Michael Chapman sat sheepishly beside his two daughters at the Six Flags America concert hall in Largo last Thursday. He clapped his hands and bobbed his head and smiled good-naturedly. All around him, a throng of adoring adolescent fans took to their feet, stomping, cheering and dancing as the punk-pop group the Plain White T's burst into its first song of the night.This was precisely how the Chapmans had planned to end their seven-day road trip from Raleigh to Boston and back -- three rows away from their favorite band.
The Chapmans are the type of customers Six Flags is trying to lure this summer as the company rolls out a family-friendly image, with attractions intended to appeal to toddlers, teens, moms and dads, as much as the chain's traditional thrill-seeking demographic.
This focus on families is perhaps the most visible piece of a turnaround strategy orchestrated by Six Flags chief executive Mark Shapiro, who was installed after Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder took control of the troubled theme park company in a 2005 proxy battle. The chain is seeking to refurbish its financial performance and its public reputation, but those efforts have been complicated by the company's heavy debt and sagging stock price.
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