Many unknowns are facing the management of Thunder Bay’s Community Auditorium.
Physical distancing rules, whether patrons will be comfortable with the idea of attending a show, and whether bands and other artists will want to travel are all things weighing on the minds of people in the entertainment business.
General Manager Bob Halvorsen says Blue Rodeo is a good example since they were scheduled to perform in February 2021.
“They were going to come in and rehearse for a whole day, stay in town for another night and then put on a show. I talked to them last week, and they aren’t even sure if they are going to be coming out in February of next year,” Halvorsen said.
Halvorsen says many artists and the many members in their crew might not want to hit the road in a shared space on a tour bus soon.
Shows that were scheduled in the spring of 2020 at the Community Auditorium have now been postponed to 2021.
As for physical distancing rules, Halvorsen says nothing has been set in stone when it comes to what that model may look like once restrictions are eased.
From what Halvorsen can tell, removing some seats and spaces to make room for physical distancing would mean they would have to sell less tickets.
“With every second row and every third seat being taken out of the mix for resale, we are down to a capacity level of 291 from our capacity normally of 1,500,” Halvorsen said.
The Community Auditorium Manager says they are listed under the third phase of reopening Ontario’s economy and it is still not known when the government will make that announcement.
