CLAYTON, MO (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — Steve Schankman of Contemporary Productions, has joined forces with restaurateur Ted Geiger and Bob Saur of Conrad Properties to create the “first live entertainment nightclub and restaurant in Clayton.” Finale, a jazz and pop venue to be located within the Saur-owned luxury hotel-apartment high-rise Clayton on the Park outside St. Louis, MO, will be a 130- to 140-capacity intimate facility, with a separate 75-seat dining area.
Schankman told St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “The concept behind Finale is we wanted to create a unique, intimate environment for entertainment and dining in a location where it hasn’t been done before. We wanted to try something different.”
Finale announced it’s opening concerts, which will begin March 16-19, with Maynard Ferguson and His Big Bop Nouveau Band. Other acts include Angela Bofill, Toto Puente Jr., Tuck and Patti, Karrin Allyson, Louie Anderson and Stanley Jordan.
Schankman expects to invite several tribute acts for artists including Miles Davis and Ella Fitzgerald, performed by local St. Louis artists.
He plans to book about 30 national acts per year, and shows will take place Wednesday through Saturday, with most acts doing more than one date.
”This spring will just be a peek,” Schankman told the Post-Dispatch. “Our annual season will be starting in August. This is the inaugural flight. We’ve booked some great names for August, people who haven’t been here yet. And it’ll be like they’re sitting in your living room.”
Schankman explained, “The nearest audience member will sit only eight inches from the stage.”
Schankman’s abundant experience with Contemporary Productions and the large-scale concert business, fueled his desire to work with a more intimate venue. “We’re looking to break some new names,” he said, “and this gives Contemporary an opportunity to once again find new talent and be the reason why people can say, ‘I saw them when they first started out.’ That’s the advantage of this place.”
He plans to fit all types of music into the venue, but explains, “We can’t do certain rocks acts, but we’re not just a jazz club…The idea behind booking is to bring in jazz, pop, comedy, up-and-coming artists, daughters and sons of great artists, and Las Vegas entertainment.”
Ticket prices will be on the lower end, promises Schankman, with local acts ranging from $10 to 1$15, and most likely a cap at $40 for national acts. –by CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
