Paid attendance at the Orange County Performing...

Paid attendance at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa during the eight performances by the American Ballet Theatre hit a company low of 14,755, or 63% of capacity, according to a center spokesman. The performances of Kenneth MacMillan’s “Manon” and shorter repertory which ended Sunday grossed about $506,228. By contrast, the premiere last December of Kevin McKenzie’s “Nutcracker,” the ABT artistic director’s version of the perennial favorite, brought in 77.5% of capacity and $1.3 million. (Performances of “Giselle” and shorter repertory at the beginning of 1993 grossed $686,000 at 73.5% of capacity; “Don Quixote” in 1992 earned $641,000 at 76.3% of capacity). Center officials had no explanation for the drop-off in attendance, the spokesman said, except to note that the unfamiliarity of “Manon” may have been a factor.

Compiled by Ken Williams