Staff
One final push for season passport sales will be needed if “tour de Fort” is to return for another season.
“Please buy a passport and support us,” board president Ken Avis urged this morning.
“We want people to come to our shows,” he stressed. “We want to fill the Townshend Theatre so they can see these incredible artists that we bring in.
“Right now we are still way under what we need to be [in passport sales] by 100,” Avis noted.
The “tour de Fort” board initially set yesterday as the deadline for its passport push.
But at a meeting last night, that deadline was extended until the opening performance of the concert series’ 2010-11 season this Saturday (Sept. 18) featuring Broadway singer Louise Pitre.
“We’ve sort of got a rough break-even point of about 250 full passports, not including individual ticket sales,” Avis explained.
“And right now, we’re at approximately 150.”
Besides season passports, which are available for $110 each, there also is a new “Pick 3” option where someone can select and attend any three shows from the season for $60.
This is something Avis encouraged those who have never been to any of the shows to try out so they can select from this season’s talented line-up, which also includes Cantabile, Dala, TorQ, Emma-Lee, and Andrew Craig.
Individual tickets for performances also are available both in advance and at the door for $25 each.
A phone campaign to save “tour de Fort” was held over weekend, but not enough passports were sold.
“Our board, itself, is a little bit nervous right now, kind of sitting on pins and needles,” Avis admitted.
“We’re going into our 18th season now and we really don’t want this to end.
“I think it provides a tremendous opportunity for the community to see new artists, or up and coming artists, or bring musical performances in here that normally we would not get, that they would have to travel to Winnipeg or a major centre to see,” he remarked.
Passports and tickets can be purchased at the Fort Frances Public Library Technology Centre, Shoppers Drug Mart, and at Saturday night’s show.
They also are available online at www.tourdefort.com