With nearly $6 million in revenue, Michigan State University’s Wharton Center for Performing Arts is the top university venue in the country among those with seating capacities of 2,000 to 5,000, according to the international publication, “Venues Today.”
Overall, Wharton Center ranks No. 6 in the country for revenue.
In addition, MSU’s Jack Breslin Student Events Center took the No. 10 spot among facilities with a capacity to seat 15,000 or more, with a 2012 attendance of 11,638 patrons. Wharton Center manages the non-athletic, entertainment events at Breslin.
Rankings were based on concert and event grosses from January through December 2012.
“We are very proud of the rankings,” said Mike Brand, executive director of Wharton Center. “Wharton Center and MSU continue to prove we’re a major player in the world of performing arts and concert entertainment. The rankings send a powerful message to producers and promoters that MSU venues are the place to be. This will help us attract even more of the world’s top arts and entertainment events.”
The ranking data don’t include local and educational productions, such as those by the Lansing Symphony Orchestra, MSU Department of Theatre and College of Music, he said. But they do include revenue from the popular “Christman Live at State” Series, which consists of shows that aren’t part of the standard Wharton Center subscription series.
Brand said he also hopes to increase the number of major concerts held at Breslin.
“The entertainment options we offer are abundant,” Brand said. “When you add up the numbers, we are a major contributor to the local economy, contributing more than $38 million last year. That includes patron visits to restaurants and hotels, as well as the ripple effect of our own expenditures and local employment.”