THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, May 6, 1996 TAG: 9605040036
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY CRAIG SHAPIRO, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines
IN ARMY PARLANCE, the 700 staffers who will work backstage, direct parking, tear tickets, sell sodas, show you where to sit and tidy up when you leave the Virginia Beach Amphitheater constitute a battalion.
But D.J. Lindfors is not telling them to be all they can be. Like a good Scoutmaster, he's saying: Be prepared.
Lindfors, director of operations, knows a thing or two about staffing amphitheaters. The $17.5-million beach facility is the fourth he's opened in five years, following the Nissan Pavilion at Stone Ridge in Bristow, Va., Charlotte's Blockbuster Pavilion and Walnut Creek Amphitheater in Raleigh.
So, he wasn't surprised when he started getting calls about work in early February. Or when some 2,000 applicants - teenagers, seniors and a lot of teachers - turned out for a March 30 job fair at Landstown Elementary School. Press releases, radio plugs and, especially, word-of-mouth encourages that.
``We were better prepared than we were with other facilities,'' Lindfors said. ``It happened to us before down in Raleigh, so we were geared up for having a big crowd come in. . . .''
With the amphitheater opening in less than two weeks, applications are still being taken. Lindfors expected that, too.
``These jobs are great. One, they're working for me,'' said the chipper 33-year-old. ``And it's a great atmosphere.''
The youngest staffers, teenagers studying for their learner's permits, will usher or work the gates. A fourth-grade teacher heads up security. They'll earn $4.50 to $6.50 an hour; the perks include a flexible schedule that jibes with summer vacation, and good music for free.
Lindfors has even told his ticket takers and box-office crew to bring ``play clothes'' - the official amphitheater uni is white tennis shoes, white socks, khakis and golf shirts - and find a spot on the lawn.
To prepare for the May 15 grand opening, a three-day orientation program began last week.
Once the facility is up and running, however, the full staff won't be on duty for every show. The complement will vary according to who's performing and how many tickets have been sold. Lindfors sounds like a field general marshaling the troops when he talks about monitoring sales.
Jimmy Buffett sold out all 20,000 seats in less than an hour. Bruce Hornsby, who performs opening night, is averaging 50 tickets a day, but Lindfors says that will jump as the date draws nearer.
Lindfors also calls colleagues at other venues, and sometimes checks out an act firsthand. He'll be in Charlotte for the Furthur Festival, a summer tour featuring Bob Weir and Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead, Los Lobos, Hornsby and Hot Tuna, the week before its June 25 stop in Virginia Beach. ``Everyone says it will have a certain type of following,'' he said. ``Until I see it, I won't believe it.
``It's not rocket science. If we're doing Victor Borge, we'll have limited staffing. If we're doing Metallica, we'll change the numbers and how we approach the show. Everyone here is very experienced.''
His experience has led to some unexpected duties as construction continues and the various crews sort through their last-minute checklists.
``I'm the pep-rally guy, too,'' Lindfors said. ``Every day someone goes, `God, there's no way, no way.' It's unbelievable, but nothing's stopped. I've been through it, so I'm running around saying, `This is OK. This is normal.' I stay geared up.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by David B. Hollingsworth/The Virginia Pilot
D.J. Lindfors, director of operations, knows a thing or two about
staffing amphitheaters. He's opened four in the past five years.
by CNB