Vision 2023 'There is a buzz': Entertainment organizations generate diverse offerings, provide economic boost

Feb. 25—JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — After a successful calendar of events in 2022, leaders in regional entertainment say they're gearing up to offer a slate of top-notch shows throughout the new year that will excite patrons and bolster the economy.

Chad Mearns, marketing and box office manager at 1st Summit Arena @ Cambria County War Memorial in downtown Johnstown, said 2022 was an exciting and eventful year on multiple fronts for the city and the arena.

"After the pandemic, you had the emergence of new events and new entertainment options returning after they had been stripped away from people for so long," he said. "There were a lot of questions on how people would respond out of that, and we quickly got our answers that people were really eager and excited to get out and do things again."

Mearns said the arena saw sellouts for the Dustin Lynch, Walker Hayes, Cole Swindell and Nelly concerts, as well as a strong showing for the four days of Disney on Ice shows.

"We had number of very quick sellouts in different genres, some sold out in the days prior to the performance and other shows that were sold out in a day," he said. "That tells us there is a definite market for people in this region and surrounding areas who want to come in and see quality entertainment — and they're willing to come into Johnstown to do that."

The entertainment scheduled for first half of 2023 includes the sold-out Rockzilla Tour featuring Papa Roach that was held Feb. 10, Whiskey Myers on Feb. 25 and Mercy Me performing March 10, family entertainment with Sesame Street Live! on March 11 and 12 and the Harlem Globetrotters on March 16, Brit Floyd on April 18, Corey Taylor with Cherry Bombs on May 3, and Foreigner on May 23.

"We have a number of things that we're working on that will keep concert-goers in the area happy throughout the rest of the year," Mearns said.

He said arena leaders are looking to continue the momentum they've gathered in the past year. He credits the public for its continued support through the buying of tickets.

"The reason we're able to get these events coming consistently like we have been is because the community has shown it's willing to support these acts and events coming through," Mearns said.

'On their radar'

As far as having an economic impact, Mearns said the arena is part of something that can be great for the city.

"We're bringing people into Johnstown and they get to see what kind of town we have to offer here," he said. "The impact lasts longer than just the day they're in for that concert or show. We're seeing people tell us they've never considered coming into Johnstown before, but they recognize this a great opportunity to see some great entertainment and maybe next weekend they'll make the drive and see a Johnstown Tomahawks game, so now Johnstown is on their radar."

Mearns said word-of-mouth marketing also is helping to attract people to the arena and city.

"Event promotors have said there is a buzz around Johns-town right now as a place for entertainment and entertainment tourism," he said. "This building is adding to the quality of life for people in the area."

The Johnstown Symphony Orchestra's 94th season has an emphasis on community venue partnerships.

"In January, we had our inaugural performance at the State Theater of Johnstown and it was incredibly successful," said Erin Codey, executive director of the JSO. "We were able to bring our patrons into a space they haven't been before or haven't been to in decades. For the concert, we partnered with the NAACP and Christ Centered Community Church, so we were able to expand our audience members to experience the theater and orchestra for the first time."

She said the Grand Halle on Broad Street is another venue the JSO has been utilizing for season concerts.

"It's a such a beautiful place and the acoustics are gorgeous," Codey said. "The goal with those concerts is to highlight and support local businesses."

'We're more visible'

The season also included a partnership with Croyle-Nielsen Therapeutic Associates Inc., and it allowed clients to interact with orchestra members.

"It was wonderful to bring their folks in and they had a rehearsal experience that was geared toward their needs," Codey said. "I'm looking forward to our continued partnership and how we can bring in people to experience the orchestra who otherwise would not."

She added that this season the JSO introduced the "Pick Your Price" ticket offering, allowing people to chose what they pay for a concert ticket.

"This is an opportunity for people to come and have an enjoyable experience and see what we're all about and support our local musicians," Codey said. "It's been wonderful for larger groups, specifically families, to be able to come to shows."

Through May, she said the JSO will offer stellar entertainment, with past or upcoming shows featuring Johnstown native Kathy Voytko, JSO concertmaster Maureen Conlon-Gutierrez and a season finale that will include a commissioned piece of music featuring sounds of Johnstown.

"It's been a wonderful season and a wonderful season of partnerships," Codey said.

She said the JSO's office move to Main Street in downtown Johnstown in June has put the organization centrally in the business district.

"That has been huge for us being downtown, and we're more visible," she said. "I can invite people downtown and take them out to dinner and support the different shops.

"We recently had a piano donated to us, and our goal is to hold events downstairs in the building, so that will bring community members into the downtown building space, and hopefully they'll go out to dinner at local restaurants and come over for a mini-concert."

'It trickles down'

The 2022 season at Arcadia Theater in Windber saw sold-out shows for almost every performance.

"We had a very good season season last year that was well-attended," said Jerry Ledney, executive director of the theater. "We offered shows with the music that people like, and if they like it, they will come. We have so many people who come to every show because they love the theater."

He said the 2023 season offers a robust schedule of shows that will keep patrons entertained through the end of the year.

"We have a bunch of tickets already sold for almost all the shows," Ledney said. "We're very lucky to have this entertainment. How many towns the size of Windber are able to have a theater like this, sustain it all these years and offer this level of entertainment."

He said on show nights, the restaurants in Windber are crowded before and after the performances helping to boost the economy.

"It trickles down to a lot of the local businesses," Ledney said.

"We have a diverse crowd, not just a Windber crowd, and people are coming from Johnstown, Bedford, Altoona, Greensburg and Maryland and they're spending money while here."

The State Theater of Johnstown is working toward making the venue experiential.

"When we're planning movies or events, we try to offer something that's not normally available in the Greater Johnstown region — or if it's films, we group them together around a special event," said Eric Reighard, executive director of the theater.

"That makes the entertainment diverse. We pride ourselves on being able to open up our stage to plays and music and people coming to do lectures, and we were able to do that over this past year."

Moving forward into the 2023, he said he wants to continue expanding community partnerships and programming.

"We have Off Pitt Street Theater Company in Bedford, who will be doing a full slate of entertainment that's focused on plays, radio shows and spoken word," Reighard said. "We're working to bring in some larger talent.

"We know cover bands are really popular and there's artists who tour around the country and we're exploring those. We also love to celebrate local talent, so we have a partnership with the Classic Vinyl Concert Series and they'll be doing two shows this year."

Reighard said he sees the theater as an attraction that can boost the Johnstown economy.

"It's a piece to the puzzle in what can help to fix Johnstown," he said. "Our short-term goal is to fundraise and get the building to a place where we fix infrastructure so it remains solvent for the next hundred years. Once we do that, we'll be looking at what is the economic driver we can most readily offer."

Reighard said plans call for the IMAX theater on floors two through five, a performing arts space on the main floor, a speakeasy in the basement and overnight suites.

"We're hitting a bunch of different things to make it a mixed-use commercial arts facility," he said. "We're most excited about how cool it'll be to have IMAX in the area and have them as a partner to help us grow. It'll provide huge brand recognition for the State Theater."

Reighard said venue leaders want to provide an experience to people that isn't offered anywhere else.

"By partnership with IMAX and bringing in their technology into the space, you can guarantee you're going to have a great movie-going experience," he said. "If we can get it in within the next 18 months, it would be a huge win."