There has been plenty of talk about how casinos in New York’s Capital Region and Springfield, Massachusetts could impact those communities. But what about the area sandwiched in between? While neither casino is up and running just yet, Berkshire performance venues are keeping an eye on the developments.The Berkshire Theatre Group’s Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield seats 780 and has hosted musical acts like James Taylor and Rick Springfield along with comedians Joy Behar and Bill Engvall in recent years. Half of the not-for-profit’s revenue comes from those outside acts and the other half from its own theatre productions, according to Artistic Director and CEO Kate Maguire. With MGM Springfield rolling ahead east of the Berkshires and another casino slotted for New York’s Capital Region, each about an hour away, Maguire is keeping an eye on the additions to the region’s entertainment scene.
“Since our primary mission is to bring performance to our stage, to provide vitality to the community and to hopefully entertain at the same that we’re enriching our community, that’s our primary mission,” Maguire said. “The primary mission of a casino, I think, is to provide a space where individuals can gamble.”
With just under 700 seats, The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington, 20 miles south of Pittsfield, has drawn musicians Lyle Lovett, John Pizzarelli, Arlo Guthrie and writer David Sedaris. Beryl Jolly is executive director.
“The kinds of shows that we do may not be casino-kinds of shows and we have such a range of performances and audiences that we try to attract, families and a whole variety of types of shows that there may not be direct competition, but I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out,” said Jolly.
Ted Etoll has been booking rock shows at Albany’s The Egg, The Palace Theater and smaller clubs for decades. Based on his experience in the region, which includes the Racino in Saratoga Springs, he doesn’t see much impact on smaller performance venues, but adds that casinos typically have more money to spend.
“I’ve never seen a contract of an artist who’s performing at a casino, but I would be willing to venture every nickel I have that yes they’re going to be able to pay them more money than a promoter is going to be able to,” said Etoll.
While there’s no average, Maguire says the Berkshire Theatre Group has spent up to $60,000 to land a performer, causing higher ticket prices. She adds contracts also vary as to whether an act can perform at separate venues inside a radius in a certain amount of time. Understanding a casino may outbid a theatre for a performer, Maguire believes smaller shows at The Colonial and larger shows at a casino will feature different artists.
“The casino industry made promises that they would be bettering the communities that they’re going into so I think we walk through this with them at this point because the horse is already out of the gate and we hold them to their promises,” said Maguire.
The Mahaiwe has experienced 75 to 80 percent capacity over the past few years with half of the audience from Berkshire County and the rest coming from within a one-hour radius, according to Jolly. She says artists who perform at the non-profit theatre rave about its intimacy and historic qualities, while the Berkshire area hospitality offers a unique experience.
“It’s lucky because the Berkshires are such a special place,” Jolly said. “I think we offer a kind of experience that’s different than cities and yet it’s going to be important to see what changes in years ahead.”
Both Maguire and Jolly say they are open to but are not actively pursuing partnerships with the casino groups. MGM Springfield has reached agreements to pay for performers and rental fees at Springfield’s Mass Mutual Center, CityStage and Symphony Hall. MGM Springfield’s President Mike Mathis says the company has been in contact with the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce and the Berkshire Visitors Bureauabout collaborations. He says MGM doesn’t intend to stop a performer from playing at multiple venues in western Massachusetts.
“We could collectively subsidize some of the fixed costs that come with bringing a performer out to western Mass,” Mathis said. “Maybe it might make sense to play Springfield one day and play The Colonial the next day. So I think there are some of those pooling opportunities.”
Mathis points out MGM brought the rapper Pitbull to the 6,000-seat Mass Mutual center about 18 months ago for a sold-out show, which the casino subsidized for $100,000 to $200,000. In the Capital Region, a slew of performing arts venues have joined a coalition committed to supporting gaming and existing entertainment venues.
