Over 40,100 spectators have flocked to the generalife theatre to see poet in new york by Rafael Amargo

The Director of the Council of the Alhambra and Generalife, Reynaldo Fernández Manzano, the coordinator of the Lorca and Granada Programme, Mariano Sánchez, and the dancer and choreographer from Granada, Rafael Amargo, today presented a report on the 31 nights of the show inspired by Federico García’s Lorca Poet in New York. Directed and choreographed by Amargo, it received 40,108 spectators between Monday 20th July and Saturday 29th August, 54% up on the 2014 edition, with an average attendance level of 78%, i.e. 1,294 spectators per show. 19 of the shows were over 85% full and 10 of these were complete sell-outs.

“The Poet in New York show was presented by Rafael Amargo and selected as the winning entry in a public competition. These figures show that we made a good choice”, Mariano Sánchez said. He also stated that achieving these results in a period of economic crisis demonstrates the strength of this project and confirms its excellence as a cultural offering that a large number of local people eagerly look forward to each summer.

The coordinator of the Lorca and Granada programme highlighted the success of the special offer available during the advance booking period, through which 18,247 tickets were sold, and the loyalty of local people to the Lorca and Granada programme, manifested in the creation of organized groups made up of a total of 15,600 spectators, and of course the special offer available two days a week of two tickets for the price of one, for which 13,363 tickets were sold.

Reynaldo Fernández Manzano also remarked on the excellent response of visitors to the Alhambra, 3,500 of whom bought their tickets at the ticket office for the show set up at the Generalife. He also mentioned the discount visitors could receive on tickets for the show by presenting their Alhambra admission ticket, which proved an attractive additional incentive. 

For his part, Rafael Amargo was very satisfied at the response of people from Granada and visitors to the city, and above all for having sold out 10 of the 31 shows, and for the affection shown by the audience night after night. He also thanked the Lorca and Granada team and the Council of the Alhambra for their good work and above all the Ministry of Culture for choosing his show, Poet in New York, as the cultural offering for this summer in Granada. 

Amargo also thanked the local, regional and national media, who had given huge support to him and his show, and praised the work done on social networks. “At last I have enjoyed the recognition of my own people, perhaps I have had to wait twenty years to achieve this enormous success in my home town, and as I said before I am very grateful to the Regional Government of Andalusia for giving me this opportunity” he said, clearly moved.

Mariano Sánchez added that the results had led them to a number of interesting conclusions as to the fact that local people fully identify with the Lorca and Granada programme, as denoted by the fact that they are the main buyers in the advance booking period. He also highlighted the successful ticket price policy which makes the show accessible to everyone, “a fundamental objective of the Regional Ministry of Culture when it started this project up fourteen years ago”, he remarked. 

He also praised the excellent management of group bookings, which in a period of two months handled 198 groups from the province of Granada and others from Málaga, Jaén, Almería and Córdoba, plus the spectators from language schools and the private companies that bought large groups of tickets as incentives or gifts for clients and employees, which together totalled sales of 15,600 tickets.

The coordinator of the Lorca and Granada programme said that the procedure for collaboration with the private sector, hotels and above all travel agencies has also proved successful, above all with those from Málaga, the Costa del Sol and the Costa Tropical, who “have made the most of the programme’s economic potential. It is important to continue working and collaborating with this sector in order to optimize results”.

The production of the Lorca and Granada programme generates important cash flows, in excess of 500,000 euros, for the cultural and auxiliary companies required for a top-level production of the like of Poet in New York.

Over 30 companies, most of which are from Andalusia, have taken part in this project in some way or another (artistic production, sound, lighting, audiovisuals, recording and post-production, media, posters and billboards, advertising, couriers, transports, human resources, etc…).

Lorca and Granada has also directly employed almost 100 professionals (35 artists, 20 technicians, 19 administrative staff working in sales, design, social networks, promotion, advertising, production…, 12 ushers, 12 auxiliary staff).