BUFFALO, N.Y. — If you have seen a show at Shea's Performing Arts Center in the last few months, you have been part of a record-breaking run for the Buffalo theater.
"The last three shows of this season, Les Mis, Mamma Mia, and of course, MJ, all completely sold out," Producer Albert Nocciolino said. "Les Mis set the record for a one week engagement at Shea's, and MJ came along and broke it."
Nocciolino says MJ: The Musical brought in a new audience, while also being a hit with the Shea's season ticket holder base.
"It resonated with the entire community, whether you like MJ's music whether you grew up with him, or you're a Broadway theater aficionado," he said. "It just checked all the boxes and was an enormous, enormous success."
Now, the focus turns to building on that success with next year's season.
"It is no different than a sports franchise that wins the Super Bowl, or a hockey team that wins the Stanley Cup, it's about retention," Nocciolino said. "Our subscribers understand that the best way to get seats is to continue to subscribe, and so we're on our way to go right past last year's season tickets I think, and that's very meaningful for us."
The lineup includes new musicals straight from Braodway like And Juliet, Shucked, and Back to the Future, as well as crowd favorites Hamilton and The Lion King.
"It's important for us to continue to do audience development, bring new people to the theater," Nocciolino said. "Stand in the lobby during the three weeks of Lion King at Shea's, and watch the young people walk in, and you'll know they're there for the very first time because their heads go like this, and they start looking around, and that's what it's all about for us."
For more information on the upcoming season at Shea's, click here.