In his 35-plus years as executive director of WesBanco Arena and, since 2009, the Capitol Theatre, Denny Magruder has influenced countless venue managers.
ARTS CATHEDRAL: The Filene Center has 7,028 seats and is the primary venue at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts. (Courtesy Wolf Trap) National park, foundation mark half a century of performances and gear up for the future The pandemic isn’t the only seemingly insurmountable challenge that the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts in Vienna, Virginia, has faced in its 50 years of operation. In April 1982, after its Filene Center venue burned to the ground, patrons stepped up not only to financially support a true-to-the-original rebuild but also to create a temporary structure that would ensure Wolf Trap’s season of 77 performances went on as planned. In just six weeks, a performance space was constructed to play host to three months of musicals, ballets, symphonies and performances by revered artists in all genres. “This proceeded an extraordinary outpouring of support and donations to rebuild the venue,” […]
Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C., is putting together an anniversary platform that includes a special logo, marketing and social media.
SEA YOU SOON: Plans call for Baby Shark Live! to hit the road again in the fall for rescheduled dates. (Courtesy Baby Shark Live!) A YouTube earworm becomes a successful live tour and proves TV isn’t the only place to find a hit When Korean-based YouTube channel Pinkfong put up its version of the “Baby Shark” song in November 2015, it quickly became a cultural phenomenon. Fast forward five years, and 5 billion video views later, and this moneymaker is on Year Two as the first major children’s brand tour that isn’t propelled by a television show. “We thought it would be a challenge without deep penetration, but being a phenomenon, and the second most viewed YouTube video ever, helped,” said Jonathan Linden, who with Stephen Shaw is co-president of New York City-based Round Room Live, the tour’s producer. “We were high on the Baby Shark property; we loved the […]
AUTO RENEWAL: Ilani’s new parking garage will have 2,700 parking spaces with room for expansion. (Courtesy Ilani Cowlitz Indian Casino) Since it opened in April 2017, Indian casino Ilani, developed by the Cowlitz Tribe and Salishan-Mohegan LLC, has had impressive accomplishments each year. In year one, the 156-acre La Center, Wash., development, 25 miles north of Portland, Ore., opened its meeting and entertainment center that includes the 2,800-seat Cowlitz Ballroom and a convention center. Two years ago, Cowlitz was able to build on its brand experience with 57 shows, including free shows with Eddie Money, Richard Marx, Vince Neil and Everclear, among others. Now, on its third anniversary, the venue is working on its next project — a parking garage with more than 2,700 spots and room for expansion — scheduled to be completed in November. “We can build up to 4,000 parking spots in this covered garage, which is on […]
