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Washington Center reports clean audit, strong ticket and education numbers; center highlights accessibility upgrades
Summary
The Washington Center told Olympia’s Finance Committee its FY24 audit had no findings, attendance exceeded 103,000, the center served 31,491 students and sold nearly 78,000 tickets; presenters described staffing increases, the successful Book of Mormon engagement and installation of a Bluetooth/Auracast assistive listening system.
The Washington Center for the Performing Arts presented its fiscal year 2024 audit and annual report to the Finance Committee on Nov. 19, reporting no audit findings and several operational highlights.
"We're really pleased that there were no findings from the audit," executive director Jill told the committee, adding the audit covered 07/01/2023 through 06/30/2024 and was concluded in May 2025. Jill said the center’s operating income improved, in part because of a number of successful shows and community rentals; she said overall ticket sales were about $1 million more than in 2019 and that total attendance for the period topped 103,000.
Jill said the center served 31,491 students and sold nearly 78,000 tickets; she also described growth in subscription and renewal metrics — a 58% renewal rate compared with a national average she cited as about 43% and 39% of subscribers being new this season.
The center described several strategic investments and audience development efforts: the creation of multiple new positions (a part‑time marketing assistant, a data and special projects coordinator/box office lead, an education and community engagement director and an HR benefits coordinator), new subscriber outreach and focus‑group work, and experiments in ticketing strategies.
Jill highlighted the August touring production of Book of Mormon as the center’s largest single show by load‑in logistics and community impact, saying tickets sold to patrons in 37 of Washington’s 39 counties and that the engagement occupied dozens of hotel rooms for the touring company.
She also announced an accessibility upgrade: the center installed an Auracast/Bluetooth‑based assistive listening system (approved by the FDA) to allow patrons with compatible hearing devices to receive audio directly while moving around the venue.
Council members praised the center’s community partnerships and the impact of cultural‑access funding on school programming. Tim Coley, board chair, and Jocelyn Wood, deputy director, also spoke briefly about the complexity of operations and the center’s board support. The presentation closed with committee members inviting the center to return for a season preview in the council chambers.
