Of course, none of those people actually set foot in Southeast Texas. Rather they graced the big screen at Cinemark Tinseltown Theaters. The 15-screen cinema has become the latest stage for Southeast Texans to see their favorite musical acts, without having to jump on a plane or pay upwards of $100 for a seat. The screenings are the product of Centennial, Colo.-based NCM Fathom, which is among the companies leading a trend of showing alternate entertainment in movie theaters.

“This is a way for families to enjoy the convenience of movie theaters to watch events they may not normally be able to,” Dan Diamond, vice president of NCM Fathom, said in a telephone interview from Centennial, Colo. “And it’s a way for entertainers to get their product to an even greater spread of fans.” NCM Fathom, which was founded in 2002, is a joint venture between theater chains Cinemark, Regal and AMC.

The company has screened live concerts from the likes of Prince, Kiss and the Rolling Stones, as well as drum corps performances and anime events. NCM Fathom also has organized live question-and-answer sessions between audiences and filmmakers such as James Cameron and M. Night Shyamalan. Among other things, the shows have given theaters a way to bring in additional revenue during off-peak hours: movie theaters get the bulk of their business on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.

“The theatres can utilize their technology to reach out to their customer base and establish deeper ties with them,” Diamond said. “So it’s beneficial on a number of fronts. It builds attendance during those times (like during the week or on weekend afternoons) that might be kind of slow for them.” Two events screened at the Beaumont Tinseltown last week - the New York Metropolitan Opera’s performance of Charles-Francois Gounod’s “Romeo et Juliette” and Dion’s “A New Day …” Las Vegas concert.