On Stage with The Lincoln Theatre

When Inflation Meets Broadway: Keeping Tickets Affordable at The Lincoln Theatre

• Bob Watkins • Episode 25

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How Is The Lincoln Theatre Approaching the Economic Inflation's Impact on the Arts?

A 1929 showplace doesn’t survive by luck—it survives by smart choices, open books, and a community that shows up. We sit down with executive director Bob Watkins to unpack how The Lincoln Theatre is meeting inflation head-on while keeping tickets within reach and the calendar full of can’t-miss performances.

We start with the financial reality behind the curtain: touring costs have climbed, and those increases traditionally land on venues through high guarantees. Bob explains how we’re shifting to gate splits that share risk and reward with artists—often a 70–30 split after expenses—so no one sinks when sales soften. That model lets us set fairer ticket prices, grow audiences, and still cover the real costs of bringing world-class talent to a small town. It’s a practical framework grounded in trust, transparency, and the belief that live arts should be accessible even when budgets tighten.

Because the Lincoln is a nonprofit stewarding a 1929 building, we also get into the unglamorous expenses that never make the poster—HVAC failures, repair spikes, and the capital needs of a historic venue. Community support through Friends of the Lincoln, fundraisers, and local partnerships helps us bridge the gap without passing every cost to patrons. And yes, there’s plenty to look forward to: Ozark Jubilee brings Branson cheer and a veterans salute, Jimmy Fortune lights up downtown and our stage, and The Isaacs close the season with harmony and heart. With tickets typically around $29–$40, the value speaks for itself.

If you care about keeping the arts vibrant, this conversation shows exactly how venues and audiences can work together to make it happen. Subscribe, share this episode with a friend who loves live music, and leave a review with the show you’re most excited to see. Then grab your seats at thelincoln.org and we’ll save you a spot.

To learn more about The Lincoln Theatre visit:
https://www.TheLincoln.org/
The Lincoln Theatre
117 E. Main Street
Marion, Virginia 24354
276-783-6092

SPEAKER_00:

Welcome to On Stage with the Lincoln Theater, where history and entertainment steal the show. Dive into the rich legacy of this iconic mind revival theater, from its 1929 debut to its starring role in Marion, Virginia's entertainment scene. Guiding us through this journey is the man in the spotlight, our executive director, Bob Watkin.

SPEAKER_02:

From Broadway classics to regional gyms, the Lincoln Theater is bringing something special to the stage consistently. However, with some uncertainty and inflation being a factor in entertainment budget decisions these days, Bob tells us how this is impacting the Lincoln and what are some things we're doing to overcome that. Welcome back, everyone. Skip Monty, co-host slash producer, back in the studio with Bob Watkins, Executive Director of the Lincoln Theater. Bob, it's great to see you again. How you been?

SPEAKER_01:

I'm good, Skip. How are you doing?

SPEAKER_02:

I'm doing fine, doing fine, and excited to be here. And, you know, uh, as we were talking before we started recording, there's a you know a lot of a lot of uncertainty in the economy right now. Uh inflation still still a factor, even though I think it's coming down, it's still a factor for a lot of people when they make entertainment decisions. And uh so uh wanted to ask, how's this affecting uh the Lincoln?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I I think uh you know, anytime there is an issue with the economy, everybody has to look at their household budgets. And um, you know, a lot of times the first thing that's going to be taken out is uh the entertainment because they've got definite needs that they have in their household. So um, so yeah, entertainment tends to take a uh a hit with that and and uh going to the theater or going and doing the fun stuff that they want to do. But uh uh but yeah, I think we've seen we've seen some issues in regards to the costs of performances coming in because they have heightened expenses for their travels, their their cost of uh paying their their staff and everything to to work with them. So then that's relay back to us as the buyer of the the performance, and uh we need to uh usually evaluate and see kind of what performances we can have come in, and then if there's any types of uh programs that we can do with the performers to uh maybe either uh even it out a little bit and and share in some of the expense and cost and stuff like that. So we've we've done quite a few things here recently to uh to help decrease some of our expenses or or just share with the performers. And uh one one of the big things is uh gate splits, working on a partnership with the performer uh to where we'll do a gate split as opposed to a guaranteed fee that we would go ahead and pay them up front. Um, and it's all going to be determined based on the number of sales that come in. So um so we're not losing anything. That the performers are getting paid and in for their performance as well, and we're just doing a share in uh in the ticket sales and everything. And that seemed to help, and it's been a good partnership with some of the performers that have been in with that.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, I'm sure. I'm sure. So, so uh tell me more about that. In in sharing uh the what you just described as far as lowering your expenses so that you can make it more affordable uh with with a performer. How do you do that?

SPEAKER_01:

Well, um usually if a performer's coming in, we we usually have a contract agreement with them and we pay them a flat rate for their performance. Um, or we'll we'll go ahead and do a flat rate plus a bonus based on ticket sales. But uh what we've worked with some uh especially here recently, is a uh ticket split to where it's like a 70-30 uh ticket split with the performer getting 70% of the the net ticket sales and us getting 30% of it, which you know we're still getting revenue, but we don't have to spend money that we can't make back from if if we don't have a whole lot of ticket sales due to this economy and people people saying, well, I just can't afford to to go out and do some things right now. So um if we have a a smaller show or something, we we still generate some revenues and we don't lose a whole lot of expense on a guaranteed uh fee there with the performer. Um and then the performer also gets paid um for their for their time and their effort and their their energy that they do that evening. Um so we just roll all the expenses into the the total show. Once we get that total ticket count, um then we'll pull those expenses out and it's a split of profits to uh to the performer as well as um the theater. And that has seemed to be a really good option for both the theater and the performers when they're coming in because their their costs are covered. Um of course if they have uh a higher a higher cost than than what we generate with ticket sales, but there's always that okay, I they have a guaranteed amount that they need to cover some expenses, and I'll I'll go ahead and assist that because I mean I don't want to put anybody out um when we're trying to get these programs going and stuff like that. And I know that they have a a large cost when they're traveling all over the country to do these shows, and and and I don't want to do anything that uh hinders them as well. But uh we've been fortunate enough with the last few gate splits that we've done to where both parties had a really good uh outcome with it. And um it's it's been nice to have those types of opportunities to partner with the the performers coming in and doing that.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, and ultimately that helps to keep the cost down for the consumer, for the patrons, right?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, yeah, because when we do something like that, we can go ahead and decrease some of the the ticket prices just to help increase the quantity of the people, the the number of uh patrons coming into the show, and that that has um proven to be beneficial to have a a little bit lower ticket ticket price to generate more uh more numbers coming in, and then we have uh just that much more to share between both of us.

SPEAKER_02:

Very good. Now, in another episode, uh I got to talk to had the pleasure of uh uh meeting your um uh uh board chair for the Lincoln, and one of the things she talked about to help offset costs and to keep the Lincoln going it running is uh uh fundraisers, that that's critical for you guys. Does that also contribute to being able to keep costs low for patrons?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, definitely. Um we we do a fundraiser uh on a regular basis. We have a uh program that I believe we talked about in a uh previous uh episode, which is the Friends of the Lincoln, um, which we just tried to get as many individuals that have come in and experienced the theater and have enjoyed it over the years uh to go ahead and contribute and and give back to it so we can carry on. And that is always a very positive program, um, as well as our golf tournaments and then um uh working with uh community events here uh to try to spark some interest with with people to donate and and participate in some of the theater programs. Um but uh yeah, fundraising is a huge thing for us, uh especially uh being a nonprofit organization. We we need to be as as uh um creative as we possibly can to generate those extra funds that are needed.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, and I'm sure, you know, the Lincoln Theater was originally built in 1929, right? So maintaining a building like that, I'm sure capital expense is something that is uh a huge, you know, fundraising is critical for that, I would imagine.

SPEAKER_01:

Absolutely. And and that's where we're seeing a significant increase in costs and related to HVAC units going down, and and the expense for that is so much higher now than it was, you know, five years ago. Um, but uh, you know, those costs of repairs for the building just continue to go up, and it's kind of difficult for us to change the cost of tickets because, like we were saying earlier, that entertainment budget in the households that are that are having some issues because they're having the same increase in expenses that we are, and you know, we have to be understanding of the fact that the households and and our patrons are are impacted um the same as we are with uh with the state of the economy right now with the increased costs of goods and stuff. So, you know, it's it's a it's it's a really it's a good balancing act that we have because uh you know we've we've got to be uh cognizant of the the patrons and and try to do as much as we possibly can because you know that's our mission is to provide the uh best entertainment for our area, to um allow our community members to experience the fun-filled entertainment so so we can uh help hopefully improve their experiences with uh with their day-to-day in their life. So uh yeah, we're it it's a it's a balanced act, and uh um yeah, we're doing the best that we can.

SPEAKER_02:

There we go. Well, speaking of uh providing great entertainment, any big shows coming up that uh we could encourage folks to come check out?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, we are uh getting ready to fire up our holiday season. So uh starting up in November, on November 21st, we have a uh the Ozark uh Jubilee from Branson, Missouri is coming all the way to Marion, Virginia. Um so it's going to be a fun-filled uh Christmas show as well as a uh veterans uh recognition um event, also. Um Jimmy Fortune and uh and his band's gonna be here in December. So uh he's going to be um lighting the Christmas tree downtown in Marion as well as uh taking stage and getting people uh into that festive holiday there. Um so uh and then the Isaacs are going to go ahead and close out our uh holiday celebration and and the end of December with a with a really good program. And and the Isaacs, anytime if you if you haven't seen the Isaacs, you definitely need to see them. It's just it's a heartfelt program, and and they they definitely you'll you'll leave the theater in such a good mood from from hearing their uh their talent on stage and and message that they share as well. So yeah, we've we've got a lot of fun things coming up for the holidays. Um, and uh hopefully it'll be an opportunity for families to come into the theater and enjoy it all together.

SPEAKER_02:

Very good. And what what's the date for the Isaacs?

SPEAKER_01:

Uh that is December 14th.

SPEAKER_02:

December 14th. All right. Well, folks, you heard it here. These lots of lots of good programming coming up and uh uh uh lots of reasons to get out and uh plus you know it's even though I know things are going up, but uh cost of a show at the Lincoln is not that expensive, right? I mean virtually compared to the city.

SPEAKER_01:

I mean our our tickets range between you know usually$29 to$29 to$40. Um and uh it's it's almost impossible to find anything around to to have you know two to three hours of entertainment for for that cost.

SPEAKER_02:

So absolutely. Well, Bob, we really appreciate you giving us some insight into uh how economic conditions are impacting the Lincoln and uh want to encourage folks to uh come out, support your local theater. They're doing working really hard to make sure that we've got quality entertainment for you guys uh in Smith County, so and surrounding areas as well. So, Bob, thanks so much. Appreciate you being on the show again.

SPEAKER_01:

All right, thanks, Skip. You take care.

SPEAKER_02:

All right, we'll see you at one of those great upcoming shows.

SPEAKER_01:

I look forward to it.

SPEAKER_00:

Thanks for tuning in to Onstage with the Lincoln Theater. Want more of Mary and Virginia's entertainment scene? Visit us online at thelincoln.org. Yes, that's thelincol.org. Or drop by our theater at 117 East Main Street. Let's keep the arts alive and kicking together.