Mario Pelchat was to be sold out at the Desjardins Theater on February 12. Corn When one of us will not rock the spectators of LaSalle. The new health restrictions applicable to theaters, announced on Monday, which limit the gauges to 50% as of February 7, force broadcasters to postpone and cancel shows that are sold out.
Fred Pellerin in Lac-Mégantic on February 22? Cancelled, even if all the places have been sold for a long time. Tickets for February shows at the two halls of the Hector-Charland theater — Gregory Charles, Patrice Michaud, Danse C4, Luce Dufault, PA Méthot, Roxane Bruneau, among others? Reimbursed, “because we are not able to replace them in the calendar”, indicates the general manager, Claude de Grandpré.
“We cannot say to the spectators: “you, you and you, you will not be able to see the show, but him, him and him, next door, will be able to see it”. Let’s see! It’s fragile, the relationship between a broadcaster and a spectator, you have to take care of it, ”explains Yves Bellefleur, the theater tour organizer responsible for Summum communications. His tour of some 25 performances of Nine (working title), d’Orange drowned, in the regions of Quebec is in danger of cancellation. “We have gauges already sold at 70%. What do we do ? It’s been twice already show is reported. »
Mélisa Imedjdouben, director of communications for the Albert-Rousseau hall in Quebec City, adds. “It’s really not easy to split a room. First, the artist must be available and ready to play two nights. Or three evenings for us, because at the Salle Albert-Rousseau, with 1,348 seats, we exceed, by 50%, the maximum 500 spectators. »
At the Salle Albert-Rousseau (20 shows) and at the Théâtre Petit-Champlain (15 shows in February) Louis-José Houde, Arthur l’aventurier, Rachid Badouri, Sam Breton, Jonathan Roberge and Florence K. were to perform in February. The vast majority of these shows exceed the 500-person limit or sell out. The broadcaster is analyzing its possibilities, but none seemed to win as of this writing.
“Postponing a show is ideal, but we have an occupancy rate of 92%, and there are already traffic jams in the calendar, continues Mme Imedjdouben. If we add a performance, to divide the room, we have to call our 1348 spectators one by one to find out who can come on another date. Unfortunately, we have developed a great deal of expertise in this area. But our ticketing teams are exhausted. »
The question of profitability also arises. “It takes us the same room staff for a 50% gauge as for a full room”, specifies the director. Adding a second performance – when possible with the availability of the room, but also those of the employees, as much for disinfection between shows as for stage set-ups and take-downs – involves paying a second fee to the artist.
“Artists are tired, too, of doing doubles,” adds Alexandre Provencher, general and artistic director of Théâtre Desjardins. And they still have to be available, the artists. Let’s take this Mario Pelchat show again. We can see the singer’s well-organized tour schedule on the website, like that of several other successful Quebec artists. On February 11, Mr. Pelchat sings in Joliette. On the 12th, he was to be in LaSalle. On the 13th, he will be in Drummondville, and on the 15th, in Brossard.
It is therefore impossible for the Théâtre Desjardins to add a second day of performance before or after February 12. There remains the possibility of doing a matinee – which is only possible on Saturdays and Sundays and which imposes a tighter, more tiring double on the artist.
The ransom of their success
The heart of the current problem of full rooms? The gauge at 50%. A problem of health restrictions, therefore, and of rapid application incompatible with the time that theaters need to sell – or reimburse… – tickets. Irony? The problem endangers the shows that have the most success with the public, at a time when the link with the public is weakened by the fear of contagion and the loss of the habit of cultural outings.
“Our business model as a presenter is to sell between 85% and 100% of the tickets for our shows,” explains Claude de Grandpré, from the Hector-Charland theatre. “That’s what we do in life, sell full rooms. And that’s what we did again. We were happy: last November and December, we had an absolute record in ticket sales. We reconnected with the public. »
Same story on the side of the Albert-Rousseau room. “From October, we started breaking our 2019 ticket sales records. We felt a wave of love from the public, its return. Claude de Grandpré: “With my directors, we opened a bottle of wine to celebrate. And the next day, it was December 20, we learned that everything had to be closed. »
For the tour, Yves Bellefleur sees that of New also be in danger because of the play’s success. “The cast includes Marc Messier, Pierre Lebeau, Monique Spaziani… It fills up on its own. “While the tour of Hardingsby Alexia Bürger, which he also takes care of, can be maintained without concern under the new sanitary conditions, because the marketing had not started and very few tickets have been sold so far.
Very little risk, but gradual recovery
In the office of the Minister of Culture, Nathalie Roy, we say “very happy to have been able to announce certain relaxations, including the opening of performance halls and cinemas at 50% to allow a gradual resumption of activities”.
All broadcasters interviewed by The duty also welcomed the reopening, although they name the complications the conditions create. “We encourage broadcasters to resume their performances, if they can, to allow artists to reconnect with the public,” continued press officer Elizabeth Lemay. But the final decision rests with the broadcasters, according to the firm.
The Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ), for its part, clarified that “the measure specific to the broadcasting of shows is flexible and takes into account current health requirements”. This measure is welcomed by all the stakeholders to whom The duty has spoken, even by those who consider it perfectible.
“Broadcasters have a grace period to make their decisions to cancel, postpone or not,” says CALQ communications director Honorine Youmbissi. Each broadcaster chooses its strategy based on its sales forecasts and its knowledge of its market. Are sales going well? Have they changed the ticket prices? »
The broadcaster who chooses to cancel will be compensated, continues the CALQ. He “could also decide to do two performances and, there too, he would be compensated. Remember that in all cases, the artists’ fees will be honored.