Hype and the River Campus

I'm sure we all have great hopes for the River Campus.

How could you not? If the facility is everything the powers-that-be at Southeast Missouri State University, in local politics and economic development tell us it will be, the campus has the potential to overhaul Cape Girardeau's downtown, maybe creating our own little Greenwich Village or Haight Ashbury-type of place (minus the strong liberal political bent?), and turn the city into a true arts hub for the entire region, a role Cape Girardeau has only filled so far in a limited capacity.

Wow! Now that's potential.

But remember this: We live in an age of hype. It's everywhere around us, from the newest miracle drug that will one day be found to increase the risk of heart attacks to the newest miracle diet that promises the kind of weight loss only achievable through severe malnutrition. Oh, and don't forget the machine that will take off all those extra pounds with just 15 minutes of exercise per week.

So when the news came out earlier this week that ticket sales for shows on the campus' opening season schedule were brisk, to say the least, I immediately thought about the magic of hype.

With all the buzz that's surrounded the run-up to the River Campus -- much of it thanks to us here at the Southeast Missourian, which isn't a bad thing -- is it any wonder?

On Tuesday, Robert Cerchio (I call him Bob, but I don't know if you can or not), the campus assistant director and the man in charge of booking and scheduling performances, reported 481 "master series" season tickets have already been sold. An explanation: "master series" ticket holders have seats to every show. Season tickets can also be bought for other series: symphony, theater and dance, or touring shows. Cerchio said back in May, before season ticket sales began, that 300 would be a good number of season tickets sold. They're well beyond that, as each series has sold hundreds beyond the "master series" sales.

Of course, in entertainment, hype is the name of the game (see Harry Potter or "The Simpsons Movie"). Cerchio is experienced at booking touring shows that will create hype, and he did so for the first season. But in reality, much of the hype has built itself as the community anticipates a state-of-the-art facility where they can get the kind of entertainment that's never really had a venue in Southeast Missouri.

The question: Is the hype responsible for the amazing sales, or is it the shows themselves people are primarily excited about?

With some exceptions, like Hal Holbrook's time-tested "Mark Twain Tonight!" in April, I'd argue the former: People are just excited about the new facility, mixed with some extra curiosity about the acts coming through.

I'd give you more evidence if I had numbers from last year's season ticket sales, but unfortunately, I wasn't able to acquire them. However, I know the Rose Theatre only had about 500 seats. Do the math, and you can see there must be more season ticket holders this year than last, but keep in mind the Rose Theatre was the home of theater and dance only, not touring acts or symphony concerts. But those 481 master series ticket holders have seats to every show, including theater and dance. If they were just in it for the touring acts, they'd have bought a touring series pass only.

So did Southeast's high-quality theater and dance productions really attract that many new fans this year? Somehow I doubt that's the case. I don't know who these season ticket holders are or where they're from, but if they're buying season tickets they must have some money (more than I do) and they must be slapping down that cash just to see a whole season of shows in the new River Campus facilities, including the centerpiece 952-seat Bedell Performance Hall.

Those of us with a stake in the campus' success (yes, that includes me) as a performing arts venue won't really know for some time if these members of the ticket-buying public are buying based on the hype, the facility, the cultural aspects of the performances or some combination of all three. The most likely answer is a combination of all three, but what are the proportions?

Sometimes I have a tendency to look for the worst, not the best, and that part of me can envision a time a year from now when those season ticket sales simply fall off. If so, we know it was the hype that attracted so many in this first season.

But even though I can envision such an undesirable scenario, the more logical, less anxious part of me says that won't be the case, that they hype has definitely helped, but that the quality of the facility and the shows people will see there will keep them coming back for more. I know I'm excited to see these performances -- every one of them. Hopefully you are, too.

I sure hope that's the case. I'll get back to you a year from now, and we'll see.

msanders@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182