Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.life From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: KenCen's newest bookings may perform on coffee table Date: Mon, 2 Nov 92 15:45:13 EST Message-ID: \SE D;LIFE \HD KenCen's newest bookings may perform on coffee table \BY Betsy Pisik \CR THE WASHINGTON TIMES You can't get tickets to "Phantom of the Opera," but you still can impress your friends by waving the coffee mug around. By tripling its retail space, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has made it even easier to find those coffee-table books about opera and the ceramic doodads painted with the masks of comedy and drama. Two new gift shops, located in the former coatroom of the Hall of States and the A-level parking concourse, are expected to increase the Kennedy Center's retail revenue by nearly 70 percent, generating an estimated $1.7 million in sales. And yes, plenty of books about John F. Kennedy are available. "This is definitely an opportunity to take advantage of a captive audience, one that has an interest in the arts," says Kevin Bridges, director of retail operations for the Kennedy Center. And given the average ticket price, he adds, "It's a slightly more affluent crowd than the typical mall shopper." The expansion comes at a time when arts groups increasingly are forced to bootstrap it - counting on ticket sales and other forms of earned income to offset dwindling donations from corporations and federal programs. The center's 1991 annual report outlined the difficulty of fund raising in the recent economic climate, noting that contributions were "substantially below the fund-raising goals." Proceeds from the gift shops will go toward commissioning new works, subsidizing discounted tickets for some groups and underwriting educational programs, such as day trips for schoolchildren, Mr. Bridges says. The gift shops, featuring handsome, teal-stained wood and spacious displays, offer a wider selection of merchandise than the old gift counters. "We sold a little bit of everything . . . related to either the performing arts or John F. Kennedy," says Mr. Bridges, who was responsible for selecting most of the items in the familiar long glass cases. He says sales were about $1 million a year. The counters used to stock 10 to 15 different books, a majority of them about either the slain president or Washington. Today the 100 titles offered are likely to be a bit more technical, geared toward the professional dancer and musician or sophisticated arts consumer. A sizable children's section offers Winnie the Pooh and the Nutcracker . Display cases bulge with rhinestone jewelry, raku flutes and statuary - much of it likely to appeal to the bused-in groups and tourists who also will linger by the wall of postcards. A wide selection of classical cassettes and CDs also are available - at full market price. Mr. Bridges says the staff will make an effort to promote performances by featuring upcoming artists booked at the Kennedy Center, such as soprano Edith Wiens, coming Nov. 11 with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, or Carol Channing and Rita Moreno, appearing Nov. 14 in "Two Ladies of Broadway." Indeed, the gift shops are a no-lose proposition for the nation's lavish performing arts center. The shops are staffed by volunteers, so there is little payroll. And because it is earmarked for educational and public service programs, income from the shops is considered tax-exempt. While all this is surely good news to anyone who would rather buy a tape than hum the score, the competition is singing a different tune. "That's all we need, another subsidized book shop," says Jim Tenney, senior buyer for Olssons Books and Records. "It's very hard to compete with the Smithsonian, the Phillips [Collection], the National Park Service and now the Kennedy Center. "It's something we have to live with. I've been selling books in Washington for 30 years, and there's nothing you can do." This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM