Starlight Plight : Operators of Theater Ask Debt Relief

Promoters of the struggling Starlight Amphitheatre in Burbank, whose contract with the city was renewed last year despite poor ticket sales and their inability to book major acts, have filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy papers in federal court.

Griffin Productions, the Burbank-based firm appointed by the city to operate the amphitheater two years ago, listed debts of almost $180,000 and assets of $300.

Filing of the bankruptcy papers will allow the firm to develop a long-term plan to repay the debts while continuing to search for new backers to salvage the operation, said Griffin attorney Wendy Slavkin.

“This is not a bankruptcy, but a debt restructuring of Griffin Productions,” Slavkin said earlier this month. “It means the business does not have to concern itself with its old obligations right away. It starts things on a clean slate.”

May 31 Deadline

But Tom Griffin, director of Griffin Productions, said that, if he fails to attract new investors by May 31, his contract with the city will terminate.

Griffin said the prospects for booking talent at the Starlight for the coming summer season, which begins June 1, are “light at best.”

“From the very first day I took over the Starlight, I told the city this would not be a one-year project,” he said. “There’s too much history to overcome, and it’s going to take time to develop a positive image.”

The history of the amphitheater, which can accommodate 6,000 spectators, is marked by controversy, including lawsuits involving former operators, complaints by nearby homeowners about noise and congestion, and attempts by city officials to ban several acts from the facility because they were deemed “disruptive.”

Griffin last year managed to stage the first commercial season at the arena in five years, booking acts such as “Weird Al” Yankovic and The Gap Band. They failed to attract large audiences, however, and Griffin closed the Starlight five weeks early.

Problems With Investor

Despite Griffin’s difficulties, the Burbank City Council voted to renew his one-year contract for another year last November.

Griffin said he had hoped to turn the operation around with the help of an investor, who had promised him $500,000 to $1 million. But he said problems developed in late December with the investor, whom he would not name.

Richard Marston, senior assistant Burbank attorney, said city officials still have confidence in Griffin.

“Right now, he’s the only show in town, and we have to give him all the support we can,” Marston said.