$350 per hour and then some Tuna…

       

I just got the show notes for Wynton Marsalis and we are in for a real treat.   He is planning almost two hours of music for us. So now the high bid from Roxann seems like a bargain to me.  Tell you what, in addition to the 4 front row seats to Wynton (and the free drinks), I’ll throw in two seats to the October 23 opening night of Tuna Does Vegas to the winning bidder….  just leave a comment with your bid before 5:00 Wednesday.  I wanna see this thing get to a $1,000.

Speaking of Tuna, Jaston and Joe thrilled the downtown crowd that showed up today for the press conference announcing a two-week extension for the new show.  We were treated to a visit from two of the old characters (Vera and Pearl) as well as two of the new characters (Anna Conda and Schotz).  Both stayed afterwards to visit and give autographs to fans.  

By the way, Joe, per your question: it was a few years ago (before me) but he threw a quarter at a patron because he thought 25 cents was a lousy tip! I believe he said “You need this more than me” as he threw it.  Wish I had been there…

Tonight Century Club members were treated to a private party on stage and I have to say, with the fire curtain down, the backstage transformed into a really cool, hip, clubby ( is clubby a word???) space.   We should do that more often….pictures coming soon…

So Kathy Griffin told Jesus to “suck it”… well I guess I should get ready for the negative emails if she returns to the Paramount.

Remember, to bid on the Wynton tickets, simply leave your bid amount as a comment. High bid on Wednesday at 5:00 wins. Bid must be confirmed before tickets are issued. Winner notified by email. Bid is for 4 front row seats to Wynton Marsalis at the Paramount on September 20. Free drinks included so plan to cab it!  Also 2 tickets to Tuna…

An A-List Evening

 
Last year                     This year

I am such a lame blogger.  I didn’t even get a decent picture!  The pic above left is from last year and the one on the right is this year.

As I walked up to the theatre tonight, I could sense that something was very different compared to the last time Kathy Griffin played the Paramount.  There were crowds of people out front  hoping to get tickets to what I knew was a more than sold out show.  We had sold folding chairs in the alcoves before finally announcing the show as SOLD OUT.  Inside there was an energy… it was as if something big was about to happen and everyone felt they were part of the lucky few who would experience it.

After saying hello to as many patrons as I could, I headed backstage in hopes of visiting with Kathy like I did last year.  I had no idea what I was going to say when I introduced her and I hoped she would give me some ideas.

Last year I met her at the hotel holding a sign that said “Kathy Griffith” as a joke to her D-List comment that everyone gets her name wrong.  Underneath this sign I had another one saying “Just kidding.  Griffin.”  She laughed.  This year Kathy was to arrive by limo.

Backstage I was surprised to discover that Kathy was not at the theatre yet.  The show was 20 minutes away.  We were in contact with the limo driver who was at the hotel.  He reported that Kathy had not come downstairs yet.  Everyone began to get a little nervous.

It turns out that our little D-Lister has reached A-List status.   Stalkers.  Crazed fans.  Nut jobs.  Everything that comes with a level of popularity that only a few celebrities reach.  A year ago, Kathy flew into the airport, rented a car and I picked her up at the hotel.   This year her limo raced to the stage door and Tom wisked her inside the theatre.  Her first comment:  “It’s kind of hot in here.  Can we turn the air down?”  Then she headed downstairs to her dressing room where a variety of food items and gift bags awaited her – gifts from local business owners who had been calling all week with offers of “free everything”.

After a few minutes, Tom said she was ready to go so I hit the stage with my introduction.  I swear to you I had no idea what I was going to say until it came out of my mouth live on stage.  Kathy’s reaction to my introduction was more than I could have ever hoped for.  She actually bowed and worshiped me from stage… and I worshiped her right back.  She even mentioned this blog a couple of times.

While she was on stage, her crazed fans out back in the alley kept banging on the back door and even tried to break into her limo.   Tom, ever the meek and mild character on TV, has become quite the little celebrity handler in real life.  Before Kathy could give her last bow Tom had everything in the limo and Kathy was wisked away within moments.

Before she left, she managed to utter a thank you to me and a “I love Austin” and then she was gone. Last year I actually got to walk her back to her hotel and pose for a quick picture.

Lots of celebrities have played the Paramount, but not since Matthew McConaughey’s premiere of Sahara have I experience that “Hollywood” craziness like we had tonight.  I wish Kathy all the best and hope that she is able to remain “real” in a life that has clearly become very unlike her reality show. 

But man what a show she gave us tonight…

PS.  She may be back at the Paramount sooner than you think.  Stay tuned.

I LOVE Kathy Griffin

It was a FAN-TAS-TIC show.  I have guests from out of town, so I will blog everything I know about Kathy tomorrow… but I can tell you this… that girl is no longer on the D-List.  More to come…

Remembering Lady Bird

Before I begin, I want to thank our bidders on the Kathy Griffin tickets.  We actually had a surprise for our first and second runners-up, which I will tell you about later.

 I wanted to post a moment about Lady Bird Johnson and her love or our theatres.  She was a frequent patron at both the Paramount and the State, but my favorite memory was her last visit in December of ’05 when she came to see “A Christmas Carol” at the State Theatre.  We actually had to use the elevator down to the production basement and then through the side auditorium door to avoid as many stairs for Lady Bird as possible.  From the side auditorium door she only had to go a couple of steps to her seat once she left the wheel chair.

At the beginning of the show I announced that the former First Lady was in the house and the audience gave her a standing ovation.  Lady Bird’s smile could be seen from every seat as I noticed Luci Johnson wiping away a tear.  It was a wonderful moment that I will never forget.

At the end of the show, Luci let me know that her mother wished to go back stage and thank the cast members for the wonderful performance.  Back stage, Lady Bird smiled, clapped, blew kisses, and made every single member of that cast feel like royalty.  I am not sure words will do this justice because I think you had to be there.  It wasn’t until we had gotten Luci, Ian, Ian’s mother and Lady Bird back into the car that I realized during the whole evening Lady Bird had never spoken a word.  It dawned on me that she probably was unable to speak or had difficulty speaking most likely due to the stroke that had occured in 2002.  And yet, she made me, the audience, and especially the cast feel like we were somehow close and cherished friends.  I bet if I called each cast member tonight many of them would pause and try to recall if she had actually spoken that night back stage…. the hand gestures, the smiles, the facial expressions… the best way I can describe it is to tell you that her spirit came through so strongly that she did not need words.

I got to meet Mrs. Johnson on only three occasions , and yet I feel as if we were the best of friends with years of memories between us.   She just had a way about her to make you feel a strong connection.  All of us at the theatre will miss her – our Leading Lady.

Hottest Ticket in Town! Bid is at $950…

It’s the hottest ticket in town.  We have been flooded with calls and emails for tickets to this show…sold out for weeks.  I’ve even gotten calls from folks in San Antonio who have discovered the show there is sold out as well.  Bidders, start your engines! The highest bid at 5PM today gets two seats in the front row and free drinks.  To bid, simply leave a comment with your best offer. 

Backstage Kathy has requested Diet Coke, Lemon Wedges and Peanut Butter even though every restaurant in town has called us with offers to feed her! And her hotel arrangements have changed… I guess she looked at a map and realized Bastrop wasn’t Austin!  See you at the show…

Comments now closed.  Our winner will be contacted shortly.

$950 – will we get to a thousand?

    

Craig wants to join me in front row seating for Kathy Griffin this Friday at the Paramount. Of course, it’s the front row seats and the free drinks driving the bidding and my proximity to those seats is not improtant.

I can’t thank everyone enough for bidding.  We’ll have to do this again with other sold out shows.  Remember, you have until 5:00 on Wednesday to get your bid in.  All comments are time and date stamped, so don’t wait until the very last minute as your clock may be slightly different than  mine.

So here is a little gossip…  Last time Kathy played the Paramount she stayed in the Governor’s Suite at the Stephen F. Austin InterContinental Hotel right next door to the theatre.  This year… the Driskill? the Four Seasons? the Stephen F. Austin again???  OK.   She handled her own travel and lodging this time around.  I can’t tell you where she is staying but I can tell you it is just bizarre.  Out of respect for her privacy while she is in town, I will wait to blog about it until after the show.   But let’s just say I am questioning Kathy’s ability to read a map…

So back to the contest… 2 front row seats and free drinks are in store for the indivual willing to outbid Craig’s bid of $950.  To bid, just leave a comment with your bid amount.  I’ll email you if you win.  The winning bid must be confirmed before the tickets are issued.  Good luck…and thank you.

Two Front Row Seats – $900…what a deal!

    

Deb. Deb. Deb!  Way to go Deb!

I just got back from a fundraiser for the Austin Humane Society at the beautiful home of Lara and Michael Gale to find our high bid for the Kathy Griffin tickets has gone up to $900.  Wow.  Interestingly enough, there is a connection between these two events.

Even though the Paramount is itself a non-profit organization, one of its core values is to use its stature within the community to help other non-profits.  Sometimes we make our facility available to other organizations to have fundraisers. Sometimes we give away tickets to other non-profits to auction off.  And sometimes we actually coordinate fundraisers to help other organizations.

Something I am very proud of was the Paramount’s response to Hurricane Katrina evacuees arriving in Austin.  We put out a call to local musicians and put together a concert.  The staff and crew as well as the musicians all donated their time and talent, and we raised $60,000.  That money was given to other non-profits like the Austin Children’s Shelter and Caritas of Austin who were responding to the additional clients who were in the city needing assistance.

This Friday at Kathy Griffin’s show we are collecting items for the Austin Humane Society.  They will have a table in the lobby and items like pet food and other pet supplies as well as cash donations will be collected.  Last week we included a link to the Humane Society’s website in one of our emails, and they tell us that they saw a significant increase in donations on-line due to that email… so thank you to everyone who responded. Everyone knows how much Kathy Griffin loves her dogs, so we thought this would be appropriate.

 Thank you again Deb, but I hope you’ll understand when I say that I want someone to outbid you…

If you are just learning about this ticket contest, all you need to know to leave a bid is to just leave a comment with the amount you are willing to donate to the theatre.  I’ll email you if you get the winning bid.  Multiple (high) bids of the same amount will go into a final drawing.  The winning bid will be confirmed before the tickets are issued… and free drinks are included! 

Comments now closed on this post.  To leave a bid, use the most recont post.

The Difference…

  

Thanks to Elle, the current bid for these 2 front row seats stands at an amazing $775.  Remember, to leave a bid,  just leave a comment with the amount you are willing to donate to the theatre.  I’ll email you if you get the winning bid.  Multiple (high) bids of the same amount will go into a final drawing.  The winning bid will be confirmed before the tickets are issued… and free drinks are included!  So make a bid now to join me in A-List seating for this D-List Mega Star.

Over on EBay, I just saw a pair of Orchestra Right Row J tickets that are selling for $510.  Now, EBay gets some of that and the Paramount, of course, got its original sale for the tickets.  The EBay seller keeps the rest.  I am not sure how I feel about that, and to my knowledge there isn’t anything illegal about the transaction.  BUT…

Here is the difference.  When you buy tickets from anyone other than the Paramount or our authorized ticketing agency, Gettix, there is no guarantee that you actually have seats to the show.  It depends on whether the seller is honest or not.  (In fact, the seating chart displayed by this EBay seller isn’t even the Paramount in Austin, Texas …it’s the Paramount in Austin, Minnesota!) You wouldn’t believe the lengths some scalpers will go to try and get the good seats that should otherwise have gone to donors and subscribers. However, the tickets that you are bidding on here at my blog are real.  They are better seats,  AND 100% of your donation is staying with the theatre.  So why is that important?

Well, the Paramount no longer makes good business sense.  We don’t have enough seats to make keeping her open a profitable venture.  She had a good run as a Vaudeville House back at the turn of the last century, but then Vaudeville died.  She had another good go at it as Austin’s only true  “movie palace” from 1930 until the late 60’s.  But then big Cineplex’s came to the “burbs” and downtown movie palaces began to close their doors from coast to coast.  The Paramount would surely have closed if not for three UT graduates who tried to rent it and turn it into a live performance space again in 1976.  Alas, they went bankrupt almost immediately, but they had captured Austin’s attention and a Non-Profit was formed to keep the grand old lady open.

Every generation of Central Texans will have to ask itself,  “Do we want to save this for the next generation?”  The first time that answer is “No” will be the last time the question needs to be asked because the Paramount will be lost forever like so many other theatres before her.  To understand just how significant the Paramount is, please read my post from a couple of weeks ago entitled “Shooting a Pilot”.  And if that isn’t enough to inspire you to keep her doors open, then I should also add that we welcome over 10,000 school children and give away literally thousands of tickets to children and non-profits each year.  We also host the Ballet, Symphony, SXSW, Austin Film Society, Austin Film Festival, TexARTS, KLRU, KUT, and the list goes on…

The Paramount is the center for arts and entertainment in the city.  While other buildings boast of being 20, 30 or even 40 stories tall, we pride ourselves on being over a million stories old – stories of first dates, favorite movies, special memories and more…

Shall we continue with the bids? Craig? Brian? Wes?  Julie?  Bueller?  Beuller?  Anyone?

Comments on this post are now closed.  Please continue the bids on the most recent post.

Current High Bid is $666, can I get a seven?

(Scratch that.   Within minutes of making this post, we got a bid from Craig for $700.  Sorry Julie.  Way to go Craig!!!!) 

Wow.  The day started out with a bid of $250 from Brian, a good friend to the theatre.  By the end of the day the high bid for these front row seats to Kathy Griffin currently stands at $666 from Julie.

Remember, the pair of tickets goes to the highest bidder at 5:00 next Wednesday.  The lucky winner(s) will join me in A-List seating for the Queen of the D-List.  These are tickets I have purchased myself, so 100% of your bid goes to support the theatres.  (The value of the tickets is $150, so everything above that is a tax deduction.)

Someone asked for an RSS feed to this post… I am embarrassed to admit that I have not figured out how to do that yet.  I am new to this blog stuff, but am learning as fast as I can.    Kathy, for some reason your $400 bid got marked as SPAM so I had to retrieve it from the Spam file before it could post.  Oh, and Kerri you used a naughty word in your post so it got held for a couple of hours until I could approve its posting.

Julie, have we met?  You’re my new best friend… until someone outbids you!  Speaking of which, I have a question from Wes about the drinks… you name it Wes.  As long as you and your guest don’t become a public nuisance…and can prove to me you won’t drive home drunk… I’ll give you plenty of  coupons good for water, soda, wine, beer or a cocktail from the bar.  The only drink the coupon won’t get you is the Paramount’s signature drink, the Houdini Martini.  Of course, if the bid goes high enough I’ll make sure even those get offered up!

To bid simply leave your best offer in a comment.  The winning bid must be confirmed prior to issuing the tickets.  In case we have more than one bid for the same (highest) amount, we will do a drawing to pick the winner… or maybe I’ll wrestle up some more front row seats!  Please continue the bidding on the most recent post.

You and me on the front row for Kathy

   

Would you like to be my guest on the front row for Kathy Griffin at the Paramount on July 20th?  Kathy might be living on the D-List, but these seats are definatley of the A-List variety.  Kathy could literally reach out and touch you if she wants. 

So how do you score two front row seats next to me?  (By the way, I realize the prize here are the front row seats and not the “next to me” bit). 

You know how I am always raising money to keep the theatre in great shape… well, this is nothing different.  The blogger willing to make the highest donation to the theatre gets the seats…and free drinks…and all of this is next to me!

Here is how it works.  If you want to put in a bid, simply leave a comment on this blog with the amount you are willing to bid.  No need to leave a phone number as I will capture your email address when you leave the comment.  I’ll keep updating the postings daily so that you know what the current high bid is.  Feel free to bid as many times as you like for as much as you like.  All bids are for two seats and payment will have to be confirmed before tickets are distributed.

If more than one blogger submits the same (highest) bid, we will have a drawing from those names for the lucky winner.  A winner will be announced by 5:00 PM, Wednesday, July 18.

(Coments on this post now closed.  Please continue commenting on the most recent post.)