Those who came loved it; but not many showed up.

Artistically, the inaugural 11-day Return to Romance Music Festival March 1-11 was a success.

"Across the board, all the artists had such a good time, interacting in a way they don't normally do, with the backing of a 40-piece orchestra," said Matt Catingub, who fronts the Matt Catingub Orchestra of Hawaii, the linchpin of the celebration.

Financially, however, the festival ended up in red ink, said producer Allen Sviridoff. Mainstream events at the Waikiki Shell, the Blaisdell Concert Hall and the Hawai'i Theatre — featuring visiting artists such as Patti Austin, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Lucie Arnaz, Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald, and local favorites such as Jimmy Borges, Keali'i Reichel, Amy Hanaiali'i Gilliom, Na Leo Pilimehana, Raiatea Helm, Jordan Segundo, and Nina Keali'iwahamana — attracted a disappointing 10,000, well short of expectations.

Despite the poor box office (figures were not disclosed), a 2008 festival already is in the works. "We're definitely planning next year, perhaps even a day longer, in the spring," said Sviridoff. "The minute this one stopped, agents and managers were asking, 'Can we submit artists next year?' The word is out nationally."

Lucie Arnaz, one of the participants in "The Most Romantic Songs Ever Written, Part I," wants to return. In an e-mail to The Advertiser, she cooed, "It was such a joy for me to be there and join that talented group of performers."

That kind of response could create buzz.

Sviridoff said concert organizers were price-conscious, setting ticket costs from $45 to $75. "(Prices) were not out of line," Sviridoff said; "a few months ago, Matt and I paid $1,000 to see Barbra Streisand. Our show was better."

A season pass is also under consideration for next year in hopes of boosting overall attendance to 30,000, with visitor support.

"What we need to do is sit down with tourism officials and get a third of our audience from visitors ... offer hotel and show packages. We wanted to at least break even," said Sviridoff.

"It's a large investment," said Sviridoff about the cost of mounting such an ambitious endeavor. "We need to amortize costs over the next few years, and get as many local and possibly national corporations involved. We could use some help on the bottom line."

A March 9 performance at the Waikiki Shell, focusing on "Return to Romance — the CD," featured music and acts from the Catingub orchestra's festivalrelated recording. Before final act Cecilio & Kapono could take the stage, however, rainfall threatened the performers, so the show was ended prematurely. Those attending the show were told that their ticket stub would be good for the Sunday finale at Blaisdell Arena, where C&K were added to the lineup; many returned.

Despite the rain, Sviridoff and Catingub hope to maintain the Shell as a viable venue. "It's a wonderful place to see a performance," said Sviridoff. "But I would like to see the city and the community put money into it; it needs refurbishment. You want that outdoor picnic aspect; it would be sorely missed if we took (our show) indoors."

Catingub said he also hopes to do a second "Romance" CD to further promote the romantic music fare that is the essence of the festival that enables Hawai'i's music to "get out to the rest of the world."

Reach Wayne Harada at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com.