Every branch of the arts and entertainment tree - movie theaters, theme parks, music venues and others - has withered from economic woes, thanks to escalating gasoline prices causing penny pinching by consumers.

Gas prices, which hit $4 per gallon for the first time in Utah last week, resulted in the first overall decrease in Memorial Day weekend holiday travel since 2002, said spokeswoman Rolayne Fairclough, of the AAA auto club.

Just as Americans flocked to movie theaters and dance clubs during recessions and wartimes in the past, local entertainment officials hope to see ticket sales increase as local customers stay closer to home.

"During a recession or depression, people need theater more than ever," said Terence Goodman, artistic director of Park City's Egyptian Theatre Company, which announced a drop of $6-$8 in ticket prices due to the economy. "Theater is certainly always cheaper than therapy."

At music venues, summer concert ticket sales are healthy, but not overwhelming, according to officials at United Concerts and SmithsTix.

High-profile shows like The Police, Jack Johnson and the Dave Matthews Band, all at West Valley's USANA Amphitheatre, have sold well, but none is sold out. Local independent and art-house theaters are "feeling an impact," said Tori Baker, executive director of the Salt Lake Film Society.

Typically, summer is a slow season for art-house theaters because audiences flock to Hollywood blockbusters at cinemaplexes.

In the art world, Utah sales seem to have hit less of a downturn than those in California, according to Doug Nestor, of the Julie Nester Gallery in Park City. He claims the art business seems largely recession-proof in the resort town because of the continual influx of development and part-time residents.

Yet Salt Lake City dealer Tom Alder, of Williams Fine Art, disagrees. "I don't think anyone is recession-proof," Alder countered. "I see that fewer people are buying the high-end pieces. I've noticed far more people wanting to get cash instead of putting them on consignment."

Talk of a summertime recession scares amusement park operators, who are anticipating the end-of-the-school year family crowds.

"All of our suppliers are charging more for basically everything," said Dick Andrew, of Lagoon in Farmington.

At the Boondocks Fun Center in Draper, an official said so far they have been "blessed" with paying customers, but "obviously we're paying more for gas for the go-karts."

Yet there's a silver lining in all the reports of budget woes, if you listen to Jonathan Tueller, of Graywhale Entertainment, whose seven record stores along the Wasatach Front sell used CDs in addition to new releases.

Sales of used CDs are way up, he said.

Of all the choices for entertainment dollars, it's the sports teams that seem most healthy, according to officials from Real Salt Lake soccer club and Miller Motorsports in Tooele. Marc Amicone, general manager of the Bees, said ticket sales this year are "dead even" with last year's record year, with the only major increase to the team being extra baggage fees when the team flies.

Just like at the art-house theaters, comedy clubs expect a typically slow season in the summer, said Keith Stubbs, owner of Wise Guys Inc., which runs clubs in West Valley City and Ogden. Ticket sales have seen a "dip, but not a dump."

The key to survival in a recession, after all, is laughter, Stubbs said.

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* CHHUN SUN, JULIE CHECKOWAY and ELIZABETH MILLER contributed to this report.

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* DAVID BURGER can be reached at dburger@sltrib.com or 801-257-8620. Send comments about this story to livingeditor@sltrib.com.