- The number of Thursday night concerts will be sliced nearly in half, from 13 to 8. Programs are planned only for July and August.
- Mr. Mandell’s authority will be substantially narrowed. Although he has been producing concerts for more than three decades, all groups whom he recruits now will need to be approved by Susan Obrow, the Special Events Producer at City Hall.
- In perhaps the quirkiest policy change, the hugely popular cover bands that have been appearing throughout Mr. Mandell’s tenure, now have been banned. Gone, then, will be nostalgic knockout groups that have made careers out of playing only Beatles music and only Beach Boys songs. Concert regulars told this newspaper they were a favorite draw every summer.
- Not incidentally, Mr. Mandell’s fee for next summer will be reduced by a whopping 33 percent, down from $15,000 to $10,000.
What Is Behind the Downsizing?
Ostensibly, the driving force behind the cutbacks is a reduction in concert funding by the city, from $80,000 to $70,000 — and an altered viewpoint about policy. Mr. Rose, chair of the Redevelopment Agency, said this afternoon that shrinking the concert schedule from 13 dates to 8 “is not drastic when you consider that communities around us are doing a similar number, 8, 9 or 10.” Mr. Rose said that it was further decided a change in perspective was needed. “When liberals get programs,” said the only conservative member of the City Council, “they never expect them to go away. In the last year, we have added the Artwalk on the first Sunday in June. This has brought a whole new group of people into Culver City.” Mr. Rose said that widening diversity is the theme of the policy changes. “The money is not going away,” he said. “It just is being allocated to other arts programs. One purpose of Agency promotions is to give people the broadest perspective of cultural life in Culver City.”
Mandell Loyalists Speak Out
The drastic diminution of Mr. Mandell’s control struck one of the producer’s supporters as “bizarre but predictable under the circumstances. No matter how successful he is, some people at City Hall don’t like him and won’t like him. That is the bottom line.” “This stinks,” snorted one of Mr. Mandell’s oldest pals. “Foolish,” hmphed Mayor Silbiger. “Why would you do this to the most popular program in the city? Why change something that so obviously is going good? I go to a lot of concerts. I hear the enthusiasm from people, from regulars and people who show up once in awhile. They love what we do. The concerts have been so good for the city. Businesses love ‘em because they are making money. If you need to trim expenses, cut programs that are not doing well.” Mr. Silbiger said he will be busy lining up Mandell supporters to attend Monday’s 7 p.m. Redevelopment Agency meeting in Council Chambers and speak up on behalf of the producer. “I have been going to Gary’s concerts for years,” the mayor said. “I never have heard one person complain about them — except for someone on the City Council. The people love the music that he brings in.”
Postscript
Over the past 7 summers, Mr. Mandell, the masterful entertainment entrepreneur, has created and staged the most successful, most imaginative community program in modern times in Culver City. But, for reasons that are more subtle than obvious, he has been a controversial figure since the first morning he walked into City Hall. His personality ran smack into the antennae of two strong-willed members of the City Council. The clashes have not been any more nuanced than one of Mr. Mandell’s magical concerts, which, typically, have attracted the largest-ever crowds to the not necessarily comfortable courtyard of City Hall. Some sources have speculated that the demographics were undesirable to City Hall, even though Mr. Mandell filled all seats by featuring a different musical genre every Thursday from June into September. As radio station owner Saul Levine said when he recently junked the easy listening format at 1260 AM, senior citizen audiences don’t appeal to advertising agencies. Mr. Mandell’s supporters insist that his concerts appeal across all generations. But City Hall is believed to be interested in a attracting a younger, more upscale demographic.
