Producers fretting over ticket service fees

Customers may be the ones paying higher service charges on tickets to shows on Caesars Entertainment properties, but producers are the ones complaining about it.

Box office fees and customer service are among the issues resulting from a shift of Caesars Entertainment box office operations to Ticketmaster, one that producers say has made their sales drop 30 percent or more.

Because of their fragile landlord-tenant relationship, producers spoke anonymously about their issues with the company completing staffing changes in its box offices and a summerlong transfer of its ticketing operations from Vegas.com, a division of the Greenspun Corp., to Ticketmaster, the industry giant.

Producers cite several problems, from handling fees - which have nearly doubled in some cases - to Internet search issues and Ticketmaster's ability to accommodate all the coupons and discounts that are typical of middle-tier shows on the Strip.

"We've all lost our Internet optimization through Ticketmaster," one says. "In New York all you need is Ticketmaster or one vendor. Here you have as many as 15 vendors," he says of travel sites such as Orbitz and Travelocity. "None of us (producers) can get them all selling us."

Caesars is now staffing its physical box offices with its own employees rather than those working for Vegas.com. But the new jobs are part time, and producers claim many of the experienced workers left when the job benefits disappeared.

"Try to pick up a phone and call the box office and see how long you have to wait," one said.

Others are concerned that Ticketmaster's "convenience fee," $9.50 for many evening shows, will prove to be excessive for middle-tier titles. "I don't think it's the right time for it now," one said. "With the mom-and-pop shows it's all about value these days."

Cutting the base price is an option - and one that consumers might applaud - even if the producer's sacrifice is thankless: "Our expenses are more and we're netting less," one said. The customer is going to pay the service charge regardless, so the fee could drive the customer to rival shows outside Caesars properties.

The changes were accompanied by the loss of an entertainment director, Laura Ishum, whom producers saw as an ally. "There's simply no one to talk to," says one producer.

Jason Gastwirth, senior vice president of entertainment for Caesars Entertainment, said in a statement the company chose Ticketmaster "largely for its wide-ranging marketing capabilities and proven scalable technology."

"The setup will allow our guests to purchase tickets to shows at any Caesars properties nationwide at any of our box offices, online, phone and self-service kiosks as well as allowing us to provide consistency in service by operating these box offices ourselves," Gastwirth said.

Ticketmaster has access to a nationwide database for email and other forms of marketing, a reach that no doubt made it an attractive choice for Caesars in its companywide picture of about 40 properties.

Ticketmaster officials also point out it already sells lots of tickets for other casino companies in Las Vegas. "We have years of experience in ticketing very large concerts to more intimate, resident shows," said Ticketmaster spokeswoman Jacqueline Peterson.

"Our ticket fee structure is commensurate with the others in the markets in which we operate and help support our service levels and system enhancements," Gastwirth said in the statement. "As we've just recently finished up our transition to this new model, we expect to just now start seeing significant sales growth to the shared benefit of our artists, producers and ourselves." ...

Can reality lightning strike twice? Magician Seth Grabel, who owes his recognition factor to last year's edition of "America's Got Talent," reopens his variety-magic show at the Clarion's Wolf Theater on Sept. 20.

But it will begin with a modest three-day schedule, Wednesdays through Fridays. Grabel says he needs the rest of the week to commute to California for a new reality endeavor. One he assures is "big-time." Consider us intrigued.

For now, his new venue is at least bigger time. "I actually have a stage," he says, compared with his last stint on the flat floor of the Royal Resort earlier this year. The Ray Wolf-produced show will be "a better example of what I can do." ...

Now, the issue of real importance. Are we nearing an ebb tide for the breast count on the Strip? Next month begins with the final performance of MGM Grand's "Crazy Horse Paris" on Oct. 1 and ends with the Halloween staking of "Bite" at the Stratosphere.

In between, it's been confirmed that Holly Madison will leave "Peepshow" on Oct. 21. However, the show will continue without a marquee star until a new one is announced. In the short term, an unbilled ensemble dancer will step up to the role of "Bo Peep."

So that leaves us with non-Holly "Peepshow" plus "Fantasy," "Crazy Girls" and "X Burlesque," unless you count the nonerotic mannequin nudity of "Jubilee!" or the not-quite-topless "iCandy Burlesque."

Somehow we'll survive. "X Burlesque" producer Angela Stabile says she considered "Crazy Horse" her main competition and may add more "X" shows after it closes. Whew.

Contact reporter Mike Weatherford at mweatherford@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0288.