Linda Falkenstein
Music-Barrymore-marquee-5-2-2020
The Barrymore Theatre — an anchor business in the Schenk-Atwood neighborhood — was headed into its busiest time of the year when COVID-19 slammed into the entertainment business like a hurricane, wiping out all live music and theater events in a single week.
But Steve Sperling, the venue’s general manager, is surprisingly sanguine, given the apocalyptic shutdown of the economy and the uncertain future of live music. “The Barrymore is hanging in there,” says Sperling.
He says he is not fretting about how to reopen because there’s really no answer to the question of when the Barrymore can resume business as usual. “One of the things I've learned is that I'm not going to spend time on speculation until we have hard numbers and hard facts. I don’t want to be doing all kinds of planning for situations which may or may not come up,” says Sperling. “When it finally becomes apparent what we can do, we will have time to figure it out.”
The 971-capacity Barrymore is the largest independent venue in Madison, aside from the partially city-funded Overture Center, which has several spaces that host concerts. Many of the city’s larger venues — the Majestic, The Sylvee, the Orpheum and High Noon Saloon — fall under the umbrella of Live Nation, which obtained a controlling interest in Frank Productions after it merged with the Majestic to create a local entity, FPC Live.
During the shutdown, Sperling and the staff are plenty busy refunding tickets; rescheduling and canceling shows; and dealing with bands, promoters and vendors. The usual building maintenance is going on in the 91-year-old building, and the stage is getting a new floor, using the shutdown as an opportunity to allow contractors in and out without wearing down the new surface. “We’ve got a ton of work to do here,” says Sperling, noting that they just discovered a leak in the roof above the stage, which also needs to be addressed.
The small staff of six, including Sperling, is still getting salaries, thanks to the Paycheck Protection Program, the coronavirus relief plan run by the Small Business Administration. Along with a few hourly workers, they take turns going into the building to stay distanced and safe. And the staff can access the Barrymore’s computer files in their homes. The theater is owned by the Atwood Barrymore Corporation, which also owns and rents out the retail spaces occupied by Lao Laan Xang, Bad Dog Frida and the Design Coalition. With shows cancelled, the venue’s only other income is from rent, but luckily, Sperling says the Barrymore has a little money in the bank and hopes to keep everyone employed at least through the summer.
That doesn’t help the bartenders, sound crew and security folks who were hired on a show-by-show basis.
The venue is part of the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), which represents 1,200 venues nationally and is lobbying for support in the next Congressional aid package. Sperling has been in constant communication with promoters and agents, who are all trying to keep their acts afloat by pushing dates of shows back. He fears that the recent Wisconsin Supreme Court decision to overturn Gov. Tony Evers’ Safer at Home order will only increase the public’s exposure to the virus and prolong the process of reopening music venues. “The court decision completely screws us,” says Sperling. “It’s going to get worse, and now the shows we have starting up in September are all looking for spring dates.”
Unless the show is ticketed through Ticketmaster — which has gotten some blowback for its policy of not offering refunds until the show is officially canceled or a new date is announced — the Barrymore is refunding tickets at this time, and Sperling feels strongly that this is not the time to ask for money to keep the aging gem alive.
“I really have a lack of comfort with trying to do any kind of community-based fundraising right now,” he explains. “Everybody is trying to do it. Everybody is trying to do the right thing. Maybe at some point. We’ll see what happens.”
Several people have contacted Sperling about the venue hosting livestreams, and he is open to the idea — once the new floor is finished. “Livestreams from the Barrymore could be a pretty cool idea,” says Sperling. “I am not anticipating the Barrymore making any money on these livestreams, but I’d like to make sure we don’t lose any money.”
As for reopening with a reduced capacity, Sperling is not enthusiastic, having spent years operating the theater on a shoestring budget. “By the time you reconfigure, the capacity is so far down you can’t make any money,” he says. “I can’t make enough money at the bar with 250 people. Who’s going to pay the band? The promoter? I don’t see it.
“I have half a dozen or more serious shows booked for September, and I don’t have a clue,” says Sperling. As of right now, the first show planned for the venue is Justin Willman on Aug. 20. Robert Cray is hoping to play on Sept. 4. Stephanie Miller’s “Sexy Liberal Tour” has been rescheduled twice, with the latest date being Nov. 14.
