sudden halt . Initially , many believed it would be a brief hiatus — a notion that now seems almost laughable in hindsight .
Just days before the shutdown order , at the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts in Davis , for example , jazz vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant performed an ambitious concert of her fairytale-rich album , “ Ogresse .” Don Roth , the Mondavi ’ s director , was looking forward to the rest of the center ’ s season . Instead , it was abruptly canceled . “ It was an amazing concert ,” Roth remembers . “ Who knew that night would be our last show ?” Such a lengthy closure is something Roth says he could have never anticipated in all his years working in the arts . “( Twenty ) months of having a theater dark is unusual .”
Now , things are returning to normal . Well , normalish . In April , when Newsom announced that California would fully reopen on June 15 , performers , athletes , bookers and directors set plans in motion . But , after months of isolation , it ’ s not business as usual . Necessity — and creativity — is the mother of invention , after all . Some say the pandemic pushed them into long-needed updates and improvements they may not have anticipated , pre-COVID . Many outlets plan to adopt permanent changes with an eye toward enhanced public health measures , increased accessibility and convenience — and they must continue to be on the lookout for changes in guidelines . In mid-August , the California Department of Public Health announced that indoor gatherings of 1,000 or more participants or fans would require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test within 72 hours of the event . This rule will be in effect until Nov . 1 , 2021 .
Whatever the return looks like , it ’ s clear the economic impact will be great . In addition to the loss of jobs and ticket sales , the economic impact of each canceled or postponed event reverberates deeply throughout the Capital Region . Whether it ’ s a Tony Award-winning musical at Broadway Sacramento , a Sacramento Kings game at the Golden 1 Center or a popular heavy metal festival near the Sacramento River , revenue has been considerably impacted by the loss of dollars spent at restaurants , tourism and hotels . “ If the Golden 1 Center books Paul McCartney , for example , that ’ s 50-75 rooms booked right there ,” says Mike Testa , president and CEO for Visit Sacramento . “ These are our huge revenue makers .” In 2019 , for example , people spent about $ 940 million on entertainment fees and admission in the region , according to data provided by the Greater Sacramento Economic Council .
Although pandemic-related data is not yet available , Testa says it ’ s sure to equate to a significant decline . “ These events create a critical demand ,” Testa says . “ And now all those missing events means that , obviously , there ’ s ( been ) no demand for anything .”
While demand is returning , in many ways , the regional business of entertainment , arts and sports is reemerging with new structures and outlooks in place .
Not rushing to normal
The Mondavi Center , scheduled to reopen Oct . 14 with a performance of “ Fandango at the Wall ” by Arturo O ’ Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra , is among the venues making permanent changes . During quarantine , the center switched to virtual artist chats and performances , including a Wynton Marsalis concert filmed at the Lincoln Center in New York . It also brought performers to the Mondavi in a different capacity , outfitting the space with an updated technology to film concerts by artists such as the Alexander String Quartet .
“ We became movie producers with a small team that was able to work socially distanced and with masks in our building ,” Roth says . He expects Mondavi will keep many coronavirus-era practices , including ongoing pre-show virtual artist discussions . “ Live performances are what we do best , but there are definitely some things worth continuing ,” he says .
Not everyone is rushing to return to the normal of crowded concerts , sporting arenas and venues . The Sacramento Ballet , for example , has delayed its usual fall schedule , opting instead to offer two months of classes for its dancers . “ They haven ’ t been ( practicing ), so we want to give them the chance to get back in shape ,” says Anthony Krutzkamp , the ballet ’ s artistic and executive director .
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