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City allocates
hospitality tax funds for Bundy auditorium
By Johnathan C. Ryan - Reporter The Lancaster News February 17, 2007
Lancaster City Council is hoping to protect its investment in the University
of South Carolina at Lancaster's Bundy Auditorium by making sure the theater
has what it needs to satisfy strong acts in its second season.
Council voted 6-0 Tuesday to allocate about $28,000 for additional
upgrades to the theater.
The vote came after a closed session in which council discussed
economic-development initiatives.
USCL Performing Arts Series Manager Peggy Little and USCL Educational
Foundation Chairman Don Rushing attended the session.
Little said Wednesday that "certain things that couldn't be
projected for" are required for future performances.
They include:
- Another front curtain and a spotlight, costing $13,319.87
- Audio upgrade, costing $4,920
- Riser improvements, costing between $3,800 and $5,800
- Floor finishing, costing $1,700
- A roll-up door, costing $1,600
About $125,000 was spent in renovations on the
auditorium last year. The city contributed $50,000 from
its hospitality-tax coffers to fund the initial
upgrades.
"This is not only good for Lancaster arts, but
for economic development and the entire
community," Little said. "The performing
arts series and the USCL Educational Foundation just
want to express how much it appreciates the city's
continued support."
During the inaugural season, which is now winding
down, some performers complained about the existing
risers, which are hollow and made of wood taken
from the concert pit. Some performers complained
that the risers caused unwanted reverberation and
"altered sounds."
Little said the new risers will not be hollow,
and as a result of performer feedback, a
spotlight will also be added.
"We're just living and learning,"
Little said. "This was our first year and
we had limited resources."
She said "different performers require
different equipment" and having the
right stuff is essential to attracting a
diverse range of high-quality acts to perform
at the auditorium.
Little said many of the same fund-raising
methods from 2006 will be employed this
year, such as creating a committee to
attract sponsors, like the city and local
companies whose money contributed to the
renovation and paying for performers to
visit.
Without the sponsors, Little said this
season's tickets would have been much
more expensive.
"They would probably be $100
apiece," she said.
A final schedule for Bundy's 2007-08
season will be disclosed soon, Little
said. It will include acts such as
Ricky Skaggs and Chinese Acrobats.
Some of the performers who've
performed at the theater during its
inaugural season included Lancaster
native Julie Roberts, Ronnie Milsap,
the Marvellettes, the Little River
Band and the Glenn Miller
Orchestra.
Contact Johnathan Ryan at
416-8416 or jryan@thelancasternews.com
Article © The
Lancaster News, reprinted with
permission.
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