Second-tier events help Performing Arts Series

The Performing Arts Series has been a popular event at the University of South Carolina Lancaster’s Bundy Auditorium.
Few can find little to complain about in the events, which have featured quality entertainment here sponsored by See Lancaster, SC, which oversees the PAS.
“The complaint I hear almost daily is the cost of tickets,” said Jimola Wade, who manages the Performing Arts Series. “Our community has spoken and I want them to know that I’m listening. I can’t change things overnight, but I’m working hard at it.”
A major reason for high prices is the seating capacity of Bundy Auditorium, which seats 400.
In comparison to other cities, the Bundy is considered small, which means higher ticket prices for patrons.
“The artists don’t change their booking price because we’re small,” Wade said. “If we want them here, we pay the same price as the larger venues.”
Wade noted the Performing Arts Series has been successful in its goal of drawing tourists.
A year ago, nearly 40 percent of single-ticket patrons lived outside the county, Wade said.
At the same time, Wade has worked to secure feature events to attract local residents at a lower price.
Events like “The Commedia Princess and the Pea” and the Grey Seal Puppets’ Emperor’s New Clothes were shows at affordable family prices, $5 each. The admission was pleasing to the public, which responded with solid attendance.
The Spencers, who appeared recently, are another event that featured a good show at a quality admission price.
Chatham County Line, a North Carolina blue grass band, is another act on tap for the Bundy among others, like a Native American singer, jazz master flutist and a murder mystery dinner theater.
Those acts are still in the planning stages.
Lancaster resident Xavier White said he likes the idea of  more affordable entertainment.
“I think that’s a lot better because of the unemployment rate in Lancaster,” White said.
To Wade’s credit, she says she working on drawing a variety of acts to the Bundy at lower prices.
With work, there’s usually a workable solution. Wade welcomes the public’s input, a good idea since it helped to improve this situation.