The entertainment business operates on the concept that “the show must go on.”
Forced to go dark for 38 weeks and six days because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Florida Theatre Performing Arts Center Inc. embraces that mantra, based on the nonprofit’s 2020 annual report for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30 released Feb. 4.
As it was for virtually all businesses, 2020 at the Florida Theatre was like no other.
In the opening letter to friends and supporters, Numa Saisselin, the nonprofit’s president, says 96% of the income the venue would have earned in the second half of the fiscal year disappeared.
Despite the shutdown, 2020 revenue and other support totaled $7,264,372, down from $9,352,922 in 2019.
The venue was open for 105 events, down from 168 in 2019-20. The shutdown caused cancellation or postponement of 62 shows, compared to one the previous year.
Audiences purchased 72,571 seats, compared to 162,467 the year before the pandemic.
Attendance before the shutdown went into effect in March was strong enough that the venue management magazine VenuesNow reported that the Florida Theatre was one of its Top 20 Tour Stops in North America for 2020.
To keep going, the organization was able to take advantage of help from several sources.
“We were fortunate to receive help covering our survival costs from a Payroll Protection Program Loan and an Economic Injury Disaster Loan from the Small Business Administration; a CARES Act Grant from the city of Jacksonville; and a COVID-19 Response Business Community Relief Loan from VyStar Credit Union and the city of Jacksonville,” Saisselin said.
The report also cites continuing support from sponsors as a factor in the theater surviving the shutdown.
Community First Credit Union renewed its season sponsorship for five years and 100% of the corporate partners renewed their annual memberships.
The number of people making a membership contribution fell by 5% compared with 2019-20, the report states.
The community also pitched in to help the people who lost jobs when the theater had to close. Between March 18, six days after the final pre-pandemic show, and Sept. 30, the report said 352 people and organizations donated to the Florida Theatre Show Worker Relief Fund, which benefited 119 stagehands, bartenders, box office representatives and security personnel.
“One good thing to come out of the pandemic is that as long as the theatre was closed anyway, we accelerated a $2 million improvement project slated for next summer, and replaced the theatre’s seats and sound system,” Saisselin said.
“It was possible to do that work now because we already had dedicated funds in the bank, plus a match from the city of Jacksonville,” he said.
The theatre’s 1,864 new seats are historically appropriate but wider and have more legroom and cup holders. Twice as many wheelchair accessible positions were installed in all four seating sections of the orchestra.
Five shows are scheduled at the theater through Feb. 25. Tickets are available for six shows in March.
“We’re open again with a limited schedule of performances. Some people are comfortable attending and some are waiting until we are truly in an ‘all clear’ position,” Saisselin said.
Visit https://floridatheatre.com/media/ to view or download the report.
