BOSTON, May 2 (UPI) -- The Boston Pops, heading into its 125th season, is being hit by a combination of the overall economic downturn and changing demographics, Pops officials said.
The landmark season, which begins Tuesday, comes at a time when the orchestra is experiencing lagging ticket sales and competition with a wide array of entertainment sources, The Boston Globe reported Sunday.
Managing Director Mark Volpe, who oversees the Pops as well as the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Tanglewood, says the economy is the major problem for the Pops.
"You're talking about the worst recession in decades," he said. "Are we concerned and are we trying to be proactive? Yes? Am I panicked? No."
In contrast to a time when the Pops -- known as "America's orchestra" under longtime conductor Arthur Fielder -- did little marketing other than posting its program for an audience that reliably supported it, the percentage of seats sold has declined from 96 percent in 1998 to 84 percent last year, the Globe said.
The orchestra's traditional holiday program remains popular, grossing $5 million per year, the newspaper said, but the Pops has trimmed staff and reduced its season to seven weeks, down from 8 1/2.
BSO Marketing Director Kim Noltemy said it can be tough to program music that appeals to all age groups.
"Anyone over 50 certainly knows Arthur Fiedler and probably a fair amount about him," she said. "But people in their 30s, when we say Fiedler-styled programming, they don't know what we're talking about."
Efforts to attract younger patrons have including programming a sing-along featuring projected images of "The Beatles: Rock Band" video game.
