For the first time since he almost can’t remember, the producer Gary Mandell walked out of Council Chambers clothed in a smile.
It still isn’t certain how many concerts will be staged in the Courtyard of City Hall or when Opening Night will be.
But those easily surmountable details are dwarfed by two prizes he sought and won in negotiations with City Manager John Nachbar and his staff:
• A starting nest egg of $7500, which includes $5500 left over from season’s concert series, and the $2000 Sony Entertainment donates to City Hall each year for cultural event application, plus
• A title that satisfies both sides, Culver City’s Boulevard Music Summer Festival.
Although Mr. Mandell produced the former series for the past 11 years, the new version is likely to have more of his fingerprints since he now is charged with doing fundraising to determine both size and scope of the remodeled festival.
“I can’t be pinned down on the number of concerts yet,” he said this afternoon, but four, five or six.
Since he has a timely quip in his grasp each day, Mr. Mandell added:
“If I could know how much money I am going to raise from sponsorships, I would be working for (Ben) Bernanke,” Chair of the Federal Reserve.
