THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 2, 1995 TAG: 9507010097
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 05 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SHAWN M. TERRY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines
Ports Events Inc., the nonprofit promotional organization that stages the Seawall Festival, the Cock Island Race and other downtown events, will take over management of Willett Hall this week.
Under the terms of an agreement with the city that was a year in the making, Ports Events will operate the concert hall for a fee of $50,000 plus a percentage of the gross receipts.
The agreement was approved at Tuesday's City Council meeting.
``Running Willett Hall will be like staging a series of special events in one venue,'' Ports Events Executive Director Linda Lamm said.
Keith Toler, director of the Portsmouth Convention and Visitor's Bureau, previously oversaw the Willett operation. He said specialty acts such as jazz legend Nancy Wilson and acclaimed Broadway shows such as ``Miss Saigon'' could headline the venue.
Ports Events will book some of the shows directly and promote them. Others will be booked by promoters who will rent the hall.
Toler said the intimacy of Willett Hall's 2,000-seat setting could ultimately lure folks to cross the threshold of Virginia Beach, Hampton, Norfolk, Newport News and Suffolk.
``It's trying to find the right audience that would come to Portsmouth,'' Toler said.
The economically strapped city approached Ports Events last year with hopes of turning the hall into a moneymaker.
In 1994, the city spent $258,230 and had only $163,839 income on the operation of Willett Hall.
In the new budget that goes into effect this week, the city has budgeted $424,000 for the operation by Ports Events plus a $65,000 budget line to cover basic management fees.
``I think Ports Events taking it over is a good thing,'' Toler said. ``Rental fees for performances will be more flexible, and they will also be able to go out and get sponsors to offset prices.''
Under the three-year contract, the profit generated from Willett Hall will go back into the city's general revenue fund, Toler said.
Lamm said Ports Events will promote the City of Portsmouth through 10 to 12 special events.
City employees who worked for Willett Hall have been placed in other offices throughout the city, Lamm said, and new staff members will be hired to run the auditorium.
Several council members have encouraged the change in management of Willett Hall.
``We felt the hall needed more nationally and regionally known productions,'' Councilman James C. Hawks said during Tuesday's meeting.
``I regret it's taken this long,'' said Councilman James T. Martin.
Opponents of the contract between the city and Ports Events said they do not want Willett Hall turned into a cash cow.
``We would like to see a provision in the contract giving reasonable consideration to our organization that doesn't have the big bucks,'' said Horace Savage, president of Portsmouth Community Concerts, a volunteer organization that brings four concerts a year to Willett Hall, selling season subscriptions.
Members of the organization fear the current $475 rental fee for each concert will increase under the new agreement.
``That's an option the city would have to weigh,'' Lamm said.
She stressed that their sole responsibility is to make money for the city.
``We are looking for whatever is safe and appropriate,'' Lamm said. by CNB