Concert numbers are rising in Delaware as COVID cases remain low and people resume more normal routines.
The Grand and The Playhouse in Wilmington recently had their strongest weekends since the pandemic started with several sold out performances.
“We’re pretty happy," said Mark Fields, executive director of The Grand. "We’re all glad to see audiences coming back the way they were pre-pandemic. It only happened one weekend so we’re not celebrating too much.”
Fields notes that over 6,000 people attended a performance at one of The Grand’s three venues last month, generating more than $180,000 in local spending at Wilmington-area restaurants and hotels.
Delaware Symphony Orchestra directo rJ.C. Barker says things at the DSO are also slowly starting to return to normal.
“We still have a masking request in place for our audiences," said Barker, who adds they have dropped the vaccination card check at the door.
He notes one performance in February was well attended. Another is planned for June, rescheduled from January when COVID cases spiked.
One venue that never fully shut down when COVID began was the Delaware Theatre Company (DTC).
Its managing director Matt Silva says they pivoted quickly, building a stage on the venue’s front steps and holding parking lot performances the past two summers. Those performances were so popular they’re planning more this year.
And Silva says ticket sales for the venue’s new season that kicks off in September are fairly strong, “We have been on sale for subscriptions for about two weeks. And we are already at about $38,000 above our paced goal for this current week right now.
Officials at each venue agree people are excited to get out of their homes and have some fun now that over 60 percent of Delawareans are fully vaccinated.
Delaware Public Media' s arts coverage is made possible, in part, by support 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.
