Big League Tax Break
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Acting as a group, the commercial producers–including the Nederlander Organization, the Royal Group, Jam Productions, Michael Leavitt/Fox Theatricals, and Live Entertainment Corporation of Canada–and representatives from large commercial venues like the Chicago and Auditorium theaters retained the law firm of Mayer, Brown & Platt to handle the City Council fight. Sources say the group has already paid the firm approximately $40,000 and that the final tab could hit $100,000. Convinced that reducing or eliminating the 7 percent amusement tax levied on every ticket sold by theaters with 750 or more seats is in the best interest of all league members, the commercial producers want the league to cover some of these legal expenses.
But Sertich and the league’s board of directors also view the request for funds to fight the amusement tax as an opportunity to force the producers to use Hot Tix more consistently. In recent years most of the tickets available at the booths have come from small theater companies whose tickets often command smaller service fees and don’t usually move as briskly as tickets for productions with more mass appeal.
Another Theater Exec Exits
