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Stage Is Set for Busy Fall at Capitol Theatre, WesBanco Arena

By ERIC AYRES 6 min read

WHEELING - As outdoor activities begin to wind down for the season, events planned for the Capitol Theatre and WesBanco Arena in the coming months are beginning to ramp up.

Members of the Greater Wheeling Sports and Entertainment Authority Board met this week for the first time since June to get an update on operations and finances for the city’s two main indoor entertainment venues. The board did not meet in July, as the slate of indoor activities is typically scaled back during the summer.

However, there have been a handful of solid shows that took place during the months of July and August, officials noted. Shows at the Capitol Theatre included premiere touring tribute bands A1A (Jimmy Buffett) and Brit Floyd (Pink Floyd), along with shows by Alison Krauss, Wilco and Muscadine Bloodline.

"It was interesting for Wilco, Alison Krauss and Muscadine - all three shows, we pulled from 35 states," GWSEA Executive Director Kelly Tucker said of the advance ticket sales for those concerts. "It was just cool. Sometimes it’s a very localized draw, but with those shows - especially Wilco - it was almost largely fans from Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh. They played for almost three and a half hours themselves."

Fiscal officer Nancy Hughes noted that there are different levels of financial "wins" when it comes to concerts.

"Alison Krauss was a super win," Hughes said, noting that there were notable profits on all fronts for the show that packed the theater.

While Wilco only posted event revenue of around $500, their fans delivered $13,000 in concession revenue, Hughes explained, also categorizing the show as a "win." Muscadine Bloodline was a big loss for event revenue - around $16,000 in the red for a relatively expensive show. Yet, revenues from concession and merchandise sales took that event revenue loss and made it a $5,000-plus event, Hughes said.

This does not factor in costs such as inventory expenses associated with concessions. But officials have noted that the key focus of the GWSEA is to bring programming to the area, not necessarily to turn a big profit with every show. In recent years, since Tucker took over as executive director, the GWSEA has booked a wide variety of shows and has closely examined which shows do well in the local market and which shows do not.

Summer events have since been scaled back, as have many of the touring tribute acts that may not sell as well as others.

Hughes said in the past, there were a number of events that could be categorized as losses all around, considering event revenues and concession sales.

The GWSEA has closed its co-pro account this year, as well. The extra cushion of funds contributed years ago by the city and the Wheeling Convention and Visitors Bureau helped attract new events by offering a co-promotion, risk-sharing mechanism. But that account has been utilized, and the GWSEA is now getting a clear picture of event revenues without the asterisk of co-pro contributions on certain shows.

Officials are now focusing on shows that are better suited to the local market for "wins," and there are many booked for the fall and beyond.

"We’ve done a lot of announcements this month," Tucker said, noting that the Capitol’s new self-promoted Broadway series was recently announced, and there will be pre-show dinners available in the Capitol Ballroom curated for each show. Tickets for the new Wheeling Symphony Orchestra’s new season are now on sale, and new shows by country stars Justine Moore and Lee Brice are coming, as are a comedy show by Bill Engvall and the return of the Vampire Circus.

"We just announced Night Ranger," Tucker noted. "Pre-sale went today, and I think we are already up to almost 200 tickets. Then we also announced BTO - Bachman-Turner Overdrive. So they’re all really, really great shows and a lot of different promoters, which is exciting."

Dwight Yoakam will play the Capitol this week on Thursday night, Tucker noted.

"It’s going to be a nice, big show for us," she said, adding that a big crowd is expected.

At the arena in September, dinosaurs are coming back, and the crew will be making ice as hockey practices will begin before the Wheeling Nailers’ first preseason game on Oct. 9.

There will be one more First Friday event on the WesBanco Arena patio outdoors at the beginning of September, and the patio will also host the return of the popular Cigar Social on Sept. 17.

Over the summer at the theater, a new mural in the backstage area was unveiled, and they have been working to add a new bar on the mezzanine level in the auditorium. A closet area there was transformed into a concession space for patrons sitting in the upper levels.

"It was very inexpensive - most of the material we already had here," Tucker said. "So we can always operate a full-service, separate concession stand on the mezzanine for every show we have. It’s just one more point of sale up there. It was a nice use of the space we already had. That’s exciting, and Thursday will be the first time we’re actually using it."

Also next month, Jay Leno will take the stage at the Capitol, and a Sing Along Broadway show will kick off the coming Broadway series.

"And then when we head into October, we actually have 10 days without an event in the whole month of October," Tucker said. "So it’s going to be really busy as we head into hockey season."

Tucker added that the GWSEA has taken over the Club at WesBanco Arena in terms of vending and concessions, which is expected to add to revenues. Generations had operated there in the past, officials noted, but the operation of the kitchen, the bar, the Club and the Blue Light Lounge will now be done in-house.

"It’s a big undertaking," Tucker said, adding that Generations has been a good partner over the years, and they intend to continue selling their popular pierogies at the venue.

The staff has also shopped out suppliers for concessions and is making a switch that is expected to have "huge cost savings" of up to 40% on supplies moving forward, Tucker said.

For dates and information about the upcoming shows in Wheeling, visit www.capitoltheatrewheeling.com

and www.wesbancoarena.com.

Starting at /week.