In Tuesday’s (7/26) Toronto Star, Martin Knelman writes, “In announcing the cancellation of last Saturday’s Truth and Soul gospel concert at the Rexall Centre, the Capital One BlackCreek Summer Music Festival has given its patrons a candid message on its website about the trouble it has faced during its inaugural season. ‘In our first year, we have attempted to appeal to audiences with a mix of diverse genres ranging from classical, jazz, country, gospel, Broadway and opera,’ says the online message. ‘While we have been overwhelmed by the positive reaction to the Rexall Centre as a fantastic venue for musical performances, some concerts did not sell well to a wide enough audience to allow those shows to be financially viable at this early stage.’ … Also cancelled was another concert scheduled for last weekend, featuring the wonderful American mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves and Lorin Maazel conducting the Castleton Festival orchestra. … Launched in June with much fanfare and a budget of more than $15 million in an outdoor stadium on the York University campus designed for Tennis Canada, BlackCreek faced some daunting challenges, such as having to sell both a new festival and a new venue in just months.”
Posted July 29, 2011
