Flying Standby

Symphony seeks to fill every seat

The Amarillo Symphony has had such overwhelming demand for seats for Kimbo Ishii-Eto's opening season that it has launched a new program aiming to make sure all seats get filled, according to a news release.

Kimbo Ishii-Eto

"Fly Standby with the Symphony" replaces the symphony's traditional waiting list with a more dynamic and accessible way to attend concerts, with a price of $15 per ticket.

It's a direct response to the Symphony's third sold-out season in a row, which was announced in July.

"We know that we have many people who, for one reason or another, choose not to subscribe to an entire season, but who want to go to one or more concerts," said Nathan Newbrough, the Symphony's executive director. “We also know that, because of the intense interest in Kimbo's first season, we have a lot of people who are curious to see what a concert is like, something that's even more pronounced with the continuing interest in the Globe-News Center.

"And we're also aware that our subscribers often can't attend every concert, so we frequently have some of the best seats in the house that might otherwise go unfilled," Newbrough said.

"Fly Standby with the Symphony" will solve both problems, Newbrough said, by following the same principles that airlines use for standby tickets on flights.

Subscribers will continue to be urged to release their seats if they cannot attend a concert. Before each concert, the Symphony office will begin selling those tickets to people who call in to join the standby list. Standby seats cost just $15.
On a concert-by-concert basis (depending on demand and availability), the Symphony will offer around 30 seats for that low price.

"This isn't about making more money. We just want people in the seats. No one will be turned away from an Amarillo Symphony concert unless every seat is filled," Newbrough said.

"This is a great way for last-minute decision makers to see the Symphony perform for a very affordable price. But just as when you buy a standby ticket for an airplane flight, these seats won't always be in our prime locations," Newbrough said. “Sometimes they will be, sometimes not. Only on some very rare occasions will standby seats not be available at all."

Information: Nathan Newbrough, executive director, at 376-8782 or via e-mail at nathan@amarillosymphony.org

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Posted: September 13, 2007