SPAC May Back Away From Symphony, Ballet

The Saratoga Performing Arts Center in upstate New York has been a popular summer destination for decades, hosting the Philadelphia Orchestra and the New York City Ballet for several weeks each summer. “However, while the ballet and orchestra were at the core of SPAC’s creation in 1966 and have become a SPAC tradition, they are not money-makers. Each lose about $1 million a year.” At the same time, Clear Channel, the 800-lb gorilla of concert promotions, pays SPAC handsomely for the right to book summer shows at the venue. It’s a dangerous equation, and SPAC is now openly discussing the possibility of scaling back or dumping the ballet and the orchestra.