On Saturday, the Thompson Opera House hosted a trio of amazing performers. What wasn’t amazing was the attendance.
The Mary Kaye and The Sisters are some of the most acclaimed performers the Opera House has ever had, but the event saw the lowest attendance of the year at about 35 seats filled.
This show, as well as last month’s Melanie Devaney concert, featured prominent artists that added Pioche to their music tours for a predetermined price. In order for the Opera House to afford the cost, a certain number of seats need to be filled. Otherwise the Opera House is forced to eat the difference. The venue fell about 30 seats short for the Melanie Devaney show, and almost twice that for Mary Kaye.
Several factors brought the Opera House back to life. One was community demand. As like most businesses, especially retail, the Opera House’s reintroduction to entertainment started with the overwhelming support and favor of the community. The general consensus was that it would be great to have it back for various stage productions and concerts. Manager Les Derkovitz said, “I thought we were doing a great thing by bringing the Thompson Opera House back to the community, but unfortunately, without community support, we will be forced to close the Opera House.
