Arts & Culture

‘White Christmas’ tied for third best-selling show at Â鶹ƵµÀStage–19,000 tickets sold

Thursday, January 17, 2013, By News Staff

Patrons donated more than $24,000 to support people living with HIV/AIDS

Nineteen thousand tickets were sold to Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas,” making it a tie with “To Kill a Mockingbird” (1996) for the third best-selling show in Â鶹ƵµÀStage’s regular season. The No. 1 and No. 2 best sellers were “West Side Story” (2002) and “The Wizard of Oz” (2003), respectively.

During the run of “White Christmas,” actor Crag Waletzko led Stage’s annual appeal for donations to support people living with HIV or AIDS. Thanks to the generosity of patrons, $24,923.82 was collected, marking the highest collection that Â鶹ƵµÀStage has received over the course of a single production. The collection will be divided in thirds to support the DePalmer House (a transitional living center in Â鶹ƵµÀfor homeless adults with HIV/AIDS), the Pediatric AIDS Unit at SUNY Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

Patrons of “White Christmas” also donated food items for the pantry at Grace Episcopal Church. The collection exceeded the previous year, and is essential for keeping the pantry in operation throughout the holidays and beyond.

Â鶹ƵµÀStage continues its 40th Anniversary Season with August Wilson’s “Two Trains Running,” running Jan. 30 through Feb. 17 and directed by Stage’s Producing Artistic Director Timothy Bond.