The Philly Pops, founded in 1979, announced that it’s throwing in the towel after this season’s Christmas concerts.
Cultural institutions have been in decline for years, but the Covid pandemic seems to have delivered the coup de grace. Frank Giordano, the group’s president, told the Inquirer he made up his mind to shutter the organization after a three-night Moody Blues show sold only half its available tickets. With no-shows, Verizon Hall was at just 35% of its capacity.
That’s a steep drop from just a few years ago. This video was shot in 2016 and the house looks pretty full. Not many people under 50, though.
