Expectations of a sold-out crowd for the live Sept. 8 interview between former CNN talk show host Larry King and Louisiana's favorite former governor, Edwin Edwards, were dashed recently when more than 50 percent of the seats at the LSU Union Theater were left empty.
Expectations of a sold-out crowd for the live Sept. 8 interview between former CNN talk show host Larry King and Louisiana's favorite former governor, Edwin Edwards, were dashed recently when more than 50 percent of the seats at the LSU Union Theater were left empty.
According to a report by the Baton Rouge Business Report, after paying $72,0000 for the two speakers - $66,400 for King and $6,000 for Edwards - the event's lackluster turnout, which generated only $26,637 in ticket sales, ended up costing the Union Theater more than $45,000. It's worth noting that tickets for the event rang in at $60 a pop.
In an interview with BRBR, LSU Union Theater Director Michael Derr says he was "surprised and disappointed" by the event's turnout, adding "there is so much more going on in Baton Rouge than there used to be. We have more competition and people have less money to spend on events like this."