Embedded Files
THE MINSTREL 2014 YEAR END REPORT
I am happy to report that the low attendance of last year has improved by about 10% to an average 88 for regular shows. (Those excluding Open Stages and the like.) Not enough, but a trend in the right direction. Net profit is still disappointing $480 for the year. A number of oddball events like the cancellation of the Finest Kind show (expected to draw a substantial crowd) due to performer's illness, and an unexplained disappearance of $279 from the cashbox at a recent show didn't help, but were certainly not the root cause. The prolong period of unusually cold weather and heavy snowfall during the beginning of 2014 had some negative effect. We continue to show low attendance for those acts of lesser name recognition, and generally lackluster support for our member acts.
Note: the financial figures do not include a $2500 down payment to Tom Paxton for his upcoming concert in July to celebrate the Minstrel's 40th anniversary, because that is an expense attributable to an event next year.
In July, we raised our admission from $8 to $9 to more than cover the cost of increased rent from $280 to $319 per show.. This is the last rent increase we expect to see for a number of years.
An unusually high number of Open Stages (7) were either preempted or moved by other events. We will try to avoid that in 2015, but already there are 2 such occurrences next year, despite our moving the Valentines show a week earlier to avoid doing so next February
We participated in a program called "Fill-A-Seat. This organization would publicize our concerts to its members in return for our offering free tickets to shows for which we expected low attendance. The idea was to expand our audience, which might then become paying customers to our better-attended shows. The results of this program were disappointing, with only 7 tickets given away between July and the present. Based upon these results, we will discontinue the program at the end of the year as not worth the effort to administrate it.
We continue to be in the good graces of our hosts, the Morristown Unitarian Fellowship, with the Folk Project providing support for them in numerous ways. We help their SCAN concert by securing headline performers at token fees, and provide sound for the concert. We have enlivened their Service Auction by providing packages of tickets to FP events to be auctioned, and music for the event itself. This year we will produce a benefit concert for the Fellowship under the auspices of our Special Concerts Committee. We are beginning to see more members of the congregation at our concerts.
Next summer the building will be undergoing renovations, and we will be displaced from the MUF for about 2 months starting June 19. We have arranged to hold shows at the Presbyterian Church in Chatham (The site of Sanctuary Concerts) while MUF is unavailable. Sanctuary Concerts has been of great assistance in securing this interim site for us.
Upcoming 2015 highlights: We have an outstanding lineup for the beginning of 2015: These include The April Verch Band on Jan 9, Julie Gold on Jan 16, Vance Gilbert on Jan 23, Bill Staines on Jan 30, Silk City on March 30, The Kennedys on April 17, and Máire Ní Chathasaigh & Chris Newman on May 15. We will also be celebrating the Minstrel's 40th anniversary (!!!!!) with a concert by Tom Paxton in the Chatham Presbyterian Church, with up to 150 tickets reserved for invited long-time volunteers at the regular Minstrel price of $9.00 (no creel) and the rest going to the general public at market rate of $30.00.
Average Paid Attendance
Regular Shows
All Shows
Dec. of previous year through Nov. of current year
Minstrel Performance 6000
Mike Agranoff Program Chairman.
ADDENDUM:
It will also serve for most of the November report with the following additions:
During the November 14 show with Jim Kweskin & Happy Traum, the cash that was deposited was $287 short of what was supposed to be there. No one can figure out where the shortfall occurred.
We paid a deposit of $2500 to Tom Paxton's agent as a deposit for his upcoming concert on July 25, 2015 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Minstrel. I will be leaving that deposit off the financial reporting of all future Minstrel Booking Reports until the concert itself, as it gives a false negative impression of our financial situation. I will be asking next year's treasurer to go to an accrual system of accounting to take account of such occurrences.
New bookings made in November
· April 17, 2015: Michael Braunfeld opening for the Kennedys. Singer songwriter with a style that reminds me of Bruce Springsteen.
· April 24: Mara Levine opening for Gathering Time
Highlights for next month
· The Dec. 26 show with Christine Lavin and Don White.
Respectfully submitted:
Mike Agranoff
Program Chair
The Minstrel Acoustic Concert Series
Morristown, NJ 07960, USA
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