A Sweetheart Deal in Rosemont
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But overlooked in their rush to judgment was the deal Rosemont Theatre executives cut with Houston-based PACE Theatrical Group and Ohio-based Magic Promotions and Theatricals, the primary presenters at the $35-million facility. According to Rosemont Theatre executive director Harry Pappas, PACE and Magic’s three-year contract obligates them to book 12 weeks of programming annually–6 weeks of theater and 6 weeks of concerts and variety acts. The facility will be available to other theatrical producers or concert promoters during the rest of the year, but some producers may be reluctant to use it, because they won’t be able to bring their shows to the new theater without first offering PACE and Magic a chance to get in on the action. “We felt this was a fair arrangement since PACE and Magic are taking on the principal risk of booking the theater,” says Pappas. If PACE and Magic say no to a particular show, the producer in question is free to mount it on his own; if they say yes, the producer would be forced to share his profits, an arrangement that will encourage some producers to look elsewhere.
Art accompanying story in printed newspaper (not available in this archive): Photo/Peter Barreras.
