It appears that the slumping economy is taking a toll on one of the Holiday season’s longest running traditions.
New York’s Radio City Music Hall has had to cancel nine performances of its annual Christmas Spectacular this month because of slow ticket sales.
According to sources with knowledge of the decision, Radio City was more aggressive this year than in past years with scheduling additional performances of the popular show, but when ticket sales slumped because of the economy, it was forced to make some cuts.
The canceled performances, all scheduled in November before Thanksgiving, are: the 8th at 9:30pm; 10th at 11am and 2pm; 12th at 7:30pm; 13th at 7:30pm; 17th at 11am, 2pm and 7:30pm; and the 19th at 5pm.
A Radio City spokesperson declined to comment on the cancellations. Sources said that the November cancellations may not be the only ones this season because the show had swollen to as many as six performances on some days, but that overall ticket sales had not caught up.
While the economic downturn has hit most industries in some capacity over the past year, the New York entertainment scene, particularly Broadway and theaters, has largely avoided the slowdown and only just begun to experience the economic pinch of slowing ticket sales.
Earlier this year, Madison Square Garden Entertainment, which produces the show, announced it was taking an arena version of the Christmas Spectacular on the road for the first time in the show’s 76-year history.
