KING TUT EXHIBIT STILL A HOT TICKET.

Byline: Valerie Kuklenski Staff Writer

Neither complaints of high prices nor mixed reviews - not even the occasional power outage - has stemmed the success of ``Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs,'' which is expecting a renewed surge in attendance through its close on Nov. 15.

The LACMA West exhibition, the collection's first stop on a four-city U.S. farewell tour, logged an average of 30,000 visitors a week in the midst of its run. John Norman, president and CEO of Arts and Exhibitions International, says crowds in the next few weeks are likely to rival the 45,000 to 50,000 counted in its early weeks.

``We went the first 10 weeks, or something like that, without having a ticket ever unsold through any day,'' he said. ``A slow week for us would be an incredibly busy week for anybody with any other exhibit anywhere in the world.''

Tickets are available at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art box office, by calling [phone], or online at www.kingtut.org. The easiest access is weeknights and early mornings for the $25 to $30 general admission appointments, but a $75 VIP ticket will allow entry virtually any time. The exhibit is open seven days a week, with admissions starting at 8 a.m. and ending at 8 p.m.

Norman said the artifacts of King Tut and his family have not suffered any harm during their five-month stay, despite a spate of power outages that temporarily forced the evacuation of the galleries. The museum climate has been carefully monitored by a staff of Egyptologists. The latest outage struck at 5:22 p.m. Sunday and lasted until early Monday morning. Visitors who were in the galleries or waiting in line were sent on their way, with Ticketmaster offering full refunds or rescheduling their admissions.

Neither AEI nor its partners - AEG Exhibitions, National Geographic and the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities - is releasing the revenue figures for the Los Angeles segment of the exhibition. But with a ballpark gross of $750,000 to $1 million a week, it has proven a lucrative collaboration and could lead to more high-profile museum ventures.

``National Geographic and I are, I would say, discussing a couple of new opportunities, new things that they're doing that they haven't really shown the world yet,'' Norman said.

Officials from Egypt said when releasing the objects for display that this would be the last time the Tut treasures would be seen outside their homeland. The government says it plans to use its portion of the tour proceeds to pay for preservation and restoration of its many ancient landmarks and relics.

``Tutankhamen and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs'' moves to the Museum of Art in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Dec. 15-April 23, 2006), followed by the Field Museum of Chicago (May 26, 2006-Jan. 1, 2007) and the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia (Feb. 3-Sept. 30, 2007).

Valerie Kuklenski, [phone]

valerie.kuklenski(at)dailynews.com

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``Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs,'' which ends its LACMA West run Nov. 15, is expected to attract crowds as large as those of its early weeks.