The Park Theater in Las Vegas likes to fill its schedule with residencies. (Courtesy Park Theater at Park MGM)
Operating a venue in Las Vegas has its advantages and disadvantages. On the upside, it is a top tourist destination whose visitors are seeking entertainment at all hours of the day on all days of the week. That atmosphere, though, has given rise to many entertainment options competing for tourists’ dollars.
When Park Theater at Park MGM opened in Vegas about a year and a half ago, the 5,300-seat theater’s goal was to lean heavily toward resident artists.
“We can pick up more dates, including midweek dates, and get event dates up for the year,” said Paul Davis, vice president of booking. “Here, crowds turn over every few days, and artists like doing residencies. They can come in a few weeks at a time and not experience the wear, tear and expense of traveling.”
The production schedule also is less harried. Artists can take days or a week to load in, which they typically need with these shows because they are customized to the venue. There are typically fewer seats than the usual tour stop so the value proposition is different for fans, who can see top artists in a more intimate setting.
With Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars and other top names taking residence in Vegas, the city’s stigma as a boneyard for has-been performers is no more.
“These are artists in their prime choosing to do residencies for artistic reasons and otherwise, and our market is conducive to it,” Davis said. “The model is working.”
It has been even more beneficial for MGM, owner of the Park Theater, since residencies have allowed the company to leverage the talent and drive content to its East Coast properties.
Although Vegas is not representative of the Southwest region by any means, it has helped give this market probably its highest profile ever.
Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico combined have a population of nearly 21 million, according to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau estimates.
“We’re a little more out of the way and not as close to major metro areas,” said Shane Cadwell, general manager of the Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho, N.M., a north Albuquerque suburb. “The landscape is more spread out and routing is more challenging, so we focus on what our niche things are, what we do well, and try to get better each year.” The venue seats up to 7,500 for concerts.
A Unique Region
As with Vegas, a number of factors make the Phoenix market unique.
“This is an incredibly competitive market for our size, with two arenas, a major amphitheater and three stadiums,” said Ralph Marchetta, general manager for sports and entertainment services and senior vice president of ticket operations for Phoenix’s Talking Stick Resort Arena.
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Talking Stick Resort Arena capitalizes on its downtown Phoenix location. (Courtesy Talking Stick Resort Arena)
“We have the advantage of being downtown and centrally located,” Marchetta said of the arena, which has a capacity of 18,422. “Arizona State University has a large downtown campus, and we’re seeing residential expansion.”
The Southwest’s scenery and natural beauty also make it a draw for tourists. The 9,525-seat Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colo., 15 miles west of Denver, is one venue that capitalizes on the stunning geology.
“We will hit 150 shows this season, which is a record for this venue,” said Brian Kitts, Red Rocks Amphitheatre’s director of marketing and business development. “I attribute it to a strong economy in Denver, plus the touring industry is driving most of our business, since this is the way musicians make money now.”
The venue has seen steady growth in the last five to six years, and its schedule is now at capacity. Recent shows include Imagine Dragons, Seal and the Colorado Symphony.
“We don’t see anything not selling well,” Kitts said. “It’s a testament to how the industry is functioning right now and the local economy.”
In Vegas, Park Theater is able to do many back-to-back shows at a lower cost with its resident artists, who don’t need road crews, trucks or buses.
“It’s a win-win for the artists and the fans, who get to see performers presented in a different way than a tour,” Davis said. “Branding-wise it’s beneficial, because we can intertwine with the property’s brand. In our case it’s MGM.”
The Park Theater also benefited from the adjoining casino’s massive remodel and rebranding.
Highlights of the Year
Southwest venues reported not only full schedules and strong sales but also a number of new developments.
At Red Rocks Amphitheatre, for example, all ticketing is now digital.
“This way we can restrict access in the first four rows,” Kitts said. “We don’t allow transfers, which cuts down on scalping and guarantees that those with special needs are properly accommodated.”
The venue also recently launched a new mobile app available at the Google and Apple stores.
“It allows patrons to access their tickets and also has a geofencing feature,” Kitts said. “This helps us keep in contact with our guests during inclement weather and provide information on food specials, for example.”
In 2017, Talking Stick Resort Arena finished among the top 40 arenas worldwide in concert ticket sales, according to Pollstar rankings. The venue’s 2017 concerts included Pink, Bruno Mars and Justin Timberlake.
The Santa Ana Star Center had a number of successful shows and events, including a sellout Gloria Trevi and Alejandra Guzman show, the center’s premiere of MMA King of the Cage and TobyMac’s Air1 tour.
“Another big show was Cirque de Soleil’s first ice show,” Cadwell said.
Improvements to the facility were also part of the mix. “We added a new exterior staircase at our entrance that provides access from the parking lot,” Cadwell said.
Vegas’ Park Theater just completed its last run of Ricky Martin’s shows, and has Cher, Queen with Adam Lambert and Lady Gaga on the roster, along with performances that have not yet been announced.
“Bruno Mars has been with us since the beginning and will be for a while,” Davis said. “Resident deals are more complicated than one-offs or touring, since we need to look at schedules and available dates. One of the tricks to pulling it off is getting everything to align and utilizing as many dates as possible.”
The trick is not to overload the market and provide artists with enough dates to make sense. This structure helps Park Theater plan two to three years out yet still have open dates for tours.
Looking Ahead
The year ahead looks to be just as fruitful — and busy — for Southwest venues.
The NBA team that calls city-owned Talking Stick Resort Arena home, the Phoenix Suns, has expressed interest in a renovation of the arena, but plans by the team and city have not moved beyond the study stage.
“We’re in a 26-year-old building, so we want to update our systems and technology, and create more club and social areas, since people’s tastes have evolved,” Marchetta said. “There is a renaissance happening in downtown Phoenix, which is exciting. Our basketball team got the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, which created excitement about the Suns and will be a positive for the venue, as well.”
To celebrate its 77th anniversary, Red Rocks Amphitheatre put on sale a three-record commemorative album with 20 tracks from the venue’s performances going back to 1978.
“We only printed 5,000 copies, and it’s a limited edition that we’re selling for $55 each,” Kitts said. “We expect these will move quickly, and the proceeds will go into a general fund.”
The venue also will donate 5 percent of the gross profits from the sales of Colorado-based New Belgium Brewing’s Stage Rock Colorado Ale, which is being created as part of a broader deal announced in July, to its preservation and education programs.
The Santa Ana Star Center’s 2019 roster is filling up with MercyMe, Crowder and Jeff Dunham. It also will host the International Indian Finals Rodeo in November, a new event for the center that includes seven rodeos over four days.
“We’re seeing a trend for more traveling Latin shows, specifically for our venue,” Cadwell said. “We’ve also had success with family and Christian shows.”
The center is working with the city of Rio Rancho on additional capital improvement projects as well as its soccer team contract with the New Mexico Runners (see related story).