“Unless you are a subscriber, the rest of Austin sees us as whatever is on stage that night, ... However, even when these pop shows aren't in and of themselves profitable from a ticket-sales standpoint, they break even from a patron relationship standpoint. We want to get patrons from ticket buyer to season ticket holder to donor. We know there's a future there in that audience. Ten years from now, when we're bringing Bright Eyes back for a reunion tour, that audience that has grown up with us.”
“[Stein says, frankly, the pop shows have not been big money-makers.] If you're gonna start doing pop music in Austin, you're suddenly competing with everybody, ... For example, we know not to program when the Austin City Limits Festival is in town.”
“Bright Eyes was our first general admission show, and we won't do that again, ... We had lines down the street around the block. We were getting calls from the Stephen F. Austin (Inter-Continental Hotel). So we opened the lobby early and people were in tears because they couldn't rush to the front to get good seats.”
“We'll be counting on the continued generosity of businesses and individuals to hit our fundraising goals, but we can sure promise them a priceless entertainment experience and opportunity to help the community in this time of need.”
“[It helped that there were suddenly days to fill. When the Austin Musical Theatre (briefly renamed Broadway Texas) closed shop in 2003, it created a vacuum on the venerable stage. Combine that with a young staff, and a fresh path became clear.] We said, 'Wouldn't be awesome to do more music here?' ... 'Isn't that what everyone in Austin wants to see?' I mean, I'll try anything once.”
“We plan to have multiple ticket price levels so that everyone can afford to support the effort, and we will also make 200 tickets available at no charge to anyone who has been evacuated to Austin,”
“Our benefit will have a slight twist: All money raised will be donated to local nonprofits that will see an increase in service requests from our new friends in town,”
