Florida Theatre posts 2020 annual report

The Florida Theatre has released its annual report for the fiscal year that ended on September 30, 2020. The report is a digital publication that was emailed to the theatre’s supporters on February 3, 2021, and is available to the general public on the theatre’s web site, floridatheatre.com.

The Florida Theatre Performing Arts Center, Inc. is the nonprofit corporation that has managed and programmed the historic Florida Theatre in downtown Jacksonville since 1987 in a public/private partnership with the City of Jacksonville, which owns the building.

Says Florida Theatre President Numa Saisselin, “As a nonprofit corporation, we exist to serve the public, not a private investor or owner, and we believe in transparency. Even though private contributions are just 13% of our operating income, and government support is less than 5%, we still want our donors and supporters to know exactly how we are doing, so they have confidence in our ability to deliver the community service they expect.”

Among the highlights of this year’s 20-page report:

·         51% of ticket buyers reside in Duval County, and 49% of ticket buyers came from outside Duval County, choosing the Florida Theatre and downtown Jacksonville as the place to spend their entertainment dollars.

·         The Theatre’s activity resulted in an economic impact of $8.5 million, supporting the full time equivalent of 261 jobs, $6.4 million of household income, $450,000 of state government tax and fee income, and $371,000 of local government tax and fee income.

·         Even though the theatre was closed for more than half the year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, its artist selections were still strong enough to earn it recognition as one of the most attended theatre venues in the country by two industry publications, Pollstar (Top 10 up to 2,000 seats) and VenuesNow (Top 5 up to 2,000 seats).

·         Even though not having a show after March 12 caused the organization to lose over 95% of its income, the organization still managed to be financially viable in part because 100% of its Corporate Partners renewed their annual memberships, and the number of individual people making a membership contribution fell by just 5%.

Says Saisselin, “That is a strong statement about the importance of the Florida Theatre in our communal lives.”

The historic, nonprofit Florida Theatre is sponsored by Community First Credit Union. For a complete list of upcoming events or to buy tickets visit the Theatre's official website.

About Florida Theatre: From ballet and opera to contemporary pop, jazz, rock, country and blues the nonprofit Florida Theatre offers 175 cultural and entertainment events annually for every taste and age. More than just an entertainment center, Florida Theatre is also home to graduations, awards ceremonies, lectures, business meetings and charity events that support the community's schools, churches, hospitals and civic groups. As an anchor to downtown development along the beautiful St. Johns River, Florida Theatre draws 175,000 people to Jacksonville's center each year. The magnificently restored Florida Theatre is recognized as one of the finest concert venues in the Southeast. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Florida Theatre holds special memories for four generations. From the Vaudeville acts and silent films of its earliest days to today's blend of performances of all kinds, the Florida Theatre has served as Jacksonville's premier entertainment center since 1927.