Syracuse’s historic Landmark Theatre didn’t have to go far to hire its new executive director. The board of trustees promoted general manager Mike Intaglietta after nearly three years without someone in the top post. He's largely been running the theater for the past two years, and they’re coming off one of the busiest seasons in years.
"Things are going really well. 2017 was a standout year. We had over 143,000 guests walk through our doors."
He says as of now, there aren’t quite as many shows booked for 2018, but its close. Intaglietta says their success does get the attention of promoters who want to book the 2,800 seat venue.
"If someone comes in here and sells out the place, it demonstrates that's something we can do. When we have a run of the Lion King that sells out 15 consecutive shows, that demonstrates there's a demand for music, comedy, and theater in Central New York."
He says even on the heels of a successful year, they still have to be fiscally responsible…given past financial and operational struggles.
"We need to make sure that we're seeing enough revenue from those events to cover our expenses, and keeping those expense where they should be. It can be tempting in a year that was as active in 2017 to commit funds that we might need for 2018 if it's not quite as busy."
But the Landmark isn’t the only arts venue in town. The Redhouse will open the doors to its new location across Jefferson Street in March. Then there’s Syracuse Stage, the Palace Theater, Civic Center theaters, the CNY Playhouse, and other venues. Intaglietta isn’t worried about saturation.
"Having Syracuse as an arts and cultural destination is much more of a benefit than anything else. There's 400,000 plus folks in Onondaga County; there's a million people in the region. There's enough for everyone."
