It's enjoyable to take in a concert at a local venue - and less costly

Dear Editor:

As I read your opinion piece (February 13: Concert Tickets - Legitimate Buyers Get the Worst Seats) on the concert business, it reaffirmed for me why the experience of visiting a smaller venue like the Mauch Chunk Opera House is so enjoyable: the performers themselves tour nationally, are of high quality, and deeply professional and dedicated. Typically, they differ very little from the big-name acts in terms of talent, and are often superior.

There is even the element of surprise: you may see a remarkable talent you weren't aware of, while paying very little. It isn't always necessary to spend extravagantly to sit close to performers, and you'll likely be able to meet them afterwards.

The online experience of buying tickets from a smaller venue is also refreshingly unique. It is what you would expect when all seats, including the front rows, are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Ticket fees are not yet another profit center, and are therefore just a small fraction of what large venues charge.

Then, as you come to the door, you begin an evening where everyone is not only close to the action, and neither are they anonymous. Intermissions usually become mini-social hours, where friends get to visit with friends, or make new ones.

Small venues work closely with nearby restaurants and other attractions to provide customers with the best possible value for their hard-earned dollar. Audiences have the added benefit of knowing that most of their entertainment dollars stay in the town where they spent them.

In short, smaller venues fit well in the fabric of tightly-knit, smaller communities, where everyone is welcome and can have a relaxing evening out in their own backyard. And they won't have to pay an arm and a leg.

Sincerely,

Dan Hugos

Mauch Chunk Opera House

14 W Broadway

Jim Thorpe, PA