HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - For those Hollywood mavens who get tickets to the Academy Awards on March 24: Congratulations.
The move to the new Kodak Theater in Hollywood is causing Academy officials more ticketing headaches than usual. Seating is 3,100, significantly fewer than the 4,000 who sat at the Shrine Auditorium last year.
Every member is sent an invitation, though many can't attend. Of the members who asked for tickets, about 275 will get disappointing news, said Bruce Davis, executive director of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.
Members who were willing to take top balcony seats did O.K., Davis said, "but for those who only wanted the prime orchestra or mezzanine seating, it was brutal."
Academy president Frank Pierson is asking members for understanding if ticket requests couldn't be granted and is warning this year's attendees that they likely won't be attending the 75th anniversary Oscarcast next year.
"There's a huge interest in seeing the new theater and the terrific show that (producer) Laura Ziskin is bringing to it," Pierson said, "and that's good. But it also means that, even with more good seats available than we used to have at the Chandler Pavilion (which alternated with the Shrine), we're having to send out more turn-down letters this year."
© 2002 Variety