Slow Ticket Sales May Cancel Wyclef

The planned Nov. 6 concert featuring Wyclef Jean may be cancelled if the organizers do not sell 2,000 more tickets by tomorrow, according to Harvard Concert Commission (HCC) Chair Jack P. McCambridge ’06.

Although the Harvard Box Office is closed on Mondays and the website to purchase tickets is currently not functioning, members of the Undergraduate Council (UC) and the HCC will begin a concerted effort to increase ticket sales, selling tickets in front of the Science Center, Lamont Library, and Sever Hall.

At last night’s UC meeting, McCambridge announced that tickets will be sold until 6 p.m. tomorrow.

Organizers have reinstituted the student discount on tickets to promote sales, according to Glazer.

According to both UC President Matthew J. Glazer ’06 and McCambridge, the Concert Commission has until tomorrow to back out of its contractual agreement with Wyclef Jean.

“The Concert Commission has flexibility with certain contracts that may become more inflexible closer to the show,” said Glazer. “By instituting this deadline, hopefully we’ll create a sense of urgency.”

In an e-mail sent out to House open lists last night, Glazer emphasized that the HCC would have to make a final decision tomorrow whether to continue with the show.

“To save the most money possible, organizers of the show want to call off the event by [tomorrow] evening if ticket sales are not substantially improved,” Glazer wrote in the e-mail.

It is not clear, however, how much money the HCC will lose if they have to cancel their contract.

“The standard for the music industry is to have to pay the full fee,” said McCambridge.

“We are not going to be held to the full fee. Should [we have to cancel], we have an out. I don’t know what this number will be, but it will not be the full fee, he adde”

During last night’s Council meeting, McCambridge declined to give any specific expenses.

Neither Glazer nor McCambridge could explain the lackluster ticket sales.

“Our concerts in the past have sold very well in the initial opening,” said Glazer.

According to McCambridge, the HCC began to notice lackluster ticket sales last week.

“Ticket sales have not responded anywhere near expected,” McCambridge said at the meeting.

However, neither Glazer nor McCambridge could explain the lackluster ticket sales.

“Our concerts in the past have sold very well in the initial opening,” said Glazer.

McCambridge was also unable to offer an explanation.

“We’re doing about 400 percent more publicity than we ever have,” said McCambridge.

The UC will hold an emergency meeting tomorrow to examine the planning of the concert, even if Wyclef Jean won’t be performing.

“Regardless of the outcome on Tuesday evening, the Council and the Concert Commission will seriously examine the priorities of the student body,” Glazer said.

One possible solution may be the creation of a social programming board. Although it is unclear what such a board may look like, the UC will examine possible alternatives to the way social events are planned.

“We are probably not optimized for social programming,” said UC Vice-President Clay T. Capp ’06. “Elected representatives may not be the best people to do this, but on the other hand, they may.”

This fall’s possible cancellation is not a first for the HCC or for Wyclef Jean. In the spring of 2002, the HCC cancelled a similar concert featuring Wyclef Jean and Jurassic 5 over a concern that the HCC would not be able to sell enough tickets.

Apart from discussion of the concert, Dean of the College Benedict H. Gross ’71 was present at last night’s UC meeting to report on the progress of the Harvard College Curricular Review.

—Staff writer Alexander D. Blankfein can be reached at ablankf@fas.harvard.edu.