Spoleto ticket sales exceed budget

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — It was a strong year for ticket sales at the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston as box office receipts reached nearly $3 million.

Festival spokeswoman Paula Edwards says ticket sales for the arts festival that wrapped up last Sunday were about 5 percent above projections. The total budget for the internationally known performing arts festival was $6.4 million.

Festival officials say the 17-day run of Spoleto means about $50 million in economic impact for the Charleston region. More than 70,000 tickets were sold for the more than 140 Spoleto performances.

One of the highlights of this year’s Spoleto was the American premier of the opera “Kepler,” by renowned American composer Philip Glass. Spoleto also featured a concert by vocalist k.d. lang.