The Summer Music Festival — or at least a remnant of it — appears to have been saved, going into tonight’s 7 o’clock City Council meeting at City Hall.
Two weeks after the City Hall Courtyard eight-week concert series seemed doomed after its funding source, the Redevelopment Agency, was killed off by the state, impresario Gary Mandell is poised to come to the rescue.
Saying this morning that “something is better than nothing,” Mr. Mandell has spoken with city officials about producing two to five Thursday night concerts under the rubric “Boulevard Music Festival,” the first two-thirds of which is the name of his Sepulveda Boulevard business.
Unlike the previous model, when it was up to City Hall to line up sponsorship for the $75,000 two-month production, this time the responsibility would be Mr. Mandell’s.
Outside sponsorship has been a friction point during Mr. Mandell’s 11-year tenure.
As of today, Mr. Mandell was not publicly committing to any promises.
“I don’t know,” he said when a reporter mentioned the “two to five” concerts proposition.
“I don’t know how much (sponsorship) money is out there, I am not going to pay for it. Maybe there will be eight concerts. Who knows?
“I don’t know. I estimate two to four. But the city offered to possibly be a sponsor. They talked about that.
“But that remains to be seen. Also, I don’t know what kind of opposition I am going to have.”
From where. “Arts commissioners, possibly,” he said. “Who knows? They would be losing their control over this series.
“I already have some people who would continue if I was involved.
“It is going to have to be a team effort this year.”
