Kimmel Center evicts Philly Pops over past debt

On Friday, Philadelphia’s largest arts presenter followed through on its ultimatum to drop the Philly Pops as one of its resident companies, shutting the group out of Verizon Hall and removing customers’ ability to buy Pops tickets from its website.

Pops performances of “Get Up, Stand Up: An Encyclopedia of Soul,” slated for Feb. 17-19 at the Kimmel, as well as four other programs planned through June, were listed as “canceled” on the arts center’s website as of Friday.

A link carries patrons to a statement from the Philadelphia Orchestra and Kimmel Center Inc., the Pops’ landlord for its performances in Verizon Hall:

“Unfortunately, the Philly Pops must suspend all performances on the Kimmel Cultural Campus while the Pops takes time to restructure its business model and raise the funding needed to pay debts and secure a financial future.”

The Pops, however, said Friday that the concerts have not been scrapped.

“We have not canceled them at this time,” said Pops chief operating officer Karen Corbin. “This is brand new information and [we] will announce our intentions for the rest of the season in the next few days.”

Musicians of the Pops were “incredibly disappointed” by the arts center’s move and “saddened by the devastating financial impact this move will have on more than 60 freelance musicians who have dedicated themselves to the Philadelphia performing arts scene for decades,” said Ellen Trainer, president of the Philadelphia local of the American Federation of Musicians, in a statement. “We question the timing of this move in light of the ‘Save the Pops’ campaign and the news that fund-raising efforts were bearing fruit.”

Earlier this week, the orchestra/Kimmel demanded back rent and fees of $523,643.25 by noon Friday, as well as estimated fees for future concerts of $82,815 by Feb. 1.

» READ MORE: Kimmel Center to Philly Pops: Pay $500K or get out

The orchestra/Kimmel said Friday that it has tried to work with the Pops on its debt, but reached a breaking point.

The center has received no payments since September 2022, nor any payments from the Pops Christmas concerts for rent and expenses relating to ticketing, ushers, stage crew, and tech support, said Matías Tarnopolsky, president and CEO of the Philadelphia Orchestra and Kimmel Center Inc.

“There have been years of attempts at accommodating the Pops. The most recent payment plan was agreed to, it was their payment plan, and that was not met,” he said. “Following the Christmas concert, the amount that the Pops owed increased to just over $1 million, and at that stage we could no longer allow them to keep performing without both settling the debt and paying in advance for future use of the venue.”

Corbin disputes the $1 million debt figure, saying that further talks with Kimmel officials would be required to arrive at an accurate figure. She says the Pops offered the Kimmel a payment plan on Jan. 5 and was met with a counteroffer. They came to a meeting last Friday prepared to make a payment only to be told by Kimmel leaders that they were ending discussions on a payment plan.

In response, Tarnopolsky said that the Jan. 5 offer “was not credible and included, among other things, a request for us to forgive $750,000 of debt. We could not consider that proposal. The Pops did offer $50,000 at our most recent meeting on Jan. 13 which we would have gladly accepted, but we have not received it.”

Corbin said the Pops did not ask for $750,000 in debt forgiveness.

The Pops announced in mid-November that sagging ticket sales in the fall had compelled it to make the decision to shut down at the end of the 2022-23 season, but since then the group has rallied. Sales for holiday concerts were strong, and just after the new year, leaders announced a “save the Pops” campaign to raise $2 million to pay off debt and fund future operations.

No talks between the Pops and Kimmel are scheduled, officials from both groups said.

The Philly Pops was a founding resident company of the Kimmel upon the opening of the center in 2001. Despite the current quarrel, Tarnopolsky said that the relationship between the two groups was not necessarily over.

“The onus is on the Pops to settle their debts, and then they can return to the Kimmel Center.”

Ticket patrons may call the Pops office for information starting Monday morning: 215-875-8004.