Fireworks revamped; Mugar lets sparks fly

As Democratic National Convention officials rushed to get John F. Kerry's convention-week concert back on track yesterday, event producer David G. Mugar had harsh words for them, accusing them of failing to pay him, of not having enough money to cover the event's $2 million cost, and of leaving him no choice but to resign on Monday.

"You can not pay your electric bill [only] for a certain amount of time until that time runs out," Mugar said. "They strung us along for weeks, then days, then hours, and I finally had to say, 'It's lights out.' "

Meanwhile, Kerry's convention director Jack Corrigan replaced Mugar with an old friend of the presumptive Democratic nominee, longtime event producer Tom Bates, who has promised to make the event happen for $1 million.

"The budget for this event has always been $1 million, which is in escrow at the Boston 2004 Host Committee," said Corrigan. "On Monday, the numbers became unworkable for Mr. Mugar. Now we have a new producer who can do it within the budget."

Mugar, who has been producing the city's Fourth of July celebrations for decades, was to have organized a Boston Pops concert and fireworks display for July 28. The concert has been billed as the presumptive Democratic nominee's gift to the city during next week's Democratic National Convention. But it has been plagued with problems from the beginning, its venue changed from the Esplanade to UMass Boston last Friday after state officials refused a permit on security grounds. The UMass permit is pending.

The event has drawn gripes from residents worried about the disruptions and security risks it would bring, and even from Democrats peeved at Kerry for adding complications to a week that will already pose enormous logistical challenges for the city.

Mugar said Corrigan told him on Monday that the host committee did not have the money to pay $2 million for the concert. The city had raised $1 million for the event, from an anonymous donor.

"I knew that this was going to be an expensive undertaking, and in June I started asking the question, 'Do you have the money?' and I was constantly assured, 'Yes we have,' " Mugar said yesterday.

Mugar, who spent $1.2 million of his own money on this year's Fourth of July concert, said he had spent about $87,000 of his own funds in recent weeks organizing the Kerry event, and said he would have needed to commit hundreds of thousands more dollars for deposits to subcontractors to keep the event on schedule.

"I was hardly going to subsidize the DNC and the Kerry for President Committee," said Mugar, who has given thousands to Republicans over the last few years (though he also made a $1,000 donation to Kerry last year).

Mugar said he talked to Corrigan on Monday and told him the cost of the event would be closer to $2 million. "He told me they didn't have the money, and I said, 'You've got till 5 p.m. tonight,' " Mugar said. "[That deadline] came and went, there was no money, and that's it, I pulled the plug. There was no time left. It's that simple."

Mugar said he resigned from concern for the subcontractors with whom he has been working for years, as well as to save his reputation.

But the show will go on, Corrigan said yesterday. He said the host committee will pay Mugar for his costs so far, and move on.

"This is going to happen," he said.