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HBO Sucked the Life Out of Bryant Park Wine and Beer Plan

By DNAinfo Staff on June 24, 2011 7:50am

By Jill Colvin

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

MIDTOWN — HBO, the company behind the popular vampire series "True Blood," which kicks off again on Sunday, has sucked the lifeblood out of the Bryant Park Corporation's plan to serve beer and wine during its 2011 summer movie series, DNAinfo has learned.

A spokesman for the cable network, which is a primary corporate sponsor of the film series, confirmed Tuesday it had abandoned plans for alcohol service at the last minute this year, citing opposition from its partners.

In fact, HBO ordered Bryant Park to pull the plug several weeks ahead of opening night, according to a letter to the State Liquor Authority obtained by DNAinfo.

"HBO has now decided that they do not want beer and wine sold at the summer film festival events," a representative for park purveyor 'wichcraft wrote in an email to the State Liquor Authority June 2, requesting that the application be withdrawn just days after filing. Organizers had tapped 'wichcraft to provide the wine and beer as part of the plan.

"Bryant Park is appropriately taking their time to evaluate what the introduction of alcohol could mean at this type of event. As a partner, we feel that is the right step to take," HBO said in a statement.

Sources said security had been a key concern. Violence erupted during an outdoor film festival in Atlanta last year, and some wondered whether alcohol might create problems with Bryant Park's crowd as well.

Despite the opposition, Lindsey Boylan, manager of operations at the Bryant Park Corporation, pressed ahead with efforts to pursue the plan, appearing before Community Board 5’s public safety committee Wednesday night to ask it to endorse the liquor service.

"We'd like to move forward on this," she said.

"The reality is people bring wine and beer anyway," Boylan told the committee. "We thought it would be a good avenue to legalize what people are already doing."

The board’s parks committee voted unanimously in favor of the plan last month.

Under the proposal filed with the SLA, 'wichcraft, which already operates kiosks in the park, would sell light and dark bottled beer for $7, glasses of wine for $8 and half bottles of wine and Moet champagne for $15, along with popcorn, pretzels and other snacks.

'wichcraft staffers would have been charged with checking IDs and security staff would have continued to turn a blind eye to alcohol brought by movie-goers to enjoy on the lawn.

But board members raised concerns about the potential for underage drinking if a license is granted.

Committee chair Nicholas Athanail said Bryant Park would need some mechanism to make sure those under 21 aren’t drinking on the lawn, comparing the process to the challenge faced by a restaurant that allows diners to bring their own booze, or "BYOB."

"I really think that’s a big hole in your plan for operation," Athanail said.

While Board member Renee Cafaro suggested that security personnel should search movie-goers' bags and confiscate any alcohol they find, like many commercial concerts and events, other members overruled that plan, supporting the current blind-eye policy.

Boylan said the corporation would be happy to consider a plan to check IDs at the gates.

She was asked to return to the committee with plans for the ID checks, as well as signage and training staff to monitor underage drinking and over-consumption.

"We feel that our staff and security team can handle this kind of thing," she said.