Looks like Garth Drabinsky and the BlackCreek Summer Music Festival might be having cash flow problems
According to author and cultural commentator Norman Lebrecht’s Slipped Disc blog at Arts Journal, former Livent head (and convicted financial criminal) Garth Drabinsky’s management of the BlackCreek Summer Music Festival is being called into question after he allegedly stiffed the chorus that had been prepared to sing Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 at the summer music festival in Toronto. The chorus is threatening to strike if Drabinsky doesn’t pay up, but in the comments on Lebrecht’s blog, a Drabinsky defender points out that the chorus isn’t unionized and therefore can’t actually strike. The same commenter also states that the chorus has, in fact, been paid according to schedule. It’s an odd story—which, really, isn’t anything new when it comes to Drabinsky—and we’ll be keeping a close eye on the whole brouhaha. Read the entire story [Slipped Disc] »
Drabinsky told the chorus in person that the Festival wouldn’t be honouring the very clear cancellation clause in our contracts for the two concerts that were cancelled this week. Stephen Cera also stated in writing that the Festival is choosing to interpret our contracts in ways that simply aren’t supported by the text. (The Festival says we’re only owed cancellation fees in case of rain; if that’s so, they should have thought of using the word “rain” somewhere in the contract.)
So far, chorus members have been paid for previous concerts, but it’s hard to know what will happen with this last one. One thing that’s clear is that they feel they can “interpret” a written contract any way they please, so many of us are understandably concerned.
NOONE associated with Blackcreek has been paid! Not just chorus and web designers. No advertisers, no staff at the rexall or anyone working in the office has been paid in months, and may not ever. Drabinsky and Albrecht have made a mess and now all the poor staff who can’t afford lawyers are the ones paying for it.
This festival should not happen again with the irresponsible, self-serving criminal Drabinsky involved.
Blackcreek or should I say iSport Concerts Ltd. has not paid any supplier, has not paid any management staff member in over 2 months, is late paying their part-time Rexall staff and production staff. Kevin Albrecht the so-called CEO of the company is nowhere to be found. He never returns phone calls or e-mails. Technically the company is bankrupt, they owe money everywhere and to everyone. Can’t blame Drabinsky on this one as he does not control the money, he’s not an officer or director of the company, and he does not sign any checks. I smell major lawsuits coming down the wire.
am I alone in the media not waking up to the fact that garth has made a dollar for anyone who has ever invested with him except the real estate agent of his cottage on lake joe and his forest hill home. one scam after another….and I cant wait for the losers who put money into his snore fest barrymore! I worked for him on blackcreek and we had to threaten to leave weekly get paid each week
At least you got paid, none of the part-time staff and production staff have been paid yet for the last set of shows and we are to be paid weekly. They did this to us at the end of July before the break and it took 3 weeks to get paid. Only when we as a group demanded payment we got paid and they needed us for the load-in and the remaining shows. Management has not been paid in 2 months. They owe suppliers millions as they have not paid one cent. So I wonder where all the money went? Maybe into the pockets of Garth and Kevin.
The orchestra for the July 9 Broadway concert has also not been paid and it’s not looking very likely that it will be settled anytime soon. I’m pretty sure Martin Short and Marvin Hamlisch got a cheque though.
At least on Tuesday, Drabinsky will be trading in his business suit for an orange jump suit as he heads off to jail. Let’s all hope that the appeal judges see him for the type of person he really is and that’s a crook.
There is no leadership and no money. I have not been paid since June 30 and was begged to continue working on a promise that I would be paid. I worked at the office for The BlackCreek Summer Music Festival and I can tell you that this has all been mismanaged by Kevin Albrecht himself. People have put expenses for artists on their personal credit cards. We have been told that we will be paid. Who knows! It’s disrespectful how we have all been treated. People who care for the arts should work for the non profit organizations that will treat them with the respect that they deserve.