Still nothing happening at the Ford Center

No events this month at Oklahoma City's Ford Center. None.

Next month, three minor league hockey games. Barney's got five performances across the street at the old Myriad (the Cox Business Center).

November -- seven minor league hockey games.

December -- seven minor league hockey games and a gospel music concert. (That's the Gaithers' Homecoming -- played at Mabee Center last year, returning to Mabee Center next year)

January 2004 -- five minor league hockey games, International Finals Rodeo, Harlem Globetrotters. (The Globetrotters will come here, too.)

February 2004 -- seven minor league hockey games.

March 2004 -- three minor league hockey games.

April through August 2004 -- absolutely nothing.

Anything here that will draw the "Creative Class" to OKC? If you're trying to recruit a young professional to work in OKC, would you point with pride to this calendar of events?

A month ago, when I called attention to this dearth of big name acts, I was told that concerts aren't scheduled very far in advance. But surely a big act would be announced a couple of months in advance, to allow time for ticket sales, particularly if you want to draw fans from out of town.

Someone on TulsaNow posted a link to TicketsPlus.com, which showed three performances of "42nd Street" and a performance of "The Producers", both Broadway musicals, at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City, spread out over the next five months. It seemed strange that there would be these isolated performances instead of multiple-night performances and matinees. It also seemed strange to perform Broadway musicals in an arena, when Oklahoma City has a Civic Center Music Hall designed for stage performances.

On further investigation, these entries on TicketsPlus.com appear to be the result of a data entry error, as the same performances show up on ticketmaster.com at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts in Chicago or the Ford Center for the Performing Arts in New York. Other than the one in Oklahoma City, there are at least three other Ford Centers in the country. (Besides New York and Chicago, there's one in Dearborn, Michigan, which would make sense.)

I don't have a good explanation for this sudden shift from feast to famine. Has the novelty worn off for the concert promoters?