‘Cabaret’ Receipts Could Equal Doom

IRVINE — The survival of the financially ailing Irvine Civic Light Opera is looking more doubtful than ever, based on attendance for its production of “Cabaret,” which closed Saturday at the Irvine Barclay Theatre.

Attendance averaged 50% of capacity for nine performances, Barclay finance director Conrad Giedt said Wednesday. He noted that was “only a tad better” than attendance for ICLO’s revival of “The Music Man” last September, which incurred a $50,000 deficit and sent the troupe into its fiscal tailspin.

ICLO artistic director Dan Trevino could not be reached for comment. But he had said on July 10, the day of the “Cabaret” opening, that the troupe needed “two-thirds of a house every night, or averaging that, to make it.”

Giedt said the Barclay box office sold about 2,800 single tickets to “Cabaret.” With ICLO subscription sales added in, he said, a total of 3,366 tickets were purchased, out of 6,660 available for the nine performances.

Giedt said neither he nor Barclay president Douglas C. Rankin has been in touch with Trevino since “Cabaret” closed. Rankin said in an interview earlier this week that he was “not optimistic” about ICLO’s prospects for mounting its announced third season at the Barclay.