Wilmington’s Grand Opera House is revamping one of its offerings.
The Grand is re-launching the live at the baby grand series this year with a tighter focus on up-and-coming artists.
The venue has already booked 10 shows featuring emerging artists at the 300 seat venue and plans to announce more throughout the year.
The Grand Opera House’s Executive Director Steve Bailey says that this restructuring is in response to the community’s demand for variety.
“People are really trying to look over the full spectrum of what there is at all levels, from the entry point to the developing artist up to the established marque artist that play the Grand on occasion,” said Bailey.
Every concert held at the baby grand will be priced under $30, which Bailey says is a necessity in attracting concert goers who may not know much about the acts.
“Whenever we look at these emerging artist that really don’t have a track record or reputation and nothing that you can really base their value on, the key to the whole thing is to start with a ticket price that isn’t going to burden anybody,” said Bailey. “People will say ‘Boy, that was easy. We paid 18 bucks, we saw a great show, and now we are fans.’”
Bailey adds that live at the baby grand can act as a stepping stone for fresh artists.
“A lot of this is trying to develop artists in the market so that the possibility that they can step up to the main stage is there,” said Bailey. “It’s kind of like having a farm team. See if you can play these artists on a regular rotation, build them, and then move them up to the big leagues.”
Major artists who played their first Delaware show at the baby grand include Joe Bonamassa, Idina Menzel, and Grace Potter and the Nocturnals.
The Grand is also partnering with local music groups like the Arden Concert Gild, Green Willow, and the Brandywine Friends of Old Time Music to help bring in up-and-coming local talent.
You can see the entire schedule for live at the baby grand at thegrandwilmington.org.
This piece is made possible, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.
