COUNTRY MUSIC BILL OUTSELLS COSBY IN A DAY

More area residents want to hear country music stars Alan Jackson and LeAnn Rimes than famed comedian Bill Cosby, judging by Show Me Center ticket sales.

On Monday, the day tickets went on sale, the Show Me Center sold 3,649 tickets for the May 8 concert.

By contrast, the center over a period of several weeks has sold only 3,200 tickets for Saturday's performance by Cosby.

The theater-in-the-round performance can accommodate 7,500.

The Show Me Center needs to sell 5,000 tickets just to break even, said center Director David Ross.

Why have ticket sales lagged?

Ross has no ready answers.

It has been suggested that ticket prices are too high. Prices range from $20 to $35.

But at $23, tickets for the Jackson concert aren't cheap either and that show is in heavy demand.

"I don't know how you could do it for less," Ross said of ticket prices for Cosby.

He pointed out that tickets for children and Southeast students are sold at a discount.

With discounts, some tickets cost as little as $10 a seat, he said.

The show was announced back in February, far in advance.

Ross said many people probably decided to wait on buying tickets because the scheduled show was so far off.

The university's spring break, Easter and tax time also may have drawn attention away from the Cosby show, he said.

Ross said area residents often wait until the last minute to purchase tickets to Show Me Center events.

Some people, he said, may mistakenly believe the show is sold out.

Cosby's performance will culminate a week of activities celebrating the inauguration of Dr. Dale Nitzschke as Southeast's 16th president.

The Show Me Center is serving as promoter for the show and is putting up the guarantee money.

The Cosby show is the most expensive entertainment the center has booked itself.

If the center loses money on the show, it will have to make it up with other events during the year, Ross said.

When the Cosby performance was announced at a press conference two months ago, Ross acknowledged that the center was taking a gamble.

He reiterated that point Monday. "Really, we are just leaping out there with blind faith."

Ross hopes that ticket sales for the Cosby show will reach 5,000. "I am not giving up yet," he said.