as well as the Vancouver Olympics, where Tickets.com operated an officially sanctioned secondary ticketing platform for the first time in the event’s history.
Break down your Vancouver operations.
Witherspoon: We [did] 100 percent of the ticketing up there. We did the primary sales all throughout last year, and in December, we launched the secondary fan-to-fan marketplace. With that, we have the whole spate of tools for the Olympic experience, the ability for people to donate their tickets to charity, the ability for sponsors to do consignment of tickets when they have available inventory, and the cart of integrated primary and secondary tickets, where you can see both marketplaces and make a decision based on what you want to buy. All very cool new stuff. [The secondary market] has exceeded every budgetary expectation we did set. It was $10 million, but the problem we have is that it’s never been done before, so how you budget for the unknown was hard for us. Frankly, the matchups that occur play a big part as well. There’s a lot of national pride involved, and some people are going to be willing to go to that game regardless of what it’s going to cost them.
Tickets.com handled both primary and secondary ticketing at the Vancouver Olympics.
How do see the ticketing landscape changing?
Witherspoon: Three years ago, we reinvented our product [with ProVenue software]; literally started from the ground up. It’s been a painful process, and there’s a reason nobody’s developed anything new in the past 10 to 15 years in the ticketing world: It’s hard. What we really see to our advantage is our ability to provide technology to a venue or a team that allows them full control. So we don’t do the “Here’s a big check. We’re going to take a large part of the service charge.” What we do say is “Here’s our license. We’ll take a small vig on a service charge ticket, you control what you want to do with your service charges, [and] you take control of how you want to sell to the public.” We’ve seen some good results. The Seattle Theatre Group is a client that came on board with us and eliminated their print-at-home fees, first time people have done that in a long time, and dropped some of their service charges a little bit. Great press.
Do you see that applicable in sports?
Witherspoon: It depends. I think sports are a little different in that you have the governing bodies. I understand how MLB works, but I don’t know how much flexibility teams have in their service fee setup. From our system perspective, for sure, it gives anybody the ability to control it and manage it and manage their own ticketing system, which obviously lowers our costs, which allows us to provide a lower point to them, so then they actually get a little bit more control over their fees and prices.
Where do you see the growth in sports? Derek Palmer, your chief commercial officer, mentioned the lack of an NBA team as a client.
Witherspoon: Right now, we do about half of MLB and we have two teams [Twins and Royals] on our new product [ProVenue 2.0] and we plan on adding a lot more teams. I feel that arenas with teams feel they have a little bit more control over their ability to move without the threat of lack of content, of “Am I going to make Ticketmaster/Live Nation mad,” where they get worried about what acts [they] are going to get in and things like that. If you look at it from that perspective, then technology becomes a really big play for them, because everybody wants more data, more touchpoints with the client, how the process is working. We provide all that technology, and to drive it we partner in and integrate with third-party dynamic pricing, like we did with the San Francisco Giants and Qcue.
It’s been reported that MLBAM is in talks with AEG about possibly forming a joint ticketing venture. What can you say at this point about those discussions?
Witherspoon: Nothing really. I think as the industry has changed recently, there are a lot of people talking to a lot of different companies. Where that all will go is still to be seen. Obviously, not even in the context of AEG, but there are large regional ticketing companies, there [are] large Broadway companies that have relationships with existing ticket providers that are now looking around. Our ability to provide a self-operational model puts us in a good discussion point with anyone, frankly, at this point.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Defending ACC Champs Take On UNC
WBOC-16
Maryland, the defending Atlantic Coast Conference Champions, will face North Carolina in the first round of the 2010 ACC Tournament which starts Thursday, March 4. The two long-time foes are set to tip-off at 3 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on RSN (RSN – Fox Sports Net South (FSNS), Comcast Sports Net (CSN), Fox Sports Net Florida (FSNFL), New England Sports Network (NESN)) and Fox HD.
"We always look forward to any match up with North Carolina," Head Coach Brenda Frese said. "Now, it's a new season for us, going down to the ACC Tournament. Like we told our players, everybody that goes in there is 0-0. Now, you've got to be able to come in fighting for your life."
In the concluding game of the regular season for Maryland against No. 9 Florida State, freshman Diandra Tchatchouang led all players with 23 points, her third 20-plus point performance of her career. She has recorded double-figures in 19 games this season. Sophomore Lynetta Kizer was also in double-digits with 17. Both Terrapins lead the team in points, with Kizer averaging 12.6 per game and Tchatchouang with 12.3. Kizer also leads the team in rebounds with 7.6 per contest.
Despite the youth of the squad, nine freshmen and sophomores, the freshmen have continued to lead their class in the conference in multiple categories including points (Tchatchouang), rebounds (Tianna Hawkins), assists (Dara Taylor), assist/turnover ratio (Taylor), field goal percentage (Hawkins) and defensive rebounds (Hawkins).
Last time the Terps faced then-No. 10 North Carolina the Tar Heels came out on top after a rally from the Terrapins in Raleigh, N.C. Maryland had battled back from an 11-point deficit to tie the game at 33 at halftime. Senior Lori Bjork and sophomore Kim Rodgers led the team with 18 and 11 points, respectively. Rodgers had made her debut in that game after suffering a fracture to her left hand. One of the Virginia Beach, Va., native's three three-pointers in the game knotted the halftime score.
Since that game, North Carolina has dropped from the rankings and gone 4-7, recording wins over Clemson, N.C. State, Wake Forest in overtime and Duke. The Tar Heels dropped games to Florida State, Miami, Duke, Boston College, Virginia and N.C. State.
UNC leads in the all-time series, 36-31. However, Maryland leads in neutral site games, 7-4. The Terps defeated North Carolina in the 2009 ACC tournament on their way to becoming the tournament champions. The Terrapins won, 95-84 in the third round.
The winner of the game between Maryland and North Carolina plays No. 1 seed Duke on Friday, March 5 at 3 p.m. ET.
Tickets are available and may be obtained by calling tickets.com at (336) 852-1100, by visiting tickets.com on the web at www.tickets.com, or by calling the Maryland ticket office for tickets at 1-800-IMA-TERP.
For more information on ACC women's basketball, log onto theACC.com.
Maryland, the defending Atlantic Coast Conference Champions, will face North Carolina in the first round of the 2010 ACC Tournament which starts Thursday, March 4. The two long-time foes are set to tip-off at 3 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on RSN (RSN – Fox Sports Net South (FSNS), Comcast Sports Net (CSN), Fox Sports Net Florida (FSNFL), New England Sports Network (NESN)) and Fox HD.
"We always look forward to any match up with North Carolina," Head Coach Brenda Frese said. "Now, it's a new season for us, going down to the ACC Tournament. Like we told our players, everybody that goes in there is 0-0. Now, you've got to be able to come in fighting for your life."
In the concluding game of the regular season for Maryland against No. 9 Florida State, freshman Diandra Tchatchouang led all players with 23 points, her third 20-plus point performance of her career. She has recorded double-figures in 19 games this season. Sophomore Lynetta Kizer was also in double-digits with 17. Both Terrapins lead the team in points, with Kizer averaging 12.6 per game and Tchatchouang with 12.3. Kizer also leads the team in rebounds with 7.6 per contest.
Despite the youth of the squad, nine freshmen and sophomores, the freshmen have continued to lead their class in the conference in multiple categories including points (Tchatchouang), rebounds (Tianna Hawkins), assists (Dara Taylor), assist/turnover ratio (Taylor), field goal percentage (Hawkins) and defensive rebounds (Hawkins).
Last time the Terps faced then-No. 10 North Carolina the Tar Heels came out on top after a rally from the Terrapins in Raleigh, N.C. Maryland had battled back from an 11-point deficit to tie the game at 33 at halftime. Senior Lori Bjork and sophomore Kim Rodgers led the team with 18 and 11 points, respectively. Rodgers had made her debut in that game after suffering a fracture to her left hand. One of the Virginia Beach, Va., native's three three-pointers in the game knotted the halftime score.
Since that game, North Carolina has dropped from the rankings and gone 4-7, recording wins over Clemson, N.C. State, Wake Forest in overtime and Duke. The Tar Heels dropped games to Florida State, Miami, Duke, Boston College, Virginia and N.C. State.
UNC leads in the all-time series, 36-31. However, Maryland leads in neutral site games, 7-4. The Terps defeated North Carolina in the 2009 ACC tournament on their way to becoming the tournament champions. The Terrapins won, 95-84 in the third round.
The winner of the game between Maryland and North Carolina plays No. 1 seed Duke on Friday, March 5 at 3 p.m. ET.
Tickets are available and may be obtained by calling tickets.com at (336) 852-1100, by visiting tickets.com on the web at www.tickets.com, or by calling the Maryland ticket office for tickets at 1-800-IMA-TERP.
For more information on ACC women's basketball, log onto theACC.com.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Shopping by Mobile Will Grow to $119 Billion in 2015
In 2015, shoppers around the world are expected to spend about $119 billion on goods and services purchased via mobile phones. That number represents about 8% of the total e-commerce market.
“Mobile online shopping is reaching critical mass,” says senior analyst Mark Beccue. “In the United States, mobile online shopping rose from $396 million in 2008 to $1.2 billion in 2009. While definitions of ‘mass market adoption’ vary, a more than threefold increase in one year indicates significant consumer interest."
Noteworthy is that even that $1+ billion turnover in the US is dwarfed by the size of the mobile online shopping market in Japan, which exceeded $10 billion in 2009 alone.
This market is growing solidly in Europe too, and is expected to outpace the US by the end of 2010.
“The driver for mobile online shopping in the US has been the recent sharp spike in smartphone adoption and the corresponding enthusiasm for mobile Internet. Also, many more retailers have been launching mobile commerce websites,” adds Beccue. A longer-term driver in global terms is the fact that in many less-industrialized regions, mobile is virtually the only way to access the Internet.
Not only does mobile online shopping allow shoppers to manage their time better, but in the fourth quarter of 2009, an interesting trend emerged: consumers were checking out products in bricks-and-mortar retail stores and using their phones for comparison shopping.
A subset of mobile commerce is the trade in virtual goods, generally associated with online gaming. This too has seen rapid uptake, as mobile payments are the best option for online purchases under about $20, and this way of shopping is especially suitable for those – often young gamers – without credit cards.
ABI Research’s new “Mobile Commerce” study focuses on two emerging developments in mobile commerce: mobile online shopping and mobile payments for virtual goods. The report includes global forecasts for e-commerce, mobile online shopping (viewed as a subset of e-commerce), virtual goods, and mobile payments for virtual goods.
It is part of the firm’s Mobile Money Research Service, which also includes other Research Reports, Research Briefs, Market Data, ABI Insights, ABI Vendor Matrices, and analyst inquiry support.
ABI Research provides in-depth analysis and quantitative forecasting of trends in global connectivity and other emerging technologies. From offices in North America, Europe and Asia, ABI Research’s worldwide team of experts advise thousands of decision makers through 28 research and advisory services. Est. 1990. For more information visit www.abiresearch.com, or call +1.516.624.2500.
“Mobile online shopping is reaching critical mass,” says senior analyst Mark Beccue. “In the United States, mobile online shopping rose from $396 million in 2008 to $1.2 billion in 2009. While definitions of ‘mass market adoption’ vary, a more than threefold increase in one year indicates significant consumer interest."
Noteworthy is that even that $1+ billion turnover in the US is dwarfed by the size of the mobile online shopping market in Japan, which exceeded $10 billion in 2009 alone.
This market is growing solidly in Europe too, and is expected to outpace the US by the end of 2010.
“The driver for mobile online shopping in the US has been the recent sharp spike in smartphone adoption and the corresponding enthusiasm for mobile Internet. Also, many more retailers have been launching mobile commerce websites,” adds Beccue. A longer-term driver in global terms is the fact that in many less-industrialized regions, mobile is virtually the only way to access the Internet.
Not only does mobile online shopping allow shoppers to manage their time better, but in the fourth quarter of 2009, an interesting trend emerged: consumers were checking out products in bricks-and-mortar retail stores and using their phones for comparison shopping.
A subset of mobile commerce is the trade in virtual goods, generally associated with online gaming. This too has seen rapid uptake, as mobile payments are the best option for online purchases under about $20, and this way of shopping is especially suitable for those – often young gamers – without credit cards.
ABI Research’s new “Mobile Commerce” study focuses on two emerging developments in mobile commerce: mobile online shopping and mobile payments for virtual goods. The report includes global forecasts for e-commerce, mobile online shopping (viewed as a subset of e-commerce), virtual goods, and mobile payments for virtual goods.
It is part of the firm’s Mobile Money Research Service, which also includes other Research Reports, Research Briefs, Market Data, ABI Insights, ABI Vendor Matrices, and analyst inquiry support.
ABI Research provides in-depth analysis and quantitative forecasting of trends in global connectivity and other emerging technologies. From offices in North America, Europe and Asia, ABI Research’s worldwide team of experts advise thousands of decision makers through 28 research and advisory services. Est. 1990. For more information visit www.abiresearch.com, or call +1.516.624.2500.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Brooks & Dunn announce ticket prices, on-sale date for BOK show
Tulsa World
By Jennifer Chancellor
Brooks & Dunn will make its only Oklahoma tour stop on its farewell tour on May 28 at the BOK Center, and on Thursday, ticketing information was announced.
Tickets are $35.50, $49.75, $69.75, plus fees, and will go on sale to the general public 10 a.m. March 6 at tulsaworld.com/BOK, the venue's Arby’s Box Office, all tickets.com outlets or by calling (866) 7-BOKCTR.
Jason Aldean will open the show.
Brook & Dunn announced last August that this tour marks the last for the duo.
Years ago, Kix Brooks' longtime music partner, Ronnie Dunn, got his career off the ground while playing local honky-tonks in Tulsa.
"This ride has been everything and more than we could ever have dreamed ... We owe it all to you, the fans," Brooks and Dunn said in a message posted to their Web site in August. "If you hear rumors, don't believe them, it's just time."
Together they've scored 23 No. 1 hits. Brooks & Dunn won the Country Music Association's vocal duo of the year award every year between 1992 and 2006, except for 2000.
Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/scene/article.aspx?subjectid=269&articleid=20100225_371_0_hrbrFo481895
By Jennifer Chancellor
Brooks & Dunn will make its only Oklahoma tour stop on its farewell tour on May 28 at the BOK Center, and on Thursday, ticketing information was announced.
Tickets are $35.50, $49.75, $69.75, plus fees, and will go on sale to the general public 10 a.m. March 6 at tulsaworld.com/BOK, the venue's Arby’s Box Office, all tickets.com outlets or by calling (866) 7-BOKCTR.
Jason Aldean will open the show.
Brook & Dunn announced last August that this tour marks the last for the duo.
Years ago, Kix Brooks' longtime music partner, Ronnie Dunn, got his career off the ground while playing local honky-tonks in Tulsa.
"This ride has been everything and more than we could ever have dreamed ... We owe it all to you, the fans," Brooks and Dunn said in a message posted to their Web site in August. "If you hear rumors, don't believe them, it's just time."
Together they've scored 23 No. 1 hits. Brooks & Dunn won the Country Music Association's vocal duo of the year award every year between 1992 and 2006, except for 2000.
Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/scene/article.aspx?subjectid=269&articleid=20100225_371_0_hrbrFo481895
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