Stratford theatre fest touts 11 per cent ticket jump for just-wrapped season

STRATFORD, Ont. – The just-wrapped season of the Stratford theatre festival saw the largest attendance jump since 1999, with an 11 per cent ticket sale increase over last year.

The festival — which mounted shows including “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Mary Stuart” — said the overall 2013 season attendance was 480,232, generating ticket sale revenue of $29.7 million.

The 2012 attendance was 432,240.

The festival noted that the current season — Antoni Cimolino’s first as artistic director — was also a critical success.

Five of 12 productions were extended to meet demand.

Tickets for the 2014 season went on sale to Stratford members last week, and will be on offer to the general public begin Jan. 4.

The upcoming season is set to run from April 21 to October 12 and will include “King Lear,” “Crazy for You” and two versions of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

“We are so pleased to see attendance growing once more,” Cimolino said of the recently concluded season.

“But what has been even more gratifying is our audience’s response to the season. Time and again, people have come to me to thank me for creating an experience that stimulates them not just emotionally but intellectually and spiritually as well.”

The festival said that attendance by theatre-goers who had not been to Stratford in five years was up 76 per cent, new customers were up 46 per cent, school sales were up 20 per cent and U.S. attendance was up eight per cent.

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