We pay for these theaters when the Schenectady Library has free movies in the McChesney room. (which we actually pay for too) They have FREE series of recent documentary films as well as thought provoking films. They offer them FREE every wednesday at noon and repeated every thrus night at 7pm.

It seems that we pay for duplicated services for everything!!!

As far as the vote for giving Proctors all the money, I know that the Democrats all walked in lock-step with County Chair Susan Savage, with the exception of (I think) Karen Johnson, and this is due to the fact (again, I believe) that she actually works for Proctors.  I believe she abstained, after giving a long-winded answer on why she would support it, if she didn't have a conflict in interests with her employment.  Also, I do remember that Minority Leader Bob Farley stating how much he approved of this, as "we all know that towns are built around the theatre."  I'm sure that if you do a search through here, we talked about it at the time when this was brought to a vote.

http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2008/nov/09/1109_theatertix/

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Theaters strategize to keep their seats full
Sunday, November 9, 2008
By Kathleen Moore (Contact)
Gazette Reporter

In an effort to boost ticket sales, Proctors will try to harness the power of word of mouth next year.
Fewer residents are buying theater tickets in this tough economy, and both Proctors in Schenectady and the Palace Theatre in Albany are seeing more last-minute sales. So Proctors CEO Philip Morris plans to schedule longer runs for next year’s shows, banking on the theory that interest in the shows will grow as the first viewers talk it up.
At the Palace, the lineup will continue to be heavy on concerts, which have consistently sold out despite inflation and the rise in unemployment. Palace spokesman Sean Allen speculated that the rock ’n’ roll shows appeal to such a large audience that even if half of the fans can no longer afford to come, there’s still more buyers than seats.
“Whereas before maybe we had 400 people outside looking for [scalped] tickets, now we have 100 outside and it’s still sold out,” Allen said. “In general, anything on the more artistic side tends to have a slimmer base. A larger fan base still sells out.”
Morris hasn’t been struggling to corral hundreds of hopefuls trying to buy tickets to sold-out Proctors shows. Many of the theater’s shows this year didn’t sell out — but he emphasized that they all did about as well as he expected. Many of the shows aren’t expected to fill a 2,700-seat theater.
“Things are going fine,” Morris said. “My sense is that until now, tickets have been tied to oil prices. As oil prices went up, tickets were harder [to sell]. We saw a decline in sales, but it was in the spring.”
Ticket sales have slowed, though. The Broadway tour of “Mamma Mia!” sold out, but many Saturday night tickets were still available the night before the show. Even the cheapest seats in the house were available 24 hours before the curtain rose. In years past, those seats sold out well in advance.
The ticket sales at the Palace didn’t even shudder when gas prices skyrocketed.
“We haven’t seen any effect on ticket sales this year. Our ticket sales have not dropped at all,” Allen said.
being cautious
But he’s taking steps already to ward off the disaster that might be coming.
The Palace lowered the cost of concessions for its family movies and dropped the cost of its family event series by $5.
Children’s tickets are also half-price now for the series. The changes were made because ticket sales have slowed noticeably for family shows.
“We’re seeing a lot of people wait till the last minute to make purchases,” Allen said.
Morris does not plan to lower ticket prices at Proctors, but he isn’t ruling that out.
“We’re prepared to watch it [ticket sales] every day,” he said.
He isn’t lowering concessions, either. “I think we’ve been pretty affordable. You’re not being asked to pay stupid money for popcorn,” he said.
A large popcorn at Proctors costs $3. At the Palace, it costs $2 at movies and $3 at events.
Both theaters have taken the step of lowering some ticket prices already — but Proctors did it two years ago as a way of making theater affordable.
The Palace is cutting prices for some shows now in response to the economic downturn.
Two years ago, Morris began selling back-row balcony seats for $20 for every show at Proctors, including the expensive Broadway musicals.
For every show, 320 seats are available at the bargain-basement price.
“We wanted to make sure everything was available at an affordable price,” Morris said. “We did it for Alice Cooper, who was sold out one way or the other.”
$25 seats
Recently, the Palace started offering $25 seats for some shows.
“We know folks probably have a little less money than they had in the past,” Allen explained.
But he’s not cutting prices for big acts that will sell out even in a recession.
Proctors is also dealing with some friendly competition from the Palace. The Palace is scheduling two to three Broadway shows this spring, although dates and titles have not yet been announced.
The Palace stage limits it to shows with smaller sets, and Morris said he’s not worried about competition from “one-night stands of the second, third, fourth year of a Broadway show.”
He added that he doesn’t think the Palace is treading on his turf.
“It’s a smart move. We totally support it. It’s a good strategy,” he said.
Palace organizers talk with him before setting any dates to make sure their Broadway shows don’t conflict with Proctors’ big shows.
Allen said such orchestration keeps both sides happy.
“Crossing over a little bit, as long as it’s done respectfully, should not be viewed as competition,” he said. “Our doing a couple Broadway shows a year is no different than Proctors doing an Alice Cooper.”
But primarily, Allen said, the two theaters thrive by focusing on different shows.
“Yes, it’s a small market for two large theaters, but I think we both bring something different to the table,” he said.
So the Palace will continue to focus on its concerts, Proctors will continue to bring fancy Broadway shows for long runs and both will survive.
“After all, we were both built during the Depression,” Allen said. “They always say the last to get hit is entertainment. A college kid with $20 in his pocket is willing to blow that and eat ramen.”

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SCHENECTADY
Proctors season packed with hits
‘Wicked,’ ‘Spring Awakening’ and ‘Rent’ on the way
BY BILL BUELL Gazette Reporter
Reach Gazette reporter Bill Buell at 395-3190 or bbuell@dailygazette.com.

    When Proctors CEO Philip Morris scheduled “The Phantom of the Opera” for four weeks in February 2006, some people suggested that he and the area theater community were taking on a little more than they could handle. Those skeptics were wrong then, and these days they’re nowhere to be seen.
    On Thursday at the GE Theatre in the Proctors complex, Morris announced the 2009-10 Key Private Bank Broadway Series, and the Schenectady-Broadway bond seems stronger than ever.
    “Wicked,” as was previously announced last season, will spend four weeks during the holiday season at Proctors, while the rest of the lineup includes “The Color Purple” in October, “The 39 Steps” in November, “Spring Awakening” in February and “South Pacific” in April.
    Also, from July 28-Aug. 2 this summer, Proctors will host Jonathan Larson’s musical “Rent,” and the cast will include Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal, two members of the original Broadway production.
    “There were skeptics that wondered about the viability of us doing something like bringing ‘The Phantom’ here and whether or not we could be successful,” said Morris. “Well, it worked, and I think this season really shows that Broadway is here to stay in Schenectady. We have 13 weeks of Broadway this season, and I think that’s amazing.”
    Last year, Morris rode into a news conference on a motorcycle to announce the 2008-09 season, which included “Happy Days: A New Musical.” On Thursday, Morris simply walked to the lectern in the GE Theatre and talked to the 75 or so people on hand for the news conference.
    “I didn’t have to ride in on a motorcycle this year,” said Morris. “There were no theatrics. The schedule for next season stands on its own. It indicates a lot of hard work on our part to develop relationships with these national producers. These are five of the hottest shows on Broadway over the last five years or so. They’re Tony winners, and they’re all part of the current vocabulary in American theater.”
    “Wicked” garnered 10 Tony nominations and three wins in 2004 but lost out in the Best Musical category to “Avenue Q.” “The Color Purple” was among the 2006 Tony nominees for Best Musical, and “Spring Awakening” was the 2007 winner in that category. “South Pacific,” the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic that first appeared on the Broadway stage in 1949, was the 2008 Tony Award winner for Best Musical Revival and is still playing at the Lincoln Center Theatre in New York. Along with its Best Revival win, it claimed six other Tonys and was nominated 11 times.
    “The 39 Steps,” meanwhile, voted the 21st Best Film in British History, is an adaptation of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 movie. The screenplay was adapted for the stage by Patrick Barlow in 2005, opened on Broadway in January 2008 and is still in production.
    “Rent” won four Tony Awards in 1996, including Best Musical. This is the first time Proctors will host a major live production during the summer months, and it is not part of the Broadway package.
    “This is a test for us to see how we can do with this venue in the summer,” said Morris. “The play is going out to 20 cities, and we’re lucky enough to be one of them. It was available, that’s one reason to have it, and we also wanted to see what our summer market would be like.”
    While Proctors has hosted nonmusicals before, “The 39 Steps” is the first time a straight drama has been part of the Key Private Bank Broadway Series.
    “This is a bit different for us, but I think it’s going to work,” said Morris. “It’s a fun play and probably the greatest use of technology you’re ever going to see on stage. There are four actors playing more than a hundred characters, and you’re amazed at how they do it.”
    “Spring Awakening” is a play based on the 1891 story by Frank Wedekind about a small German town in the late 19th century.
    “It’s a rock ’n’ roll musical, one of the big hits of.............http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....amp;EntityId=Ar00900