This year's Charlottetown Festival deemed 'great success' despite some low numbers

After crunching box office numbers, the Confederation of the Artsis calling the 2019 Charlottetown Festival a success but officials sayit was not withoutsomechallenges.

About 73,000 people took in the festival'sofferings including musicals and art exhibitssaidSteve Bellamy, CEO of the centre.

With 49 performances this season, Anne of Green Gables The Musical averaged 622 patrons per show, with more than 30,000 audience members throughout the summer for Anne.

"I think that's pretty consistent for the last three years. We like to see 600 people on average, so 622 was great," he said.

The mainstage theatre seats about 1,100 patrons.

'Did not live up to our hopes'

While the Confederation Centre was excited for the return of Mamma Mia!to the mainstageafter it was a huge success in 2016, Bellamy saidnumbers were a little disappointing.It averaged 565 people per show, over33 performances.

"It did not live up to our hopes for attendance. While the people that went loved it ...we didn't quite get the attendance we would have hoped for," Bellamy said.

Across the street at the Centre's 200-seat theatre The Mack,Spinning Yarnsdid well, said Bellamy, with 31 shows overall averaging150 patrons per show.

Tara MacLean'sAtlantic Blue also brought in good audience numbers with an average of 168 patrons per show.

"The Mack was a very popular spot this summer," Bellamy said.

'Not every show ... can be a success'

Despite more national media coverage than any other show since Evangeline in 2013, Kronborg The Hamlet Rock Musical drew in just over 5,400 patronswith an average attendance of 362 people.

"We would have liked to have seen more patrons at that one, but it was a brief run and we were very proud of the show, it was a wonderful production," Bellamy said. "We were hoping itwould be closer to 500 or 600 per show."

Bellamy noted part of the centre's mandate is to support Canadian productions, like Kronborg, whether or not they will earnprofits.

"Not every show that we put on stage can be a success," he said. "There are so many other benefits besides the number of people that actually go."

84% satisfaction rate

The Young Company show Aqsarniit the'northern lights' in Inuktitut which played daily at noon in the outdoor amphitheatrewas "well-received"Bellamy said,estimating200 to 300 people saw the show, adding up to about 10,000 throughout the summer.

The Confederation Centre Art Gallerysaw about 20,000 patrons visit between May and October, Bellamy said. About 7,500 people took part in Art in the Open in August, which the centre co-produced.

The centre surveyed patrons about their experience this summer and of the more than 3,000 who answered,84 per centrated their overall experience as excellent, Bellamy said.

Next season the summer festival will once again feature Anne alongside The Drowsy Chaperone on the mainstage and Dear Rita about the life and music of Rita MacNeil at The Mack, as well as new Canadian comedyBed and Breakfast.

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