Modlin Center for the Arts

Watching Lakatos, Hearing the Divine: A YouTube Encounter

2009-01-01T17:16:00.013-05:00

In anticipation of Roby Lakatos’ appearance at the Modlin Center on January 31, I decide to track down his videos on YouTube. I’m delighted to discover that the site offers plenty clips of the violin virtuoso who has earned the respect (and inspired the awe) of critics and audiences throughout the world.

I pick a clip at random and click. A young Japanese man, sporting a blond pixie reminiscent of Annie Lennox, provides the introductory commentary to a television broadcast of Lakatos and his group. The fact that I can’t understand what the commentator is saying and am unable to read the words (also in Japanese) that appear on screen isn’t important. The commentator’s enthusiasm—infectious, convincing—transcends the language barrier. I feel confident that the performance I’m about to witness is going to be well worth the cyber-visit.

The curtains are drawn to reveal a darkened stage. The first impassioned strains of Two Guitars (Dve Gitari) leap like flames from Lakatos’ violin. Frenzied yet precise. Ecstatic yet exquisite. But wait. This is the music of Gypsies, whose nomadic lives are filled with both joy and pathos. Almost immediately, the pathos reveals itself. Lakatos makes a seamless segue into a lyrical, plaintive melody and begins to pluck the strings of his violin as if it were a mandolin. The yearning is almost palpable. Another melodic mood change and the listener is swept up in a vigorous csardas. And so it goes. At performance’s end, Lakatos and his violin—together with the expert instrumentalists who accompany them—have masterfully evoked such a wide-ranging gamut of emotions that the mind boggles at an accomplishment achieved within a mere six minutes.

I move on to another clip from the same broadcast—Lakatos playing the Hungarian Dance No. 5.

Once again, I’m mesmerized. Although the Brahms has become standard concert fare, Lakatos reinvigorates the work with his characteristic intelligence and intensity. His interpretation is marked by such a keen sensibility that I’m startled out of my familiarity with the piece and begin to feel as if I’m hearing it for the first time. The man exemplifies pure genius.

With his Dali-esque waxed moustache, ingenuous smile and boxer’s physique, Lakatos cuts an endearing figure as he strolls across the stage. The rapport he shares with his fellow musicians is glowingly evident. Critics have remarked on his charisma. I regard charisma as a quality that its possessor deliberately cultivates with an eye to eliciting the approbative description “charismatic.” Roby Lakatos, on the other hand, radiates pure joy. He is one virtuoso who obviously has fun making music.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T13:35:00.004-05:00

As the holiday season winds down, the Modlin Center is preparing for a very busy and exciting second half of the season. I will look forward to seeing you at one of our many upcoming events.

I thought you would be interested in seeing this photo from the world premiere of Krzysztof Penderecki's String Quartet No. 3 in Warzaw last month. Pictured are the Shanghai Quartet, for whom the piece was written, and Maestro Penderecki. The Maestro will join the quartet for the Virginia premiere of this piece on Sunday, February 22, 2009. I hope to see you there.

Here's wishing you and yours a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!

February Premiere of New String Quartet by Penderecki

2008-12-19T18:15:00.004-05:00

Of the many things we do at Modlin, the activity of which I am most proud is our commitment to the commissioning of new work. As a university presenter, I feel that we have an moral obligation to be certain that new work is created, developed and performed. It is the most important work we do to further the performing arts forms.

One of the most exciting projects Modlin has ever undertaken in is the commission of a new string quartet by Krzysztof Penderecki. The quartet, written for our former ensemble in residence the Shanghai Quartet, is co-commissioned by the Modlin Center for the Arts and Montclair State University in New Jersey. The piece had it's world premiere in Maestro Penderecki's native country of Poland and will have its Virginia premiere Sunday, February 22, 2009 at the Modlin Center.

In anticipation of this remarkable performance, I thought you'd enjoy reading an email Nick Tzavaras, the quartet's cellist sent to me after the work premiered in Warsaw earlier this month.

"Dear Kathy,

Last week we premiered the Penderecki Quartet in Warsaw. It is an outstanding piece and was extremely well received. Both the public and the press seemed to think this work will become a major part of the quartet literature and perhaps be considered one of his greatest chamber works.

The piece is about 15 minutes long and is in one movement with defined sections within it. Starting with an almost grave intro, it heads directly to a driven Vivace in G Minor which surfaces through the entire piece. Soon a beautiful Waltz surfaces, followed by a poignant
notturno, then back to the Vivace pattern which Penderecki wanted faster, faster." By the end we could barely play all the notes in the new furious tempo. At the end a spectacular gypsy melody surfaces, one that hasn't been heard in his writing as of yet. We asked Penderecki about it and he told us that it is a melody that his father used to play on his violin, perhaps a Romanian melody he thought. At the climax all of these themes surface and collide in a

powerful moment that is quite remarkable. The end, like most of his works these days, is soft, almost walking away into the distance, with harmonics echoing the gypsy melody at the very end.

We think Penderecki wrote a masterpiece and, though we got it in its complete form just days before our first performance, we are extremely happy with the work. I think audiences here will truly appreciate it. Penderecki did ask quite a lot about the american premieres, and I think he is looking forward to the next set of performances. The director of Schott (his music publisher) was also at the premiere and was ecstatic with the work.

Thanks again Kathy for making this commission a reality. I think the work will be a major part of the chamber music literature for centuries to come and we thank the Modlin Center and the University of Richmond for making this project possible.

Cheers,

Nick"

You can really hear the excitement in Nick's voice and I hope you are planning to join me and the Shanghai Quartet for this history-making performance.

Happy holidays,

Culture Stock! Your Online Stocking-Stuffer Source

2008-12-09T20:08:00.000-05:00

The Modlin Center's online shop Culture Stock! offers stocking stuffers and small gifts that please the eye while sparing the wallet. Stop by our cyberboutique to pick up a few goodies for friends and family.

Feel free to make a purchase or simply window shop. We offer magnets, bumper stickers, mugs, t-shirts and more. Culture Stock! was designed with you, the Modlin Center fan, in mind.

If you don't find what you're looking for, leave a suggestion and we'll do our best to accommodate you. We can't promise that the item will be ready for the holidays—but please remember that Culture Stock! is open all year long. The Modlin Center is committed to making your holiday and gift shopping experience as convenient and trouble-free as possible!

Unique and Hassle-free: The Gift of Live Entertainment

2008-12-04T12:55:00.000-05:00

During December, a trip to the local mall for that "special something" often turns out to be a wearying exercise in futility. Does your father really need another silk tie? Will you ever see your brother again when he's holed up 24/7, playing the latest video games he added to his collection this holiday season? The Modlin Center can eliminate your shopping angst by restoring the enjoyment in gift-giving—for both you and the recipient. Simply wrap the present of live entertainment in a box! Purchase a ticket to one (or more) of our fabulous upcoming events and you're assured of a custom-sized gift guaranteed to please.

Is your father a musical theatre aficionado whose favorites include Sunday in the Park with George and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum? He'll no doubt welcome the opportunity to see and hear their creator, the legendary Stephen Sondheim, in person with a ticket to "An Evening with Stephen Sondheim" hosted by New York Times columnist Frank Rich. The Modlin Center presents the event at Richmond's Landmark Theater on February 2, 2009 at 7:30 pm.

Treat your brother to the real-time experience of light, color, movement and sound with Cirque Éloize: Nebbia. Appearing at the Modlin Center in late January, Cirque Éloize provides magic, spectacle and excitement in full measure. And isn't a breath of fresh air exactly what your brother needs?

Spare yourself the hassle of mall parking and the headache of battling holiday crowds. Visit our Web site to sample a dazzling array of performances and events that include MOMIX and Garrison Keillor. When you give the gift of live entertainment, you give an experience that lingers long and lovingly in the memory. It's just the ticket!

Rockapella: Singing and Swinging and Making Your Holidays Bright

2008-12-02T14:26:00.004-05:00

Rockapella—whose members have earned a well-deserved reputation as the undisputed kings of a capella music—launches a month of festive celebration in high style and with more than a touch of class when they perform "A Rockapella Holiday." The group, a Modlin favorite, will appear at Camp Concert Hall on December 5 in two evening performances (7:30 and 9:30 pm).

The ensemble has jazzed up, doo-wopped and modernized the a cappella genre so successfully that their revamp of the art form has become a signature style all its own. Give your spirits a well-deserved boost with traditional favorites that include "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" and "I'll Be Home for Christmas," as well as the Rockapella original "Snowstar."

Rockapella always attracts a sold-out Modlin crowd, and tickets to the 7:30 pm show are almost gone. Be sure to purchase your tickets in advance by calling the Box Office at (804) 289-8980 or visiting the Modlin Center on the Web.

"The Skin of Our Teeth" ends this weekend

2008-11-19T10:35:00.002-05:00

The Department of Theatre and Dance and the University Players have been hard at work this fall on their first production of the 2008-09 season: Thornton Wilder's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, The Skin of Our Teeth. The play, which opened last weekend in the Alice Jepson Theatre, is the satiric story of the extraordinary Antrobus family through the ages. This family has survived flood, fire, pestilence, the ice age, a dozen wars and as many depressions. Ultimately bewitched, befuddled and becalmed, they are the stuff of which heroes and buffoons are made. Their survival is a wacky testament of faith in humanity.

Dorothy Holland, associate professor of theatre at the University of Richomond, directs the production which features Actors’ Equity Artists-in-Residence Joe Inscoe and Irene Ziegler. The student cast includes Rex Bradley, Ryan Breen, John Conrad, Alyssa Davis, Caitlyn Duer, Adam Ferguson, Mark Ferguson, Mary Beth Gayle, Christopher Hooper, Patrick Jones, Jackson Knox, Kiara Lee, Bryarly Richards and Amy Szerlong. Also included are University of Richmond community members Jane Dowrick, Elizabeth Kirkwood and Fiona Ross.

To learn more about the play, listen to the podcast that was recored by Peter Solomon for WCVE Public Radio. In it, Solomon talks to actor Joe Inscoe, offers clips from the production and discusses the impact this play has in 2008.

The production runs nightly through Saturday, November 22, 2008. Tickets are currently on sale through the Modlin Center Box Office for $15 with discounts for seniors, students, children, groups and University of Richmond employees and students.

I hope you can make it!

Follow up to NSP benefit concert

2008-11-18T14:48:00.003-05:00

I wanted to share the results of the National Student Partnership's annual Thanksgiving benefit concert, as mentioned in an earlier post. The group collected over $1000 in cash and in-kind donations from students, employees and Richmond community members, which will go towards full Thanksgiving meals to Richmond families. I'm told this is an increase from last year, so thanks to everyone who attended the concert and helped to make a difference. And thanks to the student members of NSP who so willingly give of their time to support such needed efforts.

Rockapella returns to Richmond

2008-11-14T11:40:00.004-05:00

Kick off the holiday season on December 5 when the popular a cappella group Rockapella returns to the Modlin Center following two previous sold out appearances. This year, they bring their smash hit show, "A Rockapella Holiday," for performances at 7:30 (almost sold out) and 9:30 pm in Camp Concert Hall. Here's a video from the group's 2007 holiday tour.

This year's tour will feature traditional favorites like “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” and “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” as well as Rockapella’s original “Snowstar” (which was not on the set list for 2007).

Scott Leonard, Jeff Thacher, Kevin Wright, John K. Brown and George Baldi put on a great show. Don't miss it. Ticket are selling quickly!

Something new to listen to

2008-11-14T10:43:00.002-05:00

I've recently uploaded two Modcasts for your listening enjoyment! These podcasts feature question and answer sessions with artist and audience members following recent Modlin Center performances. On October 24 & 25, Thomas Mapfumo and The Blacks Unlimited performed in Camp Concert Hall and took questions from the audience concerning, among other things, the current political and economic situation in Zimbabwe.

On October 27 & 28, the Modlin Center presented Monday Night World Theater's dramatic reading of Sixteen Wounded by Eliam Kraiem, directed by Donna E. Coghill. The performances, in Cousins Studio Theatre, were followed by a Q&A with the actors, director and dialect coach, Martin Sulzer-Reichel. Audience members asked about the actors' preparation for the reading, including learning the necessary Israeli and Palestinian dialects, along with inquiring about insights into the characters backgrounds and futures.

Whether you attended these performances or not, you can still enjoy these podcasts! And I'd love to hear your feedback about them right here!

Punch Brothers headed to Richmond

2008-11-10T15:50:00.006-05:00

I thought this post from the Nonesuch Web site was worth sharing. We're looking forward to performances Tuesday and Wednesday nights at the Modlin Center!

Punch Brothers Tour Introduces Band's New Bass Player

Punch Brothers kicked off a string of November tour dates this past weekend after some time off that allowed for Chris Thile's monthlong tour with bassist Edgar Meyer featuring music from their recent debut duo album on Nonesuch (to which the Montreal Gazette recently gave 3 1/2 stars). These latest dates marked the debut of Punch Brothers' new bassist, Paul Kowert, who, fittingly, studied with Meyer at Philadelphia's Curtis Institute of Music.

The Bluegrass Blog, in a post earlier today, features a bit of biographical information on the young bass player and a review from the site's John Lawless of the new lineup after their sold-out gig at Kirk Avenue Music in Roanoke, Virginia, last night.

"Kowert," the site reports, "is more than up to the task. Not only has he memorized the demanding Punch Brothers repertoire, but he is a brilliant soloist in his own right." Lawless calls Kowert's tone "gorgeous" and crediting his playing with having "brought a new dimension to the band’s already impressive sound."

There's no shortage of praise for the other members of the band as well, though the reviewer sees it as almost self-evident enough not to state it again:

I don’t suppose there is any news value in pointing out that each member of Punch Brothers was equally stunning on stage, as was the group as a whole. They continue to strike me as the most technically gifted string ensemble yet assembled, and the discipline they exhibit individually and as a unit is a wonder to behold.

To read the full article, visit thebluegrassblog.com. The tour continues with sets tonight and tomorrow night in Richmond, Virginia, at the Modlin Center for the Arts. For more tour information, visit nonesuch.com/on-tour.

Frank Rich on Oprah today

2008-11-07T14:55:00.004-05:00

A friend (and big Oprah fan!) told me this morning that Frank Rich is scheduled to appear on Oprah today to give his input on the recent election. I can't find anything on Oprah's website but it's probably worth watching anyway. And if you miss it live, I'm sure you can check her site later. Rich, the Op-Ed columnist for The New York Times, will be visiting Richmond this weekend for two appearances at the Modlin Center: Sunday, Nov. 9 at 3 pm and Monday, Nov. 10 at 7:30 pm.

According to a recent preview in Style Weekly, Rich called Richmond home when he helped create the weekly paper The Richmond Mercury in 1972. Since then, he spent 13 years as the chief drama critic for The New York Times and is now an Op-Ed columnist there, offering a weekly editorial on the connection between culture and news. If you're able, don't miss this fabulous talk by one of the leading journalists of our time as he reflects on the impact of this historic election. He'll take questions from the audience and there will be a post-appearance book signing. Tickets are still available!

Students helping others at Thanksgiving

2008-11-05T16:14:00.004-05:00

The Modlin Center Box Office is often asked for assistance by various groups on campus. Our services are requested to sell tickets to big concerts and events presented around campus by the Campus Activities Board, student theatre productions in Cousins Studio Theatre, annual Family Weekend a cappella concerts and so on.

One group we've always assisted is the National Student Partnership (NSP), a group that recruits and trains VCU/UR volunteers to work one-on-one with low-income community members in obtaining economic stability. Each November, NSP hosts an a cappella concert in the University of Richmond's Cannon Memorial Chapel. Again this year, the concert (November 13 from 7-9 pm) will feature the four University of Richmond a cappella groups--Choeur du Roi, The Octaves, Off the Cuff and the Sirens. This year, Virginia Commonwealth University's first co-ed a cappella group, The Notochords, will also be featured.

Here's the good part: all proceeds raised from ticket sales and donations will help provide full Thanksgiving meals to NSP clients and their family members. Tickets are only $3 or 3 canned goods. Such a deal! Tickets will be available in advance at a table in UR's Tyler Haynes Commons next week (Nov. 10-13) or at the door. I hope you can come out and support NSP and their wonderful student volunteers--students who give so much of their time in support of others.

Two new Modcasts just posted

2008-10-29T22:01:00.004-04:00

We've just posted to new Modcasts (Modlin Center podcasts) on our site.

One is a post-performance Talkback following the October 1 Shanghai Quartet concert featuring the world premiere of Dick Hyman's Quartet in G. This was a wonderful discussion, and worth a listen whether you attended the concert or not.

The other is an interview with Punch Brothers' fiddler Gabe Witcher. Punch Brothers will visit the Modlin Center for two nights (November 11 & 12). Having made their first appearance on the country music scene only a year ago, the Punch Brothers featuring Chris Th ile are already playing to sold-out crowds across the United States. Composed of the blazingly talented Chris Thile (mandolin), Gabe Witcher (fiddle), Chris Eldridge (guitar), Noam Pikelny (banjo) and Greg Garrison (bass), this fledgling band has won the hearts of music lovers everywhere from fans of bluegrass to devotees of the classics. Tickets are on sale now!

So, listen online or subscribe with iTunes. Check it out now!

Sixteen Wounded: first day of rehearsal (Hans meets Mahmoud)

2008-10-24T16:55:00.007-04:00

A few minutes ago, we began our first rehearsal for the upcoming Monday Night World Theatre series dramatic reading of SIXTEEN WOUNDED by Eliam Kraiem. Today, Walter Schoen (left, playing Hans) and Adam Saunders (right, playing Mahmoud) met for the first time (Adam just flew in from Los Angeles). Together, they are working with Donna Coghill (director) and Martin Sulzer-Reichel (dialect coach/cultural consultant) on nuances of the piece including accents, cultural issues, etc. Amy Berlin (stage manager) is here to keep the rehearsal moving smoothly.

Earlier today, Donna and Amy arrived to get the space ready, tables set and check out the greenroom (which had been prepped by Nancy Balboni and Elizabeth Kirkwood). Since there are only 3 days to rehearse, it is extremely important that everything be ready-to-go. Time is everything.

Special thanks to Dana Rajczewski and Ben Paul for their help setting up Cousins Studio Theatre this afternoon and to Sean Farrell and Mike Burns for hanging the lights and setting the platforms yesterday. We are in very good shape for this reading.

Tomorrow, the full company arrives for the first read-through. It will be very exciting to see all of the pieces come together. Stay tuned for more updates.

The quiet before the storm

2008-10-13T15:14:00.002-04:00

Ahh. It's quiet and peaceful around the Modlin Center today. The greatly anticipated Fall Break has finally arrived! Two days with no classes, when students exit campus in droves, looking to relax or blow off steam after busy weeks of mid-terms and papers. However, that doesn't really affect the Modlin Center. Sure, we don't have performance when students are gone, but there is still much to do to prep for upcoming events. The first group of Russians (Saratov Academic Youth Theater) have arrived on campus, and will be followed shortly by the Germans (Max Raabe & Palast Orchester), then the hip musicians from New York's East Village (East Village Opera Company). They are followed quickly by the Africans (Thomas Mapfumo and the Blacks Unlimited) and then the Hollywood crowd (L.A. Theatre Works). And that's just October.

So, although it's called Fall Break, the only break we have at the Modlin Center is a break from the students. There are always tickets to sell, ads to design, mailing lists to create. And a few quite days to enjoy before the halls fill up again with students practicing their dance moves, running lines or drawing in the hallways. I'll enjoy it while I can. That is, when I'm not responding to e-mails, selling tickets, designing ads, running reports... Know what I mean?

Modcasts (Modlin podcasts) ready for your ears

2008-09-27T19:37:00.002-04:00

I've just posted two new podcasts to the Modlin Center Web site. With much thanks to Mike Burns in our production office, we were able to record discussions with the Hot 8 Brass Band on September 4 and eighth blackbird on September 17. Both of these Talkbacks (Q&As with the artists) were recorded live in conjunction with events at the Modlin Center.

On September 4, members of New Orleans' own Hot 8 Brass Band were on hand for the second night of a screening of Spike Lee's documentary, When the Levees Broke. Having just returned to New Orleans following evacuation due to Gustav, the timing couldn't have been more perfect to discuss the after-affects of Hurricane Katrina in 2006. Read more about Hot 8's visit to Richmond in my post from September 5.

On September 17, members of eighth blackbird, the Grammy Award-winning ensemble-in-residence, offered a post-performance discussion on the works they performed that evening with DJ/composer Dennis DeSantis. Among other things, the musicians discuss performing new works by contemporary composers, and how, sometimes, new music can be interpreted by various musicians in various ways.

You can listen to our podcasts online on our Web site, or you can subscribe to receive them automatically via iTunes. Either way, it's worth a listen!

Enjoy,
Samantha

Behind the Box Office Window (2nd Edition)

2008-09-15T16:17:00.000-04:00

For about a full year now, I have been privileged to work for the Modlin Center at the Box Office. As with the beginning of every school year there is the excitement of new classes, new dorm rooms, and (if we're lucky) some new menu items at the Dining Hall. But all of the student employees of the Modlin Center have something else on their list, and that is a brand new season of shows to start learning about.

This year, however, you will not only just hear my voice on the phone and maybe see me at one of our box office windows, but you might also see me running around wearing a headset. I have begun training (as of last weekend) to work as a student house manager for a number of MCA's shows this year. My new job as a member of the outstanding group of house managers which you see everytime you visit for a performance is very exciting. I can now see the larger picture at our events, seeing how to most efficiently direct our audiences into their seats, how to best make use of new technologies (like last year's ticket scanning and Tickets @ Home), and how to ensure a smooth and on time start of each performance.

I am excited, albeit overwhelmed, by the number of tasks which must be completed before, after, and during performances but realize that as long as the whole process is seamless and easy for you, the audience member, then our job has been done correctly. As always, please let us know how your experience is after each performance you attend, your comments are always appreciated.

Another component of each Modlin performance are the volunteer ushers -- people who are willing to donate their time to make sure everyone can find their seats in our theaters. These folks are great and, with the large number of ushers who work each year, are very flexible to differing production needs for each performance. I already enjoy working with these very special folks having volunteer ushered myself a few times (it's a great way to see a performance!)

That's all for now, I look forward to writing more about my training soon. I'll see you at the theater!

Paul

The Irish are coming...

2008-09-08T13:24:00.001-04:00

And we’re off! The 2008-2009 season kicked off this weekend with a matinee performance full of jigs, reels and rubbery-limbed Irish dancers. “An Irish Homecoming” featuring Cherish the Ladies, Bohola, Dermot Henry and the incredible Maura O’Connell brought a healthy dose of the Emerald Isle to Richmond on Saturday afternoon. Audience members braved the threat of a tropical storm to join in on the party, and the performers did not disappoint. Two hours after the first performance, they did it again in front of a sold-out evening crowd. It was announced over radio that we even had a few returning patrons from the afternoon show, purchasing standing-room only tickets. Aside from perhaps a change in location to a crowded Dublin pub, the group did not leave much room for improvement. The jigs were tight, the ballads were strong and they even managed to dig up perhaps the only Irish love song with a happy ending, shocking all in attendance.

For a member of the MCA production staff, the start of the season marks the beginning of what I like to call “Whatdayisitagain?”-itis. Days start to bleed in to each other, dates and times dance around my head with little Google Calendar alarms going off, and all hope of telling a Wednesday from a Saturday is lost. And yet it’s a small price to pay for events like Saturday, for the opportunity to work with a seemingly endless amount of incredibly talented performers and to watch the audience enjoy the results.

But do me a favor – the next time you see me looking confused behind the sound board, kindly remind me what day it is…

Hot 8 comes to Richmond to talk and play

2008-09-05T10:55:00.004-04:00

There was a wonderful Q&A session with members of New Orleans' own Hot 8 Brass Band last night in the Alice Jepson Theatre. It was held in conjunction with the second night of a film screening of Spike Lee's HBO documentary, When the Levee's Broke. The band members, who are featured in the film, took questions from the audience and discussed life in New Orleans before and since Hurricane Katrina. It was truly remarkable that they were here in Richmond at all, given that the band scattered all over once an evacuation of New Orleans was mandated due to Gustav. As it is, two musicians and the tour manager didn't reach Richmond for the Q&A. That didn't detract from the impact of the stories we heard. It was very touching to hear their stories, and though they all evacuated New Orleans as Katrina approached, they had much to share about the devastation the hurricane left in its path. The Modlin Center will post the Q&A as a podcast in a few days, so look for it. These guys are truly amazing.

The Hot 8 is also in town for two performances today. They will perform outdoors on the Lower Forum here on campus (lunchtime concert from 11:45 am-12:45 pm), and later head downtown to participate in the First Fridays Art Walk from 7-10 pm. We are extremely excited about these outdoor performances. Hot 8 had its beginnings as a Second Line band, leading parades through the streets of New Orleans. If the weather holds out, they will lead a parade tonight to kick off First Fridays and the 1708 Gallery's InLight Richmond festival. However, if it rains as expected, the band will be stationary, taking cover. The band will play three sets during the evening, so there are lots of opportunities to experience Hot 8 live without traveling to New Orleans. Come out and join us. We'll be there rain or shine!

Samantha

Subscriptions update

2008-07-28T09:57:00.003-04:00

The nice thing about blogging is that it can be done anywhere, at any time. I'm currently enjoying the third day of my vacation on the sunny shores of southern North Carolina. Jealous? I am enjoying a much deserved break, if I do say so myself. The past two weeks have been very busy at work, for a very good reason. I'm thrilled to announce that the Modlin Center has already received a record number of subscription orders for the upcoming 2008-2009 season! And we still have over a month before the season starts!

Our previous record was from the 2006-2007 season, when David Sedaris first visited Richmond and sold out the Landmark Theater. That season also had two of our other top selling events: MOMIX dance company and Cirque Eloize, the Canadian circus troupe that combines dance, music, acrobatics and theatrics. With all three of those back for the 2008-2009 season, we had hoped for a good response through subscriptions. But, add in a few other big sellers--Garrison Keillor, The 5 Browns, Frank Rich, Stephen Sondheim--and we've broken all records.

In the past two weeks, my staff and I have seated all our subscribers and, with the help of a lot of other people*, were able to get all subscription packets in the mail so I could go on vacation. Actually, I would have taken vacation anyway but it was a huge relief getting all that done before I left. :)

Don't worry, though--we'll still accept your subscription order. Although some events are selling out (Frank Rich and first performance of Cirque Eloize), there are still great seats left for most of our events. Subscribing is really the best way to guarantee your seat in our audience. And with 45 events to choose from, we really do have something for everyone.

So, take a look and place your order. I'll need something to do when I get back from vacation, right? Help me out!

Signing off from the sunny, sandy shores of NC,
Samantha

*Special thanks to David, Dana, Kaitlin, Donna, Christine, Tiffanie, Caitlyn, Nancy, Susan, Katy, Irin and Mike

Summer Days, Summer Nights are Gone...

2008-07-01T11:06:00.003-04:00

It’s July? Seriously? It’s hard to believe that the summer is already half-way gone. While our marketing department has kept busy getting the 2008-2009 season ready to go and taking orders for the many great events it holds, summer in the production world is a bit different. You might think that when the last show is finished in May the production crew packs their bags, jumps in a car and goes on vacation for the production-less summer. You would be wrong. Just because the next great event is months away doesn’t stop the work from pouring in.

It begins with a heavy helping of graduation related events – the School of Continuing Studies graduation, Jepson School Senior Awards and the Henrico County Teacher of the Year Awards. Every summer the Jepson Theater hosts a handful of local dance studios in their end of the year showcases, such as the Village Dance Studio and Bon Air Dance. May ended with the Kitts Piano Sale, a weeklong event that takes over Camp Concert Hall and the rest of the Booker building. There’s Partners in the Arts – another weeklong series of workshops for teachers K-12 aimed at showing the benefits of the arts and encouraging their use in every subject. The entire month of July is consumed by Governors School – a special session of classes and events for incoming high school seniors in Virginia that were hand selected by their teachers to represent their schools in a specific subject area. We host the Arts and Humanities group, with topics ranging from dance, art and music to archaeology, sociology and beyond.

Before you know it, it’s August and we are knee deep in contracts, making phone calls and exchanging e-mails to figure out who needs what production-wise for the upcoming season. In late August, a new class of freshman has arrived and we are busy running the many orientation events in Camp and Jepson. September rolls in and a new season begins.

Needless to say, there is never a dull moment at the Modlin Center.

Box office busy with orders

2008-06-29T21:48:00.002-04:00

It was such a relief to have the season finally announced last time I posted. Months of hard work was finally coming to an end and I couldn't wait to hear the reaction from our loyal patrons. Now, four weeks into our subscription campaign, I can say it's been a success! Sales are still steady and our numbers are up from last year, with subscriptions from over 650 households having already selected their events for the 2008-09 season.

Since our subscription package consists of five or more events from our season of 45, it's always interesting to see what patrons pick for their unique package. I love looking over orders as they come in and seeing the variety of combinations. We have people who pick only classical music, or primarily dance events. There are those who go crazy for our world music events...so it's a good thing that we have a lot of those to offer. Then there are those that truly pick a variety of events: David Sedaris, Chanticleer, Aquila Theatre Company, DRUMLine Live, MOMIX and Thomas Mapfumo and the Blacks Unlimited. These are the subscribers who truly appreciate the wide range of attractions that the Modlin Center presents in Richmond.

The renewal deadline is July 1, so we'll begin seating returning subscribers in the next week or so. Then we seat all new orders that have come in. It's not too late to place your order! I hope you'll be joining us when wour season starts in September!

Samantha

remodeling and looking back

2008-06-16T12:25:00.004-04:00

I may ruin a bit of a surprise here by posting this picture, but take a look at the new and improved Booker Lobby! My disclaimers are: 1) this is still a work-in-progress 2) I know this is a weird angle, and 3) I am no professional photographer. That said, I'm excited to share the news that we've had the lobby outside of Camp Concert Hall remodeled, and it looks fantastic. We now have an official-looking lobby for our gorgeous performance venue, and I'm looking forward to what it will look like when it's totally finished.

The 2008 incarnation of the lobby got me thinking about the last time the lobby was changed, and what changes we've both gone through together (okay, so I realize that this makes the lobby sound human or something, but I'm taking some artistic license here).

I arrived at UR in 1995 fresh out of high school and ready to get involved with the music department. I admit to not remembering too much about how the lobby looked back then, because it was in the process of a major renovation - it was going from the Camp Theatre in the Fine Arts Building (oh, the time spent in The FAB!) to the Camp Concert Hall in the Booker Hall of Music, which would then be part of the Modlin Center for the Arts. I remember taking a hard-hat tour of the new building and of this lobby, and it was exciting. I knew that great things were coming, and I was glad that the Modlin Center would open my sophomore year, because this meant that I had 3 years to enjoy it (my friends who were seniors at the time were seriously jealous).

I was pretty sure that most of my time spent in the Modlin Center would involve performing - the University music ensembles rehearse and perform in the concert hall, and this is an incredible opportunity for students - and attending performances. I had no idea that the Modlin Center would become a second home for me, both during school and after graduation.

One of my activities during college was Alpha Phi Omega, the co-ed service fraternity. As part of my volunteer hours, I often ushered for student recitals in Perkinson Recital Hall during my freshman year. The APO member who organized the project was a senior, so my friend Jodie and I decided to take that project over for sophomore year. In retrospect, I realize that this decision seemed small at the time but ended up having a huge impact on my life. Since the Modlin Center was opening soon, they were looking for students to volunteer for the opening weekend, and I think that's the first way in which I got involved - I had made the connection with the Modlin Center while working on the recital ushering for the year. When the Modlin Center looked for student house managers, I was ready to give it a try.

I admit that I'd not thought about the arts business as a career before then. I was an elementary education student, and I eventually taught school for five years after graduating from UR in 1999. While teaching, I was a pro house manager here, because it was a part of my life that I couldn't imagine living without. When a full-time job opened up at the Modlin Center, I knew that it was something that I wanted to do. It was one of the best decisions I've ever made!

I'm proud to say that I've worked for the Modlin Center in some capacity since its opening in October of 1996. Here's to another great year, new lobby and all!

Performing Arts Management Students Blog about their Internship Experiences

2008-06-09T12:14:00.002-04:00

They're off. Our students on internships this summer have begun a blog about their experiences. Check it out! http://blog.richmond.edu/artsfieldreports

If I Were A Patron...

2008-06-03T14:17:00.003-04:00

Ah, summertime, and the living is easy...

It's the beginning of June, and this year it means that we've announced our new season schedule. I hope that many of you have already received our season brochure in the post, and if you haven't hopefully it's on the way to you. Everyone can stop by the Modlin Center and pick up a brochure, look through it, and then purchase a season subscription on any normal business day [though the box office is only open in the afternoons, our computers work all day!].

This is also the time when i look forward to the next year with both joy and, well, not joy. The joy in this time is that i can start to look ahead to all the killer shows that i get to work on in the upcoming school year. The 'not joy' part is that i already know which nights i'm working during the upcoming school year, and there's plenty of them...

There is one thing that makes up for all the hard work, though: i get to see every show for free! You might argue that i pay for my performances in blood, sweat, and tears, but i don't really bleed that much. Of course, the pay here isn't a laughing matter, either, but getting to see these shows for [relatively] nothing is a great draw.

But what if i wasn't able to stay and see the shows anymore? What if i had to buy a subscription like everyone else?

Well, i'd pony up, that's what i'd do. And here's what i'd come to see in the 2008-2009 season:

Everything.

I don't know how i'd afford it, but really, i can't narrow this list down to just a few performances. I just can't. I guess the only difference between being a patron and being an employee is that i actually have to work here.

New season announced!

2008-05-31T21:03:00.002-04:00

Finally...months of work on the 2008-2009 season have come to an end. We're now able to announce our full roster of performers--favorite artists and ensembles returning to the Modlin Center and a large number of first-time musicians and attractions! We believe this is going to be a stellar year and we hope you'll be joining us in the audience come September. Our Web site is now loaded with events. Take a look--read about our artists, listen to their music, visit their personal Web sites. Subscription tickets are available starting June 2 when the box office opens for the summer. This is always the best way to reserve your seats in advance (and at a discount) for events that will certainly sell out--David Sedaris, Garrison Keillor, Cherryholmes, Cirque Eloize, Reduced Shakespeare Company, MOMIX. Order forms can be downloaded from our Box Office Information page. And please contact the Modlin Center Box Office with any questions! We look forward to hearing from you!

Not just a day at the beach!

2008-05-24T11:46:00.008-04:00

Within the next few weeks, five of our arts management students will start their summer internships at various locations around the country, from New York City to Dallas, Texas. Each internship is a unique experience, customized to the needs and interests of our students. It is their opportunity to apply knowledge learned in the classroom to real-world situations in the field.

Here’s a look at our students and their internships:

Chloe Bailey (’10) is from Memphis, Tenn., and will be the Executive Intern at Atlantic Theater Company in New York. Founded by William H. Macy and David Mamet, ATC is an award-winning Off-Broadway theater that believes the story of a play and the intent of its playwright are at the core of the creative process. They have produced more than 100 plays, including the Tony Award-winning productions of Spring Awakening and The Beauty Queen of Leenane as well as The Lieutenant of Inishmore by Martin McDonagh.

Kathleen Callahan (’09) is from Westminster, S.C., and will be interning at Richmond’s own Theatre IV and Barksdale Theater. Under the leadership of two UR alums, Bruce Miller and Phil Whiteway, Theatre IV and Barksdale have become theatrical powerhouses in Richmond. This summer, Kathleen will help with their summer productions as well as help prepare for the launch of their 2008-09 season in the fall.

GlennMary Carroll (’10) is from Pasadena, C.A., and will be doing her summer internship in the licensing department of Disney Theatrical Productions in New York City. This highly competitive internship will give Glennie a behind-the-scenes look at how shows such as The Lion King and High School Musical go from Broadway to the local high school.

Paul Kappel (’10) is from Pittsburgh, P.A., and will be the ExxonMobil Development Intern at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. Paul follows in the footsteps of two UR alums who held internships at Arena: Kristen Mitchell and Emily Sever. One of the nation's leading regional theatres, Arena recently began construction on a $100 million renovation and expansion project. Paul will be witness to change as the theater has temporarily set up shop for two seasons in Crystal City during construction of the Mead Center for American Theater.

Veronica Seguin (’10) will be interning in the development and education department at WaterTower Theatre in Addison, Texas (a suburb of Dallas). WaterTower is known for its innovative and diverse mix of programming. The annual summertime Out of the Loop Festival presents new work by local and national writers. (I hope Veronica manages a visit to Southfork Ranch and brings back a souvenir for her favorite intern supervisor!)

In the coming weeks, you will be able to follow our students on our internship blog. Stay tuned for more details.

My First Top 5

2008-05-12T16:21:00.006-04:00

I caught the last few minutes of the film adaptation of Nick Hornby’s High Fidelity the other day, and I was struck with a sudden realization – I have never made a Top 5 list. For anyone that hasn’t seen the film/read the book, the Top 5 list plays a crucial role. Lists such as “Top 5 Monday morning work songs”, “Top 5 breakup songs”, “Top 5 songs about death”, “Top 5 musical crimes perpetrated by Stevie Wonder in the 80’s and 90’s” – the plot revolves around three record store employees so they’re mostly music related, but you get the idea. At any rate, I was inspired and realized that with the closing of my first season here I finally had a worthy subject matter for my very first Top 5.

So without further adieu, I proudly present…

Top 5 Moments in My First Season at MCA

1. Diavolo
This was the third show of the 2007-2008 season, and easily my favorite “dance” show. I put dance in quotes because the focus wasn’t so much on dance in the traditional “plie and arabesque” manner. I don't even know how to begin to explain it ... giant boat rocking back and forth launching people high in to the air, big metal wheel swallowing dancers between its crossbars, black fiberglass prisms on wheels forming variety of geometric shapes (while being danced on), Arvo Part ... I think the best thing to do is buy tickets next time it comes around.

As a side note I recently saw* Diavolo founder/artistic director Jacques Heim as a guest judge and instructor on an episode of Bravo's Step it Up and Dance hosted by Jesse Spano (Elizabeth Berkley). He is quite a character, as anyone that stayed for the post-show talk back could attest to.

*I don’t actually watch this show, it was just a preview I swear…

2. 3P07
I am a huge fan of the new music scene and I’m very grateful to our fearless leader (Ms. Kathy Panoff) for her relentless commitment to bringing in new music composers/performers to our venues. For those of you that don't know about it, Third Practice is an electroacoustic music festival founded in 2001 by Benjamin Broening (music department faculty here at UR). Here again text isn't the appropriate medium to convey meaning, but if I had to sum it up in one ugly run-on sentence-- Two days of mixed media, multi-channel, thought provoking compositions that blur the lines between music, sound and noise with a unique marriage of acoustic sound and modern technology. This was my second year as Assistant Technical Director for the festival, and it just keeps getting better. 3P07 featured So Percussion, a premier by composer Francis White, and a collaboration between UR faculty Andy McGraw, ensemble-in-residence eighth blackbird and Balinese puppeteer Gusti Putu Sudarta. For more information, check out the festivals web site here.

3. Steve Reich Double Sextet Recordings/Premier
In January I had the privilege and honor of sitting beside Grammy-award winning producer Judith Sherman, directing Grammy-award winning ensemble eighth blackbird in the recording of a new commission by Grammy-award winning composer Steve Reich. That’s a lot of Grammys! I acted as recording engineer, setting up the equipment and running the recording software for two frigid winter days in a heater-less room. If that wasn’t enough, I was also active as stagehand and assistant to the audio engineer for the world premier of the same piece in March, for which Mr. Reich was in attendance. Needless to say, that was a highlight of much more than just this year for me…

4. Ira Glass
Radio has a special place in my heart – I have vivid memories of Sunday morning car rides listening to Prairie Home Companion with my parents, and late night road trips full of old time radio shows like Dragnet and Have Gun Will Travel. I had actually never listened to Ira Glass until he graced our stage, but his opening monologue, a good five minutes in complete black with nothing but the sound of his voice and a well-told story, really took me back. It was truly a great night of entertainment, and it was so simple – one man, a chair, a table and two CD players sitting bare downstage center. No fancy lights, no pyrotechnics, no sets or backdrops, just a regular guy with a microphone and some funny stories. It was one of the very few times I sat in the booth upstairs and listened from start to finish, thinking to myself “This is work? People pay for this…”

5. Regina Carter
I won’t lie … a big factor in this making the list is the fact that it was the last show of the season. But not like that, not in the “Thank God it’s over!” sense (OK maybe a little bit…), but more in the summation of an entire seasons worth of hard work. It was a great show, her band was incredible and she’s an amazingly talented performer – I enjoyed every second of it. But it was more than that; they were genuinely good people that were a pleasure to work with and a joy to talk to. They hit the perfect (high) note to end my first season on. It’s people like them that make me glad to be in this field.

Can’t wait for next season!

The countdown to June continues

2008-05-10T20:29:00.004-04:00

It's less than a month before we announce the 2008-2009 season on June 1. Moving our schedule up by a month has been harder than I expected. We had the season pretty well set in January, so I didn't think it was too much work to get the brochure printed and the web site up-to-date by June 1 instead of July 1. Easy--you just adjust your deadlines to accommodate the new schedule. Or so I thought.

Sometimes things don't go as expected and it puts a kink in the whole schedule. And so it was with a couple of our scheduled events for the coming season. It all started with a phone call. A manager calls Executive Director Kathy Panoff to say that an artist scheduled for an April 2009 concert (a concert that has been on the calendar for over a year) has decided that she can't perform in Richmond because she needs more time to prepare for some other engagement. I get the word from Kathy that we will probably have to cancel this event but we need a few days for confirmation. Confirmation finally comes (no way for us to keep this artist on our calendar, although much of our season has been scheduled with her as the focus) but we need to find a replacement. It may take a few days.

By now, our designer is on hold because she doesn't know who the replacement will be or where during the year it will fall. Probably not on the same date.

Then, a phone call from another management company saying that the three shows we had contracted for January 2009 would need to be cut to two because the company needs more travel time between engagements. Now, this is the second time we've been asked to reduce the number of performances. We had booked four shows in four days, now we were being asked to do two shows in two days. Our answer: no way. It would be suicidal if we only offered our patrons two shows of this extremely popular attraction. We needed three shows or we wouldn't take any. Again, we waited, hoping to get our three shows.

Meanwhile, nothing much is happening with our print brochure design because we don't know what was going to happen with two major events. Our designer can work miracles, but she would prefer not to have to fill in a big gaping whole if we cancel more events.

Good news: we did find that replacement artist and we did get our requested three performances. And we got the brochure designed. So, a happy ending. But I've learned over the years that you just can't expect things to go smoothly when putting together a major presenting season. Some things are out of your hands. And, no matter what else happens between now and June 1, you can believe that we're doing everything we can to announce a fabulous season for you. Over the next few weeks, as your waiting for our "big" announcement, check out some of the events we've already announced. And just know that there are many more to explore beginning June 1!

Samantha

Putting It Together

2008-05-02T15:48:00.008-04:00

I feel like I've done a lot of writing lately. This will come to a temporary end soon, though, as the semester officially ends tomorrow.

I am a part-time graduate student working to get my Master of Liberal Arts degree. Since our work schedule is a little bit crazy here at the Modlin Center, I only take one class per semester. The beauty of UR's MLA program is that students design their own courses of study, so we are truly able to study those topics in which we have a genuine interest. The way I look at it is that I'm taking all of the electives that I didn't have time for as an undergraduate here; my focus is arts and culture, and it's a blast! The three classes I've taken so far (besides the intro class) were Managing Performing Arts Organizations, Philanthropy in the Arts, and the History of Photography. My current class - I call it current because the final thesis paper is still in draft form on my laptop - is Sondheim and the American Musical. More on that in a minute.

Taking these classes has helped me to understand more about why I do what I do. The first two classes concerned the practical side of the arts - the business side. This is the part that I see every day, and it is just as exhausting, exciting, stress-inducing, and amazing as it sounds. When an event is a success (as it usually is), there's nothing quite like the feeling of accomplishment that comes from knowing that you played some sort of part (no matter how small) in making things happen.

This year's classes have helped me to understand more about the creation of the art that is displayed in venues like ours. I have come away with a greater appreciation for the true challenges involved in the genesis of art, be it performing or visual. As Stephen Sondheim said in Sunday in the Park with George (a work with which I've become fairly familiar, since it is the object of my thesis paper), art isn't easy.

During the Modlin Center 08-09 season, I will have the opportunity to put these two aspects of art together, particularly during one event. I will do extensive logistical planning and prep with my boss, and then I will sit in the house and learn more about the creative mind of Stephen Sondheim from Mr. Sondheim himself. I've learned so much this semester, and I know that when we present him in conversation with Frank Rich, I will learn even more. I can't wait!

Creating Something Out Of Nothing

2008-04-22T14:45:00.008-04:00

This is science: The law of conservation of mass states that, in a closed system, mass will remain constant regardless of the processes happening inside said system.

Ah, I love science. This law basically says that in Chemistry, the amount of what you put in must equal the amount of what you get out. It doesn't matter if all that stuff has changed a million times, just that it's the same amount.

As we all know, this law doesn't quite work for much else. If you only put in five minutes worth of work, you won't get much in return. In this business it feels as if you are required to put in days of work before a show. That show is then only two hours at most, after which you spend hours taking everything down, packing it up, and putting it back on the truck.

That's all well and good, but that's not what i'm here to talk to you about.

I'm here to tell you about the fact that there is no law of conservation of art.

A few months ago i was approached by these friends of mine to work on a world premiere show. Flattered that they thought of me, I accepted the challenge of helping them create art out of nothing. We started with an empty stage (our closed system) to which we added a floor covering, piles of instruments, a table, some chairs, a couple buckets full of sand, some metal scrap items, and finally our six players. Our chemicals in place, we gave them sheet music as a catalyst, starting the reaction that created the show.

I think we all got something different out of that art reaction when it first happened back in March. I know that I got a sense of accomplishment, a little bit of frustration, a bunch of paperwork, calls from the tour with questions, my name in front of the playbill, and cash in the bank. One reason that there is no law of conservation of art is due to the fact that every other person got something different from that show. We all started with the same reactants, added the same catalyst, and created individual outcomes for everyone.

That's the other reason there is no law of conservation of art - we can create art out of nothing. Let's see science do that!

Kidjo!

2008-03-31T11:08:00.000-04:00

I had never heard of Angelique Kidjo.

But beginning in about February (or earlier) the video preview monitor outside of the box office window began playing this, for lack of a better word, addicting cover of the Rolling Stones' Gimme Shelter by Kidjo, and I was singing along.

I realized that I needed to get a ticket to this show to check it out because I really enjoy music from other cultures around the world, and figured it was a safe bet with a Grammy Award winner. I went with my friend Kerry and we didn't really know what to expect, we had both heard the Rolling Stones cover so much that we could sing it ourselves. The lights dimmed, Steve Horvath came on the speakers, and there she was.

To steal a quote from all of our audience reviewers this was the best concert I have ever seen in Richmond. Kidjo is so much more than just amazing music, she is truly an inspirational person, and a charismatic entertainer. The turning point in the concert was surely when Kidjo walked right off the stage into the aisle and continued to sing up and down the aisles of Camp Concert Hall, right with the audience, she was not a disconnected performer but instead became a part of the audience (considering how much singing and dancing we did!).

I was absolutely speechless after the concert. I quickly returned home to my laptop to download every song from the performance and I am still enjoying them as I write this post. What a great way to (almost) end the season, and now I will join everyone else as we wait to find out what other great concerts like this one await us in next year's season.

Thanks for reading,

Paul

Spring brings thoughts of a new season

2008-03-25T17:00:00.004-04:00

Well, we've had a very busy season with 40+ artists and ensembles visiting our stages over the past seven months. And just as it starts to wind down with the Modlin Center Great Performances series (three events and counting!), I get to immerse myself in a whole new roster of artists and ensembles in preparation for the 2008-2009 season.

Believe it or not, patrons are already begging to know who and what we have scheduled for next season. And, I'm happy to report, there will be a shorter waiting period than normal. Big news (imagine drum roll here): we will announce our season one month early! So, instead of waiting until July, when the summer feels like it's half-way done, we'll be announcing our new season, too much fanfare, on June 1.

The majority of my March, April and May will be spent gathering information from our resident departments and programs, researching the visiting artists on our Great Performances series and working with our fabulous designer Susan to create a season brochure unlike any before. And there is a lot of information to collect and sort through. I'll look at hundreds of artist photographs, searching for just the right ones to make the attraction "pop" off the page and grab your attention. I'll wade through bios, performance reviews, promotional material...all to put together the best descriptions possible to tempt you into buying tickets to our events!

In addition to what I gather for our print brochure, I also need another whole set of material for our Web site, which also launches June 1. This includes audio and video clips and links to our artists own sites. And I work with another designer to make our Web site mesh with our print brochure. So, as you can see, there is much happening around my office. And there are so many wonderful people involved in this process, and I couldn't get all this done without their help, especially Jen who has been unbelievable at gathering information for me.

So, give us a few more months to put everything together. Look for a few teasers in the coming months, and then our full announcement on June 1. I can guarantee there will be something in it for everyone!

sensory overload - in a good way

2008-03-21T13:01:00.010-04:00

So this week has brought us St. Patrick's Day, the first day of spring, and a Modlin Center performance I've been looking forward to since I first heard about it - DJ Spooky's "Rebirth of a Nation".

I admit that I knew very little about DW Griffith's 1915 film "Birth of a Nation" before attending the performance. All I really knew was that a) it's studied quite a bit in film classes, and b) it's extremely racist. What I did know about "Rebirth" was that DJ Spooky would be in some way remixing the movie and using his own music.

As soon as the show was due to start, I took a seat in the rear of the balcony. For anyone who doubts that balcony seating could possibly be as good as orchestra, I would invite you to give it a try in Jepson Theatre - in my mind, it's the best place to sit, as you really get a fantastic view of what's going on. Anyway, I wanted to see this performance as a patron (job perk!), so I settled in to my seat and absorbed the scene.

The stage looked amazing - there was one large hanging screen surrounded by two smaller hanging screens, and there was a DJ console on the stage.

From the beginning, I was pulled into the show as a full experience. DJ Spooky's mixing of the movie is the main focus, but for me, the music (composed by DJ Spooky and recorded by the Kronos Quartet) was just as integral.

At first, I wasn't sure where to look - the side screens or the center screen? - and I thought I'd miss something. But as I settled back and let myself take in everything that was happening on stage, my eyes shifted back and forth easily. "Rebirth" begins with a montage of contemporary footage that challenges the audience to wonder how far we've truly come. It was interesting to see it in this order (rather than having the new footage at the end), because it gave me a backwards historical context, if that makes any sense. This helped to set the stage - no pun intended. (You can see this opening montage in the "Rebirth" trailer here)

Some aspects of the original film were still confusing to me, plot-wise, but I think that's what happens when a 3-hour film is mercifully edited down to a little over an hour). The extra commentary that DJ Spooky provides - through silent film word screens paired with Griffith's originals - made it clearer to me.

My greater struggle was to understand the sheer amount of propaganda in the original movie. Griffith's film explained that the Ku Klux Klan was formed out of necessity to keep the newly freed black people from taking over the genteel white South, still hurting from the Civil War. I know that I stared and shook my head in disbelief more than once during the movie.

The "Rebirth" score added even more tension to this as it was often chaotic, dissonant, and even disjointed at times. The "Rebirth" editing made subtle statements - the one that stuck in my mind was when Northerner Elsie Stoneman was "saved" from marrying a mulatto man (with whom she was allied) by a Klansman. As Elsie turns her head to see her protector, he removes his hood, and the frame highlights (with circles, I think) a freeze frame of their faces - she with silent film star adoring eyes, he with undisguised pride. I remember shaking my head, and I think I may have said aloud, "Oh my God." I don't think I was the only one.

While DJ Spooky's message was subtler than I initially expected, the performance was still moving, challenging, and disturbing. I think it's ultimately hopeful, though, because to me it shows just one more way that art is a powerful medium to share ideas, begin discussions, and find solutions to problems of all scopes.

(The photo above is from the Q&A session conducted by DJ Spooky after the performance. I didn't stay for that part - it was back to work for me - but I heard from many people that they learned a lot!)

Kids loved Pig, Moose, Mouse et al.

2008-03-10T21:15:00.007-04:00

The Modlin Center was overrun with school kids last weekend. Nope, not our regular crowd of students. Spring break had just started so the college students had mainly deserted campus by Saturday morning. This day was all about the pre-school crowd. And they came out in droves!

Moms, dads and grandparents brought their little ones to the Modlin Center to see the Dallas Children's Theater production of "If you Give a Pig a Party." This show, based on the popular books by Laura Numeroff about the Pig with the pancake, the mouse with the cookie and the moose and his muffin, brought all the characters together with their friends Cat, Dog and Girl, for a big party. And that was definitely the feel of things around our building.

Little girls in fancy dresses with big bows in their hair, or wearing matching outfits with their siblings. Little boys with trucks and cars on their shirts. The youngest ones carrying their favorite doll or stuffed animal, or a beloved blankie. The laughter in the theatre was priceless, and so different from the reactions of our normal, above age 10 crowd.

And I've never seen lines as long as those to meet the characters after the show (see photos). It was pure pandemonium to some, but adults and kids alike wouldn't have missed a minute of it. The smiles on the little faces as they had Pig sign their program, or took a picture with Mouse, was a sight to see.

If you want to read more about it, and hear first hand from the adults that attended, then just look at the 20+ comments on our Audience Reviews board. Not a complaint among them!

My only regret after the three performances were over was that my own young nieces (all living out of town) weren't able to enjoy the show with me!

Samantha

Tradition!

2008-03-08T15:55:00.003-05:00

Before I even get started, I want to let everyone know that this post is most certainly not about Fiddler On The Roof. Maybe I’ve been in this business too long when I can write one word like “tradition” and instantly have a show tune stuck in my head.

Seriously, though, that’s not what I’m writing about. I just wanted everyone else to remember that song, too.

What I’m writing about are those traditions that patrons almost never get to see. Of all the things that happen backstage, nothing is held as sacred as a tradition.

Some performers have to do certain things before they can go on stage. I’ve seen crazy dances [like the ‘peanut butter jelly’ dance], I’ve seen circles that start jumping around, I’ve seen people talk to themselves. There have been group prayers, group chants, group drinks, group tunings, and group hugs. I have even gone so far as to attempt to try to participate in a Maori haka dance [i failed miserably].

There are also traditions that end up in a contract rider [that’s the information we get that tells us what kind of food to serve, what people need/like in their dressing rooms, what kinds of lights to hang, instruments to have, etc.]. There’s the legendary ‘no brown M&Ms’ tradition that might even be urban legend at this point. A few weeks ago we were asked for thirteen matching black hand towels. We’ve been asked for more different kinds of juice than I thought existed; water that is bottled, still, fizzy, imported, cold, and room temperature; and been told time and again that a tray of deli meats does not a true meal make.

But all this is fine and good, but it’s nothing like the tradition that I stumbled across a few days ago when Natalie MacMaster was here with her band. That’s when I met Hootie.

Hootie, for those of you that didn’t get to see him, is a two foot tall plastic owl. You read that correctly: a two foot tall plastic owl. He's not the singer for a 1990's pop band from South Carolina that had such hits as "Hold My Hand" and "Let Her Cry." Just wanted to clear that up [and maybe get another song stuck in your head].

No, Hootie hails originally from just down Interstate 64 in Newport News, Virginia. He had taken up residence at the Yoder Barn Theatre at Christopher Newport University. Apparently he used to just like to hang out up on one of the rafters with all the lights. He mostly kept to himself, not making much noise, yet excelled at keeping away crows. That's what two foot tall plastic owls do, they keep constant vigil against crows, and do not go on tour.

Until now.

Hootie has been picked up for the duration of the Natalie MacMaster tour. He goes to every house, takes lots of pictures, and always does the meet and greet. He has his own place on stage, and even gets his own spotlight! Hootie even has a birthday, 4 March 2008, which is the day he left Yoder for life on the road. If one could be jealous of a two foot tall plastic owl, this would be one to be jealous of. I heard some talk of him one day picking up another tour, but there's a big world out there for a two foot plastic owl from Newport News. Right now he's on tour - seeing the world and rocking it one show at a time. He's also in the spotlight - getting the best solos and standing ovations, and getting phone numbers from the ladies in the front row.

Mostly, though, he's a new tradition.

Reinventing the Wheel

2008-03-05T17:12:00.004-05:00

The other day, I got an e-mail from a student who wanted to bring a group of sorority sisters to the University Dancers’ annual spring concert, LEAP. This is the kind of inquiry we love. The student and I met to discuss the details of her event, a pre-show dessert in the lobby followed by the performance. Perfect. We have the inventory and the space. To start, we put 60 seats on hold. I anticipated that that number would eventually be reduced by about 20-30%. A few days later, the student e-mailed me and requested 20 additional tickets. Soon after that, she requested more. Her final count was over 100 tickets…far exceeding the number we originally anticipated.

If I have learned anything in my four years here, it is that students market to each other. They talk, send IMs, text message and write on each other’s Facebook walls. When determined, they can spread the word about an event better than any paid advertising or marketing that we can do…and MUCH faster than print or other traditional media. While we often give credit to the Internet for this revolutionary explosion of marketing, it is just another tool in a world that is changing every day; driven by consumer demands and attitudes. More and more, we want information that is targeted to our needs, our lifestyles, our interests. We no longer want to read about all the tasty items on the menu. Instead, we want to hear about the daily specials. We want customized information and we want it NOW.

To the marketer, this is a challenge. In the early part of the twentieth-century, Danny Newman wrote the book, literally, on the subscription series. Titled “Subscribe Now!” Newman cooked-up a recipe for success that every arts organization in the country followed. Now, those rules are bending. Flexibility and choice drive today’s arts consumer. A plethora of pick-you-own offerings suitable to a variety of tastes replaces the all-or-nothing subscription series.

For our students, the only subscription they know belongs to a magazine or RSS feed. If we want to reach them, our best bet is to do it person-to-person (be it wired or wireless).

Mission Accomplished!

2008-03-05T15:32:00.009-05:00

Several months ago I posted a piece entitled The Best Part of My Job about introducing our dear friend bassist Christian McBride to one of our most prominent UR alums, astronaut Leland Melvin. As you recall, Leland was getting ready for his first mission to space and he promised he was going to bring a Christian McBride CD with him.

Well, we proudly watched Leland's launch on February 6, 2008 and cheered his safe return to earth on February 20, 2008 after a successful mission to deliver the European space lab. In fact, Beverly Bradshaw, our indispensable administrative assistant actually attended the launch at Cape Canaveral as Leland's guest and had great stories to tell when she returned to Richmond.

Leland called us earlier this week to thank us for our support and to tell us he had sent Christian McBride the photos you see here (courtesy of NASA) proving that he did, in fact, "Take Christian McBride's music into space!"

Enjoy! Leland we are so proud of you! And McBride, remember who loves ya' baby!

kp

Be Careful What You Wish For!

2008-03-04T21:48:00.011-05:00

When I came to Richmond from Cincinnati, I was chagrined, but not surprised to find that the capital city was a one newspaper town. Not unlike Cincinnati, one of Richmond's two daily newspapers, the Richmond News Leader, disappeared in the mid 80's, and with it, any real opportunity for coverage of multiple points of view in the arts. Outside of the major markets like New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, Richmond, like most other US newspaper markets, became a "one thumb" town.

What makes arts and culture so exciting, at least to me, is the notion that one single experience in the theatre, concert hall or museum, can elicit completely opposite reactions from those in attendance. And it's that conversation -- whether you loved something or hated it -- that gives the arts and culture true meaning and relevance in our society.

The internet age has brought new hope for meaningful arts and cultural discourse and the Modlin Center jumped at the opportunity to use technology to get that conversation going. We launched the audience reviews section of our website last year and we have had a remarkable response from many patrons who are eager to share their views -- good and bad.

Now, I thought I was prepared to take the good comments with the bad, especially since Modlin patrons never hesitate to come up to me, personally, to tell me exactly what they think of any given performance. Well folks, I was not prepared, especially when I read some of the negative comments that were now posted out there on the internet for the entire world to see! Had I now become lily-livered about very kind of cultural discussion I had hoped to inspire? I had to wonder. Honestly, it hurts when I read some of that stuff, and this week's comment that the Bobby McFerrin concert was "like water boarding," sent me completely over the edge!

I screamed to my staff, "Blow that bloody page up!"

"Whoa there, KP," they reminded me. "This is what you wanted." And to be honest, it really is. At the end of they day I would rather that folks come to the theatre and hate what they saw, than not to have come at all. And I am truly interested in what patrons have to say. After all, one person's "fabulous" is another person's "torture". Vive La Différence!

Honestly, I try not to take it personally. My team and I work really hard to put together a season of diverse performances of the very highest caliber and at the end of the day, not everyone is going to like everything we present. That's life. That's art. And that's what makes this such a remarkable conversation.

So, thank you for posting your audience reviews. Keep 'em coming!

kp

Ave formosissima

2008-03-01T08:47:00.003-05:00

Last week I experienced one of our performances from a patron's point of view. I hadn't done this in a little while, but I'd been looking forward to the Washington Symphonic Brass concert since our season was announced back in July.

I should preface this by saying that I am a trumpet player. I began playing in 4th grade. The Darien, Connecticut school system truly understands how to get kids involved in the arts from an early age, and for that I'm eternally grateful. Up until about 4 years ago (when my clumsiness resulted in an emergency trip to the dentist for a front tooth crown), I played consistently - orchestra, jazz ensemble, wind ensemble, pep band, lessons, recitals, weddings, etc.

Monday night's WSB concert reminded me how much I truly miss playing, and this may have been the final piece of motivation I've needed to get started again.

From the first note of the performance's opening piece (a fantastic Dukas fanfare), I was totally hooked. As I sat in the middle of the concert hall, I stared wide-eyed at the stage. It's very cliché, but the best way to describe it is that I felt - and I'm sure looked - like a kid on Christmas morning. I couldn't stop smiling in amazement, and I'm fairly sure that I had a ridiculously goofy grin on my face for the whole first half of the performance.

But the best was yet to come. The second half of the performance featured selections from Carl Orff's Carmina Burana that Phil Snedecor - co-founder, arranger, and trumpet player for WSB - arranged for brass and percussion. As soon as the group played their first notes of O Fortuna, I had goosebumps. The brass sounds in particular filled the concert hall, and the feeling of being surrounded by such beautiful music was just incredible. While it is tough to beat the brilliance and sheer drama of both O Fortuna sections, the section that really stood out to me was Ave formosissima. It sounded to me like a soundtrack to some sort of triumphant march or ceremony, and I was sitting on the edge of my seat wondering where the music would go next. And that final chord - wow! It was so powerful! The WSB held that out that chord for a few seconds before leading into the final section - the second O Fortuna. What an ending!

After standing and applauding with my fellow audience members, I moved quickly out to the lobby to purchase one of the WSB CDs. As I sit here writing, I'm listening to Washington Symphonic Brass: Burana in Brass, and I highly recommend that you listen to this too.

I found out that Ave formosissima translates to "Hail, most beautiful one". Now that is an incredible line in a love poem, along with the later line "Hail, light of the world". But to me it's a perfect title for this already amazing piece of music, made even better by the Washington Symphonic Brass.

February Has Been a Great Month for New Music!

2008-02-29T12:47:00.010-05:00

Earlier this week, I received a voice mail from a Modlin Center patron with a simple message of thanks for the performance of Osvaldo Goljoiv's Ayre performance last week with Dawn Upshaw and Orquestra Los Marranos. It was a remarkable evening of music making and I was proud to be able to present it in Richmond.

Mr. Golijiov, Ms. Uphaw and all of the musicians and electro-acoustic engineers, were in Richmond for three days while they prepared for the concert. While in residence, they had the opportunity to work with our students and faculty in music. Our composition students had a private coaching and review of their own compositions with Maestro Golijov (pictured here discussing a composition with a student) and the entire company of musicians met with students and faculty in music to discuss the rehearsal process and the specialized performance practices required for Ayre.

And to top it off, our own ensemble-in-residence, eighth blackbird, fresh off their Grammy win for best chamber music performance, was part of the Orquestra Los Marranos. The sextet was featured in the first half of the concert and our audience was simply transported by the performance of works by Stephen Hartke and George Crumb.

I am so proud of the Modlin Center's role in commissioning and presenting new music and while it is not always appreciated by all of our patrons, I honestly believe it is the most important work we can do to help further the growth and development of the art form.

So, February's been a great month and sincere thanks to those of you who appreciate and support our efforts in this area.

Onward!
kp

The Life of a Sound Guy...

2008-02-22T12:24:00.005-05:00

Well, this is my fourth attempt at an inaugural post for the MCA blog. That sentence is about as far as I got with my first three. (Many poor sentences were harmed in the making of this post). First impressions are everything, and not only is this my first post to the Modlin blog, but it is in fact my first post to any blog ever. I'm feeling a lot of pressure! I am confident, however, that this is going to be the one.

I am coming to you live from the orchestra seats in Camp Concert Hall where the final rehearsal for Osvaldo Golijov's Ayre (performed by Dawn Upshaw and several other incredibly talented musicians) is about to begin. For many other shows I would be tucked away in my little corner of the hall behind the audience by now, at the helm of our Soundcraft Series Two audio console. That is where I stand, carefully twisting knobs, riding faders and doing my best to bring you a subtle yet pleasing aural experience. But this show (and a few others every season) is complicated enough to tour with their own audio engineer, relegating me to a supporting role in which I mainly make sure all of our equipment is behaving and that their sound guy understands the unique acoustic characteristics of our spaces. (And laying down the law if they don't).

For those of you who don't know me, my name is Mike Burns. I am the newest member of the Modlin crew, hired in July of 2007. My official title (too big to fit on my official Modlin stationary) is Production Associate/Audio Specialist. The description above is only part of what I do here (although it is my favorite); in addition to live sound engineering, I also assist Bill Luhrs (production manager) and Matt Land (assistant production manager) with all technical aspects of the hundreds of shows, lectures, forums, etc. that grace our stages each year. Together we make up the production crew, headquartered in the production suite, second floor of Booker Hall. We're working on getting an official "production crew signal" spotlight installed on the roof here. It will be on constantly, I'm sure.

I think I'm going to go out with that. The rehearsal is drawing to a close and I have to get back to work resetting the stage for tonights performance. A production associate/audio specialists work is never done here at the MCA...

By the "Blog" of Cats

2008-02-19T09:16:00.003-05:00

Thank you to the 125 of you who came out to the theatre to see last night's dramatic reading of By the Bog of Cats by Marina Carr. I think you might agree that it was really a phenomenal piece of theater with a lot of merit. What's impressive about the Monday Night World Theater series is that those ten actors, and stage manager Donna had mostly never seen each-other before Saturday at 1:00pm when the company had its first rehearsal. With the high level of talent involved, it looked as though we had been rehearsing for weeks, and I think that everyone who stayed for the talkback was surprised by that fact. (another fact: Nobody you saw on stage had a "real" Irish accent)

Speaking of talkbacks, hopefully in the next few days, the Modlin Center will add a Mod-cast (Modlin Podcast) of the session after the show so that you can hear some of the really great questions posed by members of the audience and the deep discussions which ensued. As a student in the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University, I am naturally enthralled with discussions about character analysis and symbols, but I think you will enjoy hearing it as well.

It is bitter-sweet for the reading to be over, but if you did see the show, I would love it if you visited the Audience Reviews page for the show and left a comment or question.

That's it for now, see you at the box office,

Paul

Another Arlo fan

2008-02-18T11:38:00.006-05:00

Here's another photo of Arlo Guthrie with a big fan. Susan Farris is one of our volunteer ushers--one of our unsung heroes! Volunteer ushers are an integral part of our presenting business, and we could not offer such a rich and varied selection of events without their support. One of the perks of the job can be personal interaction with the artists.

Thanks, Susan, for sharing your photo with us. Keep up the good work!

Piotr, Yuja and Arlo...oh my

2008-02-14T22:05:00.006-05:00

The Modlin Center has been hopping over the last several days, but there is always time to hang out with Arlo Guthrie (just ask Modlin Center student employee Joe Nelson) during his two day visit this past week. When we heard that Piotr Anderszewski was regrettably canceling his Richmond appearance due to illness, we had to immediately jump into action because the scheduled concert was only a week away. Within 24 hours, Kathy Panoff had booked pianist Yuja Wang as a replacement. Although we had a lot of work to do, we were pleased with this replacement. Yuja performed with the Shanghai Quartet (Modlin Center favorites) last November to rave reviews from audience members. We knew having her replace Anderszewski was better than having someone unknown to Richmond audiences. Over the next couple of days, we sent out press releases, contacted ticket holders and notified those patrons that enjoyed Yuja in November that she was returning to the Modlin Center. The box office was busy with calls coming and going, but we managed. And the end result was a great success. Yuja, at only 21, played like she was on fire. I'm sure we'll see her back here again.

In the midst of managing the great pianist swap, we had two fabulous, sold-out nights with American folksinger Arlo Guthrie. His fans loved him! His storytelling is just as much a part of his performances as his music. And I'm sure he brought back feelings of peace and love to all his Woodstock-remembering fans. But even the college students in the crowd were impressed by Arlo, like Joe in the photo above. I think his music touches everyone, young and old. You can't get much better than that.

Until next time,
Samantha

Out of the Box (Office)

2008-02-13T21:38:00.002-05:00

Hi again Modlin Blog-readers,

Finally, the weather has calmed down a little bit, and the Modlin Center's climate has returned to normal (it was especially hot in the Box Office- during two consecutive shifts, our ticket printers broke down out of what seemed to be protest of the uncomfortable temperature!)

The last time I posted, I talked all about the upcoming play reading (By the Bog of Cats) that I am working on, which is going very well. I just saw a copy of the program today and am getting very excited about meeting all of the artists over the weekend (I will be sure to keep you up to date when they all get here for the first rehearsal).

Another project that I am working on is the University Dancers' 23rd Dance Conert, Leap, which is also quickly approaching (opens February 28th) and is nearing completion. All of the pieces that I have seen are absolutely phenomenal, and some of the most special ones are being choreographed by Richmond students who have taken a choreography class. I have seen some great dance shows here at the Modlin Center (my favorite this year: Hubbard Street Dance, last year: Cirque Eloize) and I think this one will be right on par with those professional troupes. I'll be backstage, and hope to see you there!

I also would like to express my gratitude for anyone who came out to see The Baltimore Waltz last weekend, which I was also a part of (I know...busy February), thanks to the support of the campus and Richmond community, we were able to raise a good amount of money which has been donated to the Carl Vogel Center (an AIDS research organization named for the playwright's brother). I was really touched by the support of everyone who offered anything after the show, it really made me feel good to have been able to help make a difference.

I'll be posting again very soon with some more details about By the Bog of Cats, look for it this weekend. Thanks for reading,

Paul

what Frank Lloyd Wright and Optimus Prime have in common

2008-02-05T11:59:00.000-05:00

The comparison is admittedly a little bit shallow. If I were to dig deeper into the movie (the original cartoon, not the horrid live-action version from last summer), I could probably find even more connections on many different levels. And I'm omitting the obvious connection that they're both dead (spoiler alert for the cartoon!).

Both Frank Lloyd Wright, design genius, and Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots, have the ability to transform.

Okay, I'll officially leave Optimus behind for now (his transformation from truck to robot, while completely awesome, has had a bit less of an impact) and focus on art (I will eventually get to Frank too).

When I attended the Art Works for Virginia conference a few weeks ago, I learned about a transformation on a large scale. The keynote speaker for the conference was John Barrett III, the mayor of North Adams, Massachusetts. North Adams had been a factory town, and with the closure of these businesses, the town was in a major slump. The town is now the home of MASS MoCA. Mr. Barrett explained how he had worked to convince several Massachusetts government entities to take a chance on an art museum. This is an exceptionally abbreviated version of the story - the mayor spoke about how the whole process unfolded, and it was frustrating and incredible at the same time.

Jobs created by the museums have provided an economic transformation, but it seems like art itself had a transforming effect on the area as well. Mr. Barrett admitted that he often didn't understand a lot of the art (trees hanging upside down?), but he knew that it made him happy. The museum had a huge turn-out for their grand opening, and it has helped to build up the whole North Adams area - it is a town attractive to both residents and tourists.

This story really got me thinking about ways in which art has transformed me personally.

During a particularly difficult and frustrating job search many years ago, I found myself spending a lot of time at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. It was a place I could go to get away and enter another world. My favorite place to go at the time was the decorative arts section. I was constantly drawn to the furniture room in particular. The Frank Lloyd Wright chair and window always captured my attention, no matter how many times I'd seen them recently. I would just stop and stare at the beauty of these pieces and wonder about the imagination from which they had emerged. For some reason, these works transformed me into a calmer and more thoughtful person, at least for a little while.

In my job at the Modlin Center, I'm surrounded by art that holds plenty of possibility. Our schedule around here is kind of crazy sometimes, and I confess that it gets a bit overwhelming. But one of my favorite ways to become re-centered is to really look at what we have here from a patron's point of view and take a little while to fully appreciate it.

This past Saturday, we had 2 performances featuring Ira Glass of NPR's This American Life. I confess that I didn't know too much about him or the show prior to that day, but what I did know was that this was going to be a busy day. When I went into Camp to hear some of his stories, I forgot all about the craziness of the week that had just finished and the week that was soon to start. As Mr. Glass presented stories that others had told and added his own commentary and music, he transformed these seemingly banal subjects into tales that kept the audience entranced. His use of music in particular was just amazing. He created a perfect soundtrack to each story, and this reminded me yet again that I'd love to have a soundtrack to my own life that mysteriously followed me around (it would, without a doubt, have to include Cinnamon by The Long Winters and Diamonds on the Inside by Ben Harper). On that Saturday, I was so glad I had taken some time to truly appreciate the art of what Mr. Glass does - it's amazing, and it showed me once again the true power of art.

I look back to other events in our buildings that have struck me (to name just a few: Speak Theater Arts' N*W*C, University Museums' slave ship Henrietta Marie exhibit, Cirque Éloize's Rain, and the Netherlands Bach Society's Mass in B minor, BWV 232) and forward to other events coming up (Washington Symphonic Brass and DJ Spooky's Rebirth of a Nation in particular). I feel so fortunate to have such easy access to such amazing art, and I can't wait for the next transformation!

Behind the Box Office Window

2008-01-29T17:00:00.000-05:00

Hello Blog Readers!

My name is Paul and I am a student at the University of Richmond as well as an employee of the Modlin Center. I work in the box office, and I have surely seen many of you over the past few months during my shifts. But, I am also doing something very exciting: I am the associate producer for the upcoming play reading of Marina Carr's By the Bog of Cats.

I was invited by associate director David Howson to help with this year's play reading as part of the Modlin Center's Monday Night World Theater series, which over the years has brought incredibly talented actors together with innovative and exciting plays from all over the world.

This year's By the Bog of Cats was extremely popular among subscribers which is exciting yet mysterious because the play has only been produced a handful of times, and honestly, has a pretty strange name! Very soon, the actors and creative team for this production will be converging on Cousins Studio Theatre for just a short weekend before the reading on Monday February 18th.

WOW -- what feedback from Broadway fans!

2008-01-29T16:36:00.000-05:00

It has been very exciting around the Modlin Center since Saturday afternoon. Following the 2 pm and 7:30 pm performances of Neil Berg's "100 Years of Broadway" on January 26, I sent a message to those patrons with e-mail addresses in our system. As always, I requested they post their personal review of the concert on our Web site. Well, the reviews started coming in and haven't stopped. We've broken a record for responses in the year we have been doing this. Every time I check the site, there is a new post. And we LOVE reading these posts and sharing with others around the office (or over the lunch table). Fans of this production, and there are many, have come out in full force to encourage us to book the company again.

This is the whole reason for our Audience Reviews site. It's not to collect e-mail addresses or make extra work for our patrons. It's to get honest feedback from the people we want to entertain. And to have them read and react to what others have posted. If we can get half the response to the other performances that we did to Neil Berg, we'll be on top of the world. So, think about writing a short review the next time come to the Modlin Center. And know that we will be waiting (somewhat impatiently) for it to post!

Talk Back a big success

2008-01-24T16:30:00.000-05:00

The past two nights, patrons at the Modlin Center have been invited to stay around after the performance to have an intimate question and answer session with the artists. Since the production on stage was L.A. Theatre Works' "Top Secret: The Battle for the Pentagon Papers" and the cast included actors John Heard, Gregory Harrison and Shannon Cochran, the audience was in for a huge treat. As everyone quickly learned, the topic under discussion--papers given to The Washington Post detailing U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War--was just as timely today as it was then. And the actors were very forthcoming in discussing their thoughts surrounding these secret papers and the vast array of characters involved, from Katherine Graham, the publisher of The Washington Post, and Executive Editor Ben Bradlee to Daniel Ellsberg, the American military analyst who released the papers to the media.

Our post-performance Talk Backs have become increasingly popular with not only our patrons, but also the artists that visit campus. It's a wonderful opportunity for them to interact with the audience. In his response to one question the other night, Gregory Harrison said that one of the main reasons for his involvement with this production was to reach out to young people and hope that something on stage will resonate with them and get them thinking. Being on a college campus, we have a good number of young people in the audience, and I think Harrison reached a few of them!

If you missed thees sessions, check for our Modcast in the coming days. We recorded both evenings and we'll post them soon. And maybe next time, you'll stick around for an extra 15 minutes after a show and learn something new!

Samantha

Thanks to our audience reviewers!

2007-12-12T21:22:00.000-05:00

As the first half of the season ends, I want to take a minute to thank all of our patrons who have posted their reviews of our performances. Our Audience Reviews site has had so much action this semester!

If you're not familiar with it, the Audience Reviews site is a bulletin board for comments by our patrons about our guest artists. Whether comments are posted before the artist performs at the Modlin Center or after, this is a place to share thoughts (good and bad) about our guests. To get the ball rolling, I send an e-mail to members of the audience (if e-mail address is available) after each performance, requesting a personal review. We're averaging 9 posts per event, but we've gotten as many as 20.

The feedback has been remarkable and we couldn't be happier with the response. Whether we agree with the review or not, all comments are appreciated, and we do share those comments with the artists and their management companies. Kathy Panoff's post earlier this month about klezmer music was a direct response to the comments she read following the Shirim Klezmer Orchestra concert. So the Audience Reviews site is doing what we want it to do--get the conversation started. Now we just need to keep it going.

Thanks again to everyone who has posted. Please keep the reviews coming!
Samantha

The Wonderful World of Klezmer

2007-12-03T10:43:00.000-05:00

Kathy Panoff here with a word about Klezmer music. I have been reading your audience reviews of our recent concerts about Shirim Klezmer Orchestra with great interest and I thought I would share a few of my own thoughts.

During the 20th century world revival of Klezmer music, Klezmer emerged as a musical style and genre, just like jazz, or classical or the wide array of world musics appearing on the scene today. There are hundreds of Klezmer bands that have emerged today ranging from the most traditional "museum" band in the US, the Klezmer Conservatory Band to the most envelope-pushing ensembles like the Klezmatics, Kol Simcha and Brave Old World, all of which we have presented at the Modlin Center. Many, like Shirim Klezmer and Klezperanto, who have also appeared at Modlin, fall somewhere in between. As I have spoken to the many Klezmer musicians that have passed through the Modlin Center over the years, many have told me that their groups take the Klezmer style and adapt it so that it has relevance in the ever-evolving music world of today. It is no different than the evolution of other musical genres. The Klezmer community is, in fact, so specialized, that many of the musicians appear in a number of the bands out there. For example, both the banjo player and the singer from Shirim also perform with the KCB.

That said, I am keenly aware that many audience members prefer only the older styles of music -- traditional chamber music of Mozart and Beethoven over the new music performed by eighth blackbird; traditional dixieland jazz over jazz as performed by artists like Pat Metheny. The good news is that the world of music is so broad that there is certainly something for everyone. At Modlin we try to recognize that patrons in our audience have a wide variety of musical tastes and we try to address that with a very diverse set of musical offerings.

I would also like to add that when I first came to Richmond, I was rather surprised that during the holidays, the only performance offerings were in celebration of Christmas -- Messiah, Christmas Carol, you get the idea. I wanted to change that and have, since our first season, aspired to present music that represents a variety of holiday traditions.

Thanks for reading.
kp

The Best Part of My Job!

2007-11-11T12:55:00.000-05:00

When I tell folks what I do, the usual reaction is "What a glamorous job!" While I would hardly call it glamorous --try working 14-15 hour days at the height of our performance season--there are some terrific perks. Getting to know our visiting artists is at the top of my list. I am especially partial to artists who, over the last 12 seasons, have made multiple visits to the Modlin Center and among my personal favorites are Pat Metheny and Christian McBride. Here are a couple of my favorite stories.

When Pat Metheny first performed at the Modlin Center, it was in a trio format with bassist Christian McBride and drummer Antonio Sanchez. Christian and I had been friends for years, but it was the first time I had met the guitar legend. The summer before, an amazing young classical guitarist named Jason Vieaux was at Modlin performing with our then ensemble in residence, the Shanghai Quartet. During a conversation with Jason he told me that got into music through jazz (his dad had an amazing jazz collection) and that one of his guitar heros was Pat Metheny. He told me that while he had seen Pat in concert many times, he always dreamed of meeting him in person. I mentioned that Pat would be performing at Modlin in the fall and told Jason that if he could get to Richmond (from Cleveland where he lives and teaches), I would be sure he got a personal introduction. I didn't really think much of it, but sure enough, Jason drove to Richmond just for the opportunity to meet Pat. They met back stage, talked for awhile, exchanged contact info and CD's and that was that.

About 18 months later, I heard from Jason that he was getting ready to release a CD of classical guitar suites based on works by Pat Metheny. It turns out that he and Pat had stayed in touch after I introduced them, and Pat had given Jason permission to use his music on the recording. Jason sent me an copy of the album, "Images of Metheny" and much to my surprise he gave me an album credit since I was the one who introduced them. Talk about a career highlight for me!

As many of you know the Pat Metheny Trio performed at Modlin again this past weekend and Pat told me that he and Jason are working on a possible tour together (Yes, I would book that!) AND that Pat had actually taken a few guitar lessons from Jason. Truly the sign of a great musician -- always hoping to learn something new.

My second story is about my dear friend Christian McBride. I first met Christian in 1997 when he was on tour with Joshua Redman and Brian Blade. We became fast friends and over the years, have worked together on many projects including our Modlin Summer Music jazz series.

Several years ago, I had the pleasure of interviewing one of our graduates, astronaut Leland Melvin, for a video piece I was producing and Leland mentioned that he was a big jazz fan. I told him that both Christian McBride and Regina Carter (two of his jazz idols) were performing at Modlin the following June and invited him to attend their performances and meet the artists after the show. They all became fast friends (see picture above) and when Leland learned last year that he would finally be going into space in December 2007, he called me to say that he wanted to take McBride's music up in the Space Shuttle with him. I gave him McBride's contact info and the two met in Houston last month for the CD handoff. When I saw McBride this past weekend I asked what CD he gave to Leland for his space travel, and he said it was his most recent album, "Live at Tonic." Christian also told me that he and his wife Melissa were going to attend the launch. From jazz to outer space and I was part of the process!!

As I said, this is the best part of my job!

Thanks for reading,
kp

Ready, Set...Scan

2007-09-08T23:36:00.000-04:00

As mentioned in a blog post last April, the Modlin Center has gone high-tech with bar code scanning. Our tickets are now printed with a bar code that will be scanned by our volunteer ushers at the entrances to our two main venues: Camp Concert Hall and Alice Jepson Theatre. Although this may take some getting used to, by our ushers and our patrons, we are very excited about this new technology and trilled to introduce our audiences to bar code scanning.

We did a partial roll out during the late performance of the Second City Touring Company on opening night of our 2007-2008 season. It worked very well and we were able to officially roll out this new process during the Jim Cullum Jazz Band and Diavolo (image above) performances. The new sound you'll hear in the lobby is the loud bing of the scanners, notifying the usher that the bar code has been scanned. It adds a little something to the ambiance of the evening! (But might take a little time to get used to!)

Our staff loves monitoring patron admissions on the computer, watching "seats" turn black as patrons are admitting into the venue. The house managers like having the house count at the click of a few buttons, instead of counting stubs all evening. And the box office appreciates that they can now allow subscription exchanges over the phone. I think our patrons will like the new process, as well. Most have been very supportive.

So, bear with us as our staff and volunteers get comfortable with the scanners. This is a big step for us all!

information please!

2007-09-07T12:51:00.000-04:00

It probably sounds sort of trite - okay *completely* trite - but it's true: sometimes the simplest ideas are the best ones. Let me back up.

Our venue can be a little bit confusing. Between the main parking lot and Booker Hall of Music - the home of Camp Concert Hall - is a whole other building. It's technically called the Theatre Complex, but the Visual Arts Building is part of it as well. The Theatre Complex is home to Jepson Theatre, Cousins Studio Theatre, and Booth Lobby, to cite a few. The Visual Arts Building is also connected to Keller Hall, which is a residence hall but also has a reception room used by various groups on campus. Sometimes the Theatre Complex/VAB is referred to as Modlin, but Camp Concert Hall, inside Booker, is also part of the Modlin Center.

Simple as that!

Really, we do understand that the venue is confusing (I fervently hope I've gotten all of the details right, or I will be pretty embarrassed as an alum and a full-time staff member!), so we've done something about it. It began with stationing a volunteer usher just inside the main entrance door on performance nights. He seemed to be getting a lot of questions, all of which he answered with ease (thank you, Art!). This gave us an idea - why don't we make this a permanent position and formalize and expand it somewhat?

So the concierge position was born, and last night we tried it for the first time. For our first performance of the season - Second City Touring Company, who put on 2 fantastic shows last night - we set up the Information Desk.

At the desk, which is located right inside the main entrance door, you can get a lot of information. Curious about the performance? The concierge can tell you about it. Need to know the location of campus parking, restrooms, public phones, and the box office? The concierge can tell you. Want to know about taxi/transportation services to and from UR? Ask the concierge. Need an assistive listening device or a large-print program? The concierge has it for you. These are just some examples of how the concierge can help to make your experience at the Modlin Center even more enjoyable.

I would be remiss if I didn't thank Dottie for being a terrific first concierge - she really set the tone for the season!

The Information Desk will be staffed at the shows in the Modlin Center Great Performances series.

We look forward to seeing you and helping you throughout the season!

words of thanks

2007-09-04T16:27:00.000-04:00

I am an avid reader. At no time is this more evident than when I have a lot on my mind. Instead of just reading a few chapters to end my day, I begin my morning before the sun comes up by burying myself in my latest book of choice.

A few weeks ago, it was either Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides or the latest Hamish Macbeth mystery by MC Beaton - I can't remember which - that took my mind off of the stress at the time: planning a reception for our volunteer ushers.

There are a couple of reasons why this was stressful. Number 1: I've never been responsible for the full planning process of a reception. From the invitations (thank you, Robin!) to the catering (thank you, Leslie!), I had a lot to do and a lot to learn. Number 2: I wanted to be sure that the reception was just right in order to properly thank our ushers for their hard work and their dedication to the Modlin Center.

I am always so amazed by the volunteers' willingness to help. They make it possible for us to do what we do, and they're always enthusiastic about offering their assistance. On rare occasions when I've realized that I don't have enough ushers, they are always willing to answer the frantic e-mail and put my mind at ease. They work hard for the House Managers, the Modlin Center staff, and especially the audience.

So this year, we decided to celebrate the ushers with a reception in their honor. It was great to see so many people there, especially on a Thursday evening toward the end of summer. I really enjoyed talking to everyone in a relaxed setting, hearing about how their summers had been and what shows they thought sounded exciting this season.

As we ate and drank, most of the ushers went on backstage tours given by three of our fantastic theatre students (two of whom are Modlin Center employees) - thanks Claire, Liz, and Tori! I was pleasantly surprised at how many ushers wanted to go on the tour - there was a line waiting for the tour guides to get back! It was a great opportunity for our ushers to get a different view of the venues with which they're so familiar.

It was a very successful night, and it was worth every bit of planning and stress. I had a great time, and the ushers said they did as well. I'm so glad we were able to show our appreciation for the ushers, and I look forward to working with everyone this year!

Thank you also to KP, Dave, Sam, Donna, Tiffanie, McLean, and Nancy!

Supscriptions are in the mail

2007-08-24T17:41:00.000-04:00

Today we mailed over 810 subscription packets to our 2007-2008 subscribers. It's a major effort to get this many tickets printed and in the mail in only four days. And it was made even more difficult this year by a shipment of ticket stock that didn't show up until today. With a lot of help from my coworkers, and some generic ticket stock rushed here from the West Coast, we made it through. For two nights this week, we spent four or more hours printing tickets, tearing tickets, labeling envelopes and stuffing envelopes. So much fun! Or, at least it felt that way becuase were made a party our of it. A little pizza or Chinese food, some soft drinks and a tray of deserts, combined with a great playlist on Joseph's iPod, and the time flew by. The season starts in less than two weeks, so we had no time to waste.

My sincere thanks to Andrew, Joseph, Dave, Dana, Christine, Donna, Beverly, Tiffanie, McLean, Claire, Ashley, Kerry and Elizabeth. I could not have made it though the week without you all. And I hope you have already marked your calendars for August 2008!

Samantha

Campus comes to life

2007-08-17T18:17:00.000-04:00

It has been really quiet around the University of Richmond campus without the normal 3000+ students roaming around. Sure, we've had camps and conferences and rental groups in and out, but it's not the same. I'm looking forward to seeing students practicing dance and rehearsing their acting scenes in our hallways again. And I miss the music coming from all the practice rooms in Booker Hall.

Students are already starting to arrive--football players, women's lacrosse, resident assistants. Gradually, their numbers will increase. By the middle of next week, the class of 2011 makes their arrival, followed a few days later by the upperclassmen. Classes for the fall term begin on August 27, and with the beginning of classes comes the official beginning of the Modlin Center season. We've been preparing for this for months, so I can't believe it's already here. With all the prep work that goes into announcing and promoting the season and handling the subscription campaign, we're often so exhausted by this point that we forget the best is yet to come--the performances. And that's why we're here.

The Modlin Center is here to provide the campus, along with the Richmond community, opportunities to experience a variety of live music, theatre and dance. I look forward to introducing the class of 2011 to all that we have to offer. I believe we're the best in town. I hope they do, too.

Samantha

Modlin Executive Director Answers Your Survey Questions

2007-07-28T12:33:00.000-04:00

I would like to thank the many patrons who recently completed our online survey and congratulate our two winners who received free tickets to a performance and a gift certificate to an area restaurant.

Surveys provide the Modlin Center with valuable feedback that helps us provide the best possible service to our on and off campus patrons. Your written comments are always the most helpful and I want to take a moment to address a few of the questions, comments and complaints that came up during the course of the survey.

PATRON: I'm very dissatisfied with your process of offering the first chance at tickets to U of R students and staff after you've announced the event to the public. On several occasions, the tickets were sold out before the public even had a chance to buy them.

KP: While part of the Modlin Center's mission is to serve the greater Richmond community, our primary constituent is the University of Richmond community whose's mission is to provide a liberal arts education to our 2800 students. Before our season opens to the public, we offer the first opportunity to reserve tickets to professors who choose to use events as part of their course syllabi. For example, our dance faculty always require that their approximately 200 students attend all dance events offered during the Modlin Season. Because our venues are intimate (600 seats) we have chosen to add a second show to most dance engagements so the members of the greater Richmond community have access to tickets as well. I would also like to point out that it is our student's tuition that helps to keep the cost of Modlin Center tickets at about 1/3 the national average.

KP: After those tickets are reserved, we open our subscription campaign and THAT is where many of our events sell out. This is why we encourage all patrons to become subscribers by choosing at least 5 events to attend during our season. Subscription ticket prices are significantly discounted compared to the cost of purchasing single tickets, which are only available to the general public (if tickets are still available) 30 days in advance of an event. By subscribing, you are almost always guaranteed a seat. That said, there are some occasions when we are only offering a single performance that the most popular events do sell out before the end of our subscription campaign.

PATRON: The Modlin Center makes no attempt to bring in music the students are interested in listening to. If the Modlin Center wants to sell out shows more often then they should cater to their audience and add more bands, comedy acts, or shows that college students are interested in seeing.

KP: Our primary goal at the Modlin Center is to serve the educational mission of the University of Richmond and to that end, we work to provide programming to help shape students' taste, rather than cater to it. That said, we employ a large number of UR students at the Modlin Center and we always look for their input when programming a season. This season's performances by Second City Touring Company were inspired by a suggestion from members of UR's own student improv group "Subject to Change." Much to our surprise our community patrons were just as interested and we've already added a show just for students. Many of the jazz and world music artists we present also originated from students' suggestions, like Pat Metheny and Angelique Kidjo, who will be performing at Modlin this season. The Campus Activities Board along with Student Activities offers many of the kinds of events you are talking about.

PATRON: I am in a power wheelchair and some of the ushers seem a little confused by what to do with me. I usually assist them.

KP: We work very hard to make our facility as accessible as possible to people with disabilities. We offer special seating, assisted listening devices and large print playbills. We also try to offer either one signed or close captioned performance annually. We also put a great deal of effort into training our front of house staff to service those patrons. Your comment though, tells me that we need to do a better job of training them to handle patrons in motorized wheelchairs. We have our annual house management training scheduled for August and I will be certain that this is covered. If you or other patrons have suggestions on how we might better serve disabled patrons, please don't hesitate to write to me directly at KPanoff@richmond.edu

PATRON: I am a person who plays a musical instrument for a living. I want nothing to do with podcasts or whatever you call them, unless I know that the things you are broadcasting include payment to the person who produced the product.

KP: The Modlin Center falls under the University of Richmond's annual ASCAP/BMI license, which pays all appropriate royalties to artists for use of their music. Music we use for podcasts is covered under the fair use guidelines outlined in our agreement with ASCAP/BMI and is used exclusively to promote that individual artist or ensemble's performance at the Modlin Center.

PATRON: Pre-performance performance samples would help decide which programs to attend. I've sometimes been disappointed with a performance because I didn't know what to expect in advance. Thanks for asking.

KP: We are aware that many of our offerings are unfamiliar to our patrons, so we have made an extraordinary effort to proide audio clips, video clips or both for most attractions on our season. Those are available on the Modlin Center website modlin.richmond.edu. I think you will find them both interesting, informative and entertaining.

PATRON: Will Momix and Cirque Eloize be added to the 2007-2008 schedule?

KP: They will not, but we are looking to bring both back during the 2008-2009 season.

Thanks for reading and for giving me the opportunity to address your questions and concerns. We are always interested in your feedback so feel free to call or write to us at any time.

I hope you enjoy the season. KP

Subscriptions come pouring in

2007-07-16T16:35:00.000-04:00

Thanks to the 350+ patrons who have already ordered their season subscriptions to the Modlin Center's 2007-2008 season. Even before our box office opened on July 5, our fax machine was working overtime, spitting out page after page of order forms coming from some of our long-time supporters. These folks know that seating is handled on a first-come, first served basis, so they make sure to get their order in as soon as possible each July in the hopes of getting a specific seating request.

Along with these renewing subscribers, we're seeing a good number of new subscribers, some of whom took a year or so away from subscribing and many others who have never purchased season tickets to the Modlin Center. I love checking the ticket history of these new subscribers, to see what they might have bought before. And I'm really excited when we add a new name to our database, but then I'm full of unanswered questions. How did they learn about us? Did they come with a friend last year? Did they read the season announcement in the RT-D? Do they only want to guarantee tickets to Ira Glass before the event sells out?

Speaking of sell outs, we have had a huge interest in several events, and we expect we'll have to turn people away from a few events before our subscription campaign is over. In addition to Ira Glass, there is also heavy interest in Arlo Guthrie, Edgar Meyer/Sam Bush/Jerry Douglas, Bobby McFerrin and Second City Touring Company. With fewer than 600 seats for these one-night-only performances, seats will be at a premium. Once we block out the seats required by University faculty for their classes, and then accommodate subscribers and our student community, there may not be seats left for the general public. If any of these events are on your "must see" list, I suggest you place a subscription order quickly.

Subscribers from last season have until August 6 to renew, and we'll be accepting new subscriptions until August 13. Order forms are available for download on the Box Office Information page of our Web site, or by contacting the box office. We're open 2-5 pm weekdays until classes resume on August 27 (when we're open 10 am to 5 pm weekdays).

Thanks to everyone who has placed a subscription order. I'm looking forward to seeing you at all the wonderful events in the upcoming season!

Samantha

New season is up!

2007-07-01T23:14:00.000-04:00

Thanks for your patience! In addition to mailing 13,000+ brochure packets and sending an e-mail to 6500+ customers, we posted the new season on our Web site this weekend. Most of my weekend was spent checking web pages--event by event, tweaking and fine-tuning. All looks good, but don't hesitate to contact us if you find broken links or missing graphics.

I can't wait to hear feedback from our readers, so take a look and let us know what you think!

Thanks for listening!
Samantha

Prepping for the new season

2007-06-27T15:36:00.000-04:00

The wait is almost over! At the end of this week, we will be announcing our 2007-2008 season. While many of our supporters have been waiting 2-3 months to see this line up, we in the office have been working on it for the better part of two years.

Kathy Panoff, our executive director, starts booking attractions 18-24 months out, working with management companies and individual artists who plan national and international tours that far out. She brings our tech staff into the discussion to make sure our venues can accommodate the needs of the attractions (lighting, sound, space requirements) before agreeing to bring an artist or attraction to the Modlin Center. Lots more goes into this process, but I'll leave that for Kathy to discuss, perhaps at a later date.

Once the season is set, usually by January or February, we start gathering bios, photos, press reviews, video and sound clips and anything else that can help us promote the artists in the coming season. Discussions with our designers get underway around March or April for the new brochure. Then, time flies as we write copy, pick artist images, discuss brochure "themes" and layout, proof copy, approve design and get everything to the printer on time. At the same time, we're also working on the redesign of our Web site with a different designer, and adding all our new events with sample sound and video clips and links to each artists' own Web site.

By July 1, we will have mailed out about 800 renewal packets to our 2006-07 subscribers and another 13,000 packets to previous single ticket buyers, University employees and others on our mailing list. On July 5, after a much-needed holiday on July 4th, we'll reopen the box office and start accepting subscription orders, which we hope will come rolling in!

So, it might have been hard to wait until July to have our season brochure in your hands, but we will all be happy when we can let the cat out of the bag, so to speak. Because we're already moving ahead to 2008-2009!

Please leave your comments!
Samantha

Reflections on the TCG Conference

2007-06-12T07:54:00.000-04:00

I recently returned from the Theatre Communications Group (TCG) National Conference, held at the new Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. TCG is the national association for non-profit theaters in the U.S. and, in addition to its funding programs, supports arts advocacy, publishes American Theatre magazine and ArtSearch. The Modlin Center is one of two theaters in Richmond that are TCG members.

In addition to being the debut of TCG's new executive director, Teresa Eyring, the focus of the this year's conference was on Artistry In A New Century.

Along with the scheduled sessions, perhaps the best aspect of this conference was the opportunity to meet other professionals in the field as well as renew old friendships. In fact, so much impromptu meeting took place that the coffee shops and lunch counters were very busy.

The opening plenary session was with Wole Soyinka, the Nobel Prize-winning poet, playwright and activist (and mentor to UR's own Chuck Mike). Other sessions included such relevant topics as marketing, development, audience trends, international works, and a host of others. I did have two favorite sessions. The first was titled "Creating and Producing the New American Musical" which was moderated by Sue Frost and featured panelists Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater (Spring Awakening), Jessica Hagedorn and Mark Bennett (Most Wanted) and Steve Cosson and Michael Friedman (of The Civilians' Nobody's Lunch). This session focused on the development of new musicals and reminded us that musical theater is a beloved art form in its own right. In fact, many of today's new musicals were inspired by classics from Rodgers and Hammerstein and other great artists. This was a refreshing session because, in some circles, musical theater is not considered legitimate theater. However, I think most of us can say that our first experience with live theater was at a musical! Just like straight plays, musicals address important subjects including race, war, AIDS and other tough issues of the day. The power of the American musical to communicate a message with the audience should not be dismissed.

My second favorite session was titled "Help Wanted: Is There a Shortage of Qualified Management Professionals?" This was moderated by Susie Medak, the managing director of Berkeley Repertory Theatre. The session focused on the industry's need to train and mentor leaders for the future. Unlike other businesses, the arts has not done a particularly good job of providing professional development opportunities for its ranks. Training programs are primarily left up to college and university programs, most of which are at the graduate level. Fortunately, more and more undergraduate programs are surfacing, so student awareness of the professional opportunities off-stage are increasing. At Richmond, our arts management classes are often at or above capacity. In addition, my intro class this coming fall includes a diverse cross-section of student majors and backgrounds. Increasingly, international students want to take classes in the program.

One of the highlights of Richmond's arts management program is the required internship in a living and breathing arts organization. At the TCG conference, I was able to talk with industry leaders about future internship possibilities for our students. Making those connections and starting those relationships is my favorite part of this conference. The best reward is seeing one of my students get an internship (or even a full-time job) through a connection I have with an arts professional. Not only does it reflect on the leadership potential of our students but also on the growing reputation of Richmond's arts management program as a training resource.

D.C.H.

P.S. The new Guthrie Theater is an amazing architectural wonder. Check it out.

Our Community, Our Home

2007-06-04T19:18:00.000-04:00

With our location in the near west end of Richmond, people sometimes forget how committed the Modlin Center is to the community in which we live. When we opened our doors in 1996, one of the primary goals for the center was create a cultural bridge between the campus and the Richmond community at large. After 11 seasons, I think we have succeeded on that front thanks to our many community volunteers and the unwavering support of our on and off campus patrons.

We really view the Modlin Center as a private/public partnership and I thought I would take a moment to share some of the many things we do for the community we love. Some of these you may be aware of, but some may surprise you.

1. Depending on the attraction, UR's Modlin Center underwrites between 70-85% of the actual costs of bringing world class attractions to Richmond. Our ticket prices for the public, range between $26-$32. Costs at other regional venues are as much triple that for the same attraction. Special reduced ticket prices are offered for seniors, all area students, large community groups and children. Since our inception, this has been an intentional component in making Modlin Center programming accessible to the entire Richmond community.

2. Free parking is available to Modlin Center patrons. When Modlin events are located downtown, we offer bus service for our patrons at about 1/4 the cost of parking.

3. With help from the Carpenter Foundation, the Modlin Center intentionally presents performances in large off-site city venues that can accommodate four to six times the number of audience members (than our venues at Modlin) for any given performance. These venues include Carpenter Center for the Performing Art, Richmond’s Landmark Theater, Congregation Beth Ahabah and First Fridays.

4. Modlin offers a number of (non ADA required) services for the disabled including large print programs, assisted listening devices and open captioning. We can also provide signed performances if asked.

5. ALL Modlin residency activities provided by our touring artists (master classes, lecture demonstrations, audience talkbacks) are FREE and open to the public.

6. The Modlin Center often opens music and dance master classes to other area college students in additional to Richmond students.

7. The Modlin Center, University Museums and the departments of Music, Theatre/Dance and Visual Art offer over 120 FREE performances, exhibitions and lectures annually including our new "Friday Free for All" concert series. All are FREE and open to the community.

8. Modlin has ongoing promotional partnerships with Richmond.com, WCVE-FM, the Weinstein Jewish Community Center and the Richmond Jazz Society and has served as a lead partner with other area arts organizations (Symphony, Opera, Ballet, Barksdale, Theatre IV) in collaborative marketing activities.

9. Modlin donates all unsold tickets to a variety of area social services organizations including Boys and Girls Clubs. Methodist Home, Richmond Home for Adults, Richmond Public Schools, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Richmond Community Senior Center, Sacred Heart Center, Hanover Adult Center Inc. and The READ Center.

10. Modlin also donates tickets to some 30 area non-profits for use as auction prizes or for other similar fundraisers.

11. Over the last eight years, the arts management program has placed interns in virtually every arts organization in town, including, but not limited to, Richmond Symphony, Richmond Ballet, Virginia Museum, Valentine Museum and Downtown Presents.

12. Members of our staff serve on boards or committees of various community organizations.

13. The Modlin Center makes our facilities available for rental at a reduced rate for over 20 area not-for-profit organizations.

Thank you again for your part in our ongoing success. We take our partnership with the Richmond community very seriously and would welcome any input or suggestions you might have on how we can enhance that relationship.

We are so proud to live and work in this wonderful communtiy.

kp

Heard Nationally

2007-05-15T09:32:00.000-04:00

I am sitting in my office ( with a big smile on my face) listening to American Public Media's Performance Today on our local NPR affiliate WCVE-FM. As I write they are playing a recording of OUR recent performance of Bach's Mass in b Minor by the Netherlands Bach Society. For those of you fortunate enough to be in the audience, you know this was one of the most remarkable performanes we have ever presented at the Modlin Center and hearing this recording of the Gloria section of the mass brings back the delicious memories of that wonderful evening. And it sounds fabulous!

For those of you that might not know, Performance Today is heard by over 1.4 million listeners each week on 250 member radio stations around the country. The program's producers receive hundreds of recordings each week from performance venues from around the world. Only the most outstanding recordings are chosen for broadcast so the Modlin Center is very fortunate to be among the chosen.

The producers of Performance Today recognize that our Camp Concert Hall is one of the most acoustically wonderful chamber music halls in the country and we are fortunate that they continue to count on us for recordings of performances of the highest caliber. kp

Comments by Netherlands Bach Society musician

2007-05-14T12:52:00.000-04:00

Posted by Daniel Lager, one of the ensemble's alto ripienists, on the Netherlands Bach Society weblog:

After endless traveling from 6 am until 11 pm we arrived in Richmond/Virginia on Monday evening, completely exhausted and in desperate need for a bed. And what kind of bed we were provided with. I think I have never been in a hotel like this before. If you would like you might check it out on www.jeffersonhotel.com. Very impressive entrance hall, very comfortable rooms and quite inviting beds.

So after a good night's sleep I got up to have a proper breakfast in the hotel's restaurant to have a real kick off for a day in Richmond. I decided to have the "All American Breakfast".

The concert would only be in the evening so we had the day to spend for ourselves. I asked the concierge about sights in Richmond and she recommended a shopping area with nice little places for lunch, souvenirs, coffee and absolutely everything one could wish for. Off we went (I was with Immo Schroeder) and after about 35 minutes of walking we reached that area and in fact did some shopping. It's always good if you have something for the ones who had to stay home and water the plants...

After 2 hours of strolling the streets we decided it was time to head back. But we weren't up to the long walk because the sun had decided to really come out and it was quite hot. Good thing was that the hotel provides a pick/up service. So whenever you are in need of transportation you give the hotel a call and will be picked up and taken back to the hotel. I did that and some 20 minutes later a black limo came up and took us back. Wonderful!

We were back just in time to catch the bus to the concert venue, I might say. The ride in the coach took about 20 minutes and we were taken to the grounds of the "University of Richmond" just outside town. The concert hall in the "Modlin Centre for the Arts" was surprisingly nice and in the dress rehearsal I thought we sounded fabulous.

In the break between rehearsal and concert the team of the Modlin Centre provided a "bagged dinner". It contained a selection of several sandwiches and salads and chips and cookies that simply none of us could eat completely. Americans just do not seem to do anything "small". So we took our dinner in the sun just on the side of a little lake on the university grounds. Very beautiful. And after that it was time to get dressed for the concert. It was sold out and - I have to say - we did sound fabulous in the concert as well. The audience seemed to like it as well. Even after the first part the applause was overwhelming. After the last chord of the "dona nobis pacem" we had instant standing ovations and everybody seemed enthusiastic. We must have really been quite good.

After the concert we were taken back to the hotel where Maria Hansen had organized a last evening party in the lobby. That was quite nice because finally every single musician could join because nobody had another concert to do the next day.

All in all I have to say that our stay in Richmond was a splendid finale of a great tour of the US.

And one thing I have to say about the people that came to listen to the concerts: Rarely have I done concerts for a more attentive audience. They were just following every little thing that we were doing on stage with such compassion and appreciation that it was an utter pleasure to sing for them. I would do it again in an instant.

Access control can improve customer service

2007-04-16T23:23:00.000-04:00

I am so excited! We have just taken the first step in implementing an access control system for the upcoming season (beginning fall 2007). While some of us think of this as Christmas, with new toys to play with all summer, we also realize what a huge help this is going to be for the box office and front of house staff. The simple process of printing a bar code on tickets will improve customer service and reporting on so many levels. And it keeps the Modlin Center up-to-date with the latest technology for the arts.

Firstly, that bar code will be printed not only on tickets sold through the box office, but also tickets purchased at home and printed at home. These "print at home" tickets allow ticket buyers to purchase and print tickets at home on regular 8.5" x 11" paper, and bring that paper ticket directly to the performance hall. No more waiting in line at the box office to pick up Will Call or having tickets lost in the mail.

Secondly, the bar code will be scanned by ushers using hand held computers at the performance halls to improve entry into the hall, determining if that ticket is valid for the current performance or not. If the ticket is for a different performance, house management can help solve the problem before multiple patrons try to be seated in the same seats inside the hall. And the bar code will only allow one patron in, so any duplicate copies of the "print at home" ticket will be invalid.

Thirdly, using bar codes, which can be invalidated easily through our ticketing system, will allow a much more flexible ticket exchange policy for subscribers. Currently, the we require tickets to be returned to the box office for any exchanges. The reasoning behind this is that without getting those tickets back, we have no guarantee that they won't find their way into other hands and cause double seating issues at performances. With bar coding, the box office will be able to make an exchange over the phone and the bar code on the returned ticket will be instantly deactivated. If those tickets do make it to the performance hall, they won't get past the ushers.

Finally, we'll be able to easily track ticket use to see who is, and isn't, using their tickets. Reporting programs allow us to see who is in the hall at any time, or not attending at all. Which might help us solve another problem we have, the high "no show" rate. But that's for another post.

So, we have taken the first step, purchasing the equipment. (I must thank the Dean of Arts and Sciences for his support--financial and other--of access control.) Over the summer, we'll learn all we can about access control and this new tool, and look forward to implementing it at the start of the 2007-08 season. If you have any suggestions or questions, please post a comment. Otherwise, I look forward to scanning your tickets in the fall!

Samantha

Bathroom advertising

2007-03-23T17:40:00.000-04:00

I was directed to a blog a few weeks ago called The Artful Manager. The author was discussing a recent trip to Ikea where he was impressed with the way the company posted little tidbits of information on the lunch tables and restroom stall doors. He wondered if the same sort of advertising in bathrooms, where you have a captive audience, could help arts groups: "I hereby propose the installation of little frames in all cultural facility restroom stalls (okay, urinals too), with a rotating series of information cards about the venue, the event, the discipline, or the artists."

He seemed to think this was a novel idea, but the Modlin Center has been doing this for 10 years! While we don't have frames, we do have fliers we post every week promoting events all across campus, not just events in the Modlin Center. Our publication, Stall Weekly, gets posted in the majority of bathrooms around campus. Its goal is to keep our campus community, in particular those hard to attract college students, up-to-date with performances, lectures, films, gallery exhibitions and other student activities at the University.

I posted a reply to The Artful Manager and was shortly thereafter contacted by the marketing and communications manager at Calgary Arts Development in Canada. She was working on a set of marketing tools to promote the arts across the city and wanted to know more about Stall Weekly. She and her colleagues are looking for ways to engage audiences of different arts groups and get them to try something new (museum patrons attending the symphony, theater people going to galleries, etc.) After seeing a sample of Stall Weekly, she thought using something similar in various venues around town might be a simple and cost effective way to promote the arts.

I hope to keep in touch and see if bathroom advertising pays off for Calgary. It certainly has for us.

Samantha

Comments appreciated

2007-02-27T23:39:00.000-05:00

I just had to take a minute to thank our many patrons who have been posting their reviews of our recent performances. The Audience Reviews section on our Web site has been getting some action lately. When we started this last fall, we hoped our patrons would feel comfortable sharing their ideas. It might have taken a few months, but it seems it's working. Whether rave reviews or bitter disappointments, we are hearing (and reading) it all. So, keep the comments coming. We truly appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts with our site visitors.

Samantha

Big Apple Experience

2007-01-19T10:52:00.000-05:00

I do love New York!!

I am here, as I am every year at this time, to attend the annual arts conferences. They are conferences sponsored by the various national arts associations like Chamber Music America (CMA), the International Society of Performing Arts (ISPA), and Arts Presenters (APAP) and they happen, back to back, over a three week period here in New York. Their purposes vary from the examination of broad issues in arts management like new marketing technologies and strategies for audience development to the selling of thousands of attractions, more than you could ever imagine. And promoters, presenters, producers, managers and artists from all over the world converge on the Big Apple to participate.

For me these conferences provide the opportunity to recharge my professional batteries through participation in formal and informal conversations with arts leaders from around the world. This year at ISPA, we spent three days on a variety of topics related to the broad concept of fluidity. We talked about how artists and arts organizations must learn to reach beyond the traditional constructs of the concert hall or theatre to reach a society that considers Starbucks a venue and communicates through technologies like MySpace, blogs, IPods and the internet. Through conferences like these, my staff and I draw many ideas that translate into many of the things we do at the Modlin Center like our recent series of podcasts, our Friday Free for All lunchtime concert series and the audience performance reviews on our website.

The other critical component of these conferences is the opportunity for me to sample the thousands of attractions that are available for booking each year. Over 2000 arts vendors attend these conference and the amount of product is overwhelming. Many of these vendors host showcases in venues all over New York and presenters, like me, travel throughou the city to see and hear these events. I have discovered some really exciting things through this process, like this season's Flying Machine production of "Frankenstein" and the Bad Plus. In fact, 10 years ago, I had a chance to see Cirque Eloize for the first time and now that company has become a Modlin Center favorite, playing to four sold out audiences next weekend.

During the showcasing process, I see plenty of things I don't like, too. Some are just so weird that I often think, "What the hell was that?" and other performances just don't have the production values I insist upon for the Modlin Center. Regardless of what I might think about a particular performance, I am always better for having gone. I always gain something from the experience that helps makes me a better arts manager and artistic decision maker.

On a personal note, I always try and see something just for me. Last year I saw a new production of "Sweeney Todd," under the direction of visionary director John Doyle. That production was so lean, mean and clever (the actors ARE the musicians), it took my breath away and I could not wait to see his new production of another Sondheim musical, "Company." I enjoyed it, but nature of the piece made it less compelling for me than "Sweeney Todd." The brilliant staging and the fact that again, the performers are actors and orchestra, made it worth the trip.

One of the highlights of every trip to NYC is the chance to check in on our graduates and former Modlin Center student employees who are working in the arts in New York. Two of our former students work in marketing at the Miller Theatre at Columbia and one is on the marketing staff at Lincoln Center. It so gratifying to see how what a great life these young adults have carved out for themselves and how their work at the Modlin Center has helped shape their work as arts managers. These alums are making a difference in the arts and I am so proud of them.

Well, that's it for now. I am off to St. Ann's Warehouse in DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) to see a new production by performance artist, Cynthia Hopkins called "Must Don't Whip "Em." This buzz on this show has been terrific and I don't want to miss it. You never know, it may one day appear on our stages at the Modlin Center. kp

Honoring our Graduates

2006-10-27T15:31:00.000-04:00

This weekend marks homecoming weekend at the University of Richmond and I thought it an appropriate time to recognize our many graduates, especially those in the last 10 years, who have chosen to work in the arts.

With the establishment of the Modlin Center for the Arts in 1996, also came the establishment of an undergraduate program in arts management. While students cannot major or minor in arts administration, they can take a concentration of courses that allow them to explore this very broad and exciting field. Their course work might include musuem studies for visual artists or performing arts management for performing arts students plus courses in marketing, fundraising and accounting. Most importantly, the cornerstore of this concentrated study is a semester long internship working inside an arts organization.

Much to my delight, this program has been very popular with our liberal arts students, many of whom, regardless of their major, take courses in the arts throughout their college career. These students have the ideal combination of skills to become good arts managers; strong artistic sensibilities, business acumen and good written and oral communications skills, and many have chosen that career path.

After just a decade this program has trained students who have gone on to work in various capacities at some of the most pretigious arts organizations in the country, including Actors Theatre of Louisville, Lincoln Center, Arena Stage, Kennedy Center. Miller Theatre at Columbia University, Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Arts Council of Rochester, VCU Department of Music, Modlin Center for the Arts, Bergen County Performing Arts Center, Guthrie Theatre and the McCarter Theatre at Princeton. All of these organizations are lucky to have these folks and we are so proud of them all.

Reflections on our 10th

2006-10-03T13:18:00.000-04:00

"Do you have spinach in your teeth? Is your dress zipped? Better check and be sure. Beginning tonight "We Celebrate the Arts" together! You were created for such a time as this. "Break a Leg!"

That's a quote from a telegram dated 10/3/1996, the Modlin Center for the Arts' opening night, ten years ago today. Most of that weekend is a big blur. We had scheduled four days of activities including a black-tie gala featuring a performance by Marliyn Horne, a community open house and performances in both venues by the Flying K’s, Reduced Shakespeare, Manhattan Tap and the Shanghai Quartet. As I look back now, I don’t know how we managed it, but here we are, 10 years to the day, celebrating a remarkable adventure.

And we have many people to thank.

Thank you to the University of Richmond for having the strategic insight to see that a center for the arts would not only impact the life and work of the campus, but help shape the cultural landscape of the entire Richmond community.

Thank you to the thousands of patrons who have bought tickets to the over 400 performing arts events we’ve presented over the last 10 years. Thank you too, for having enough confidence in our selections, that you are willing to sample new things.

Thank you to our brilliant faculty for making us better presenters by introducing us to artists and art forms that are beyond the mainstream. Because of you, I have been introduced to Brazilian music, Japanese puppetry and the best in modern dance, and presented them all for our patrons to enjoy.

Thank you to our colleagues in University Museums who have been willing and able collaborators in developing the kind of interdisciplinary programming we present annually. These partnerships have been critical in developing new audiences for the performing and visual arts.

Thank you to our ever-curious students for pushing us to find a way to make our programming relevant to your generation. You've helped us become real players in the text-messaging, IPod, My Space, Facebook generation. And after 10 years, we have some of the best student attendance numbers in the nation.

And most of all, thank you to my wonderful staff. As the public face of the Modlin Center, I often get much of the credit, but I know that the Modlin Center’s success is about the commitment, dedication, professionalism and passion that our team of professionals puts into the business day in and day out. It’s an honor to work alongside them.

So you see, our 10th birthday milestone is really a testament to us all, students, faculty and staff and the Richmond community working together to build something really special. Take a moment to pat yourself on the back for a job well done!

The Fight for Coverage

2006-09-17T16:30:00.000-04:00

Last Tuesday evening, our daily newspaper, the Richmond Times-Dispatch hosted a community roundtable to discuss the future of arts coverage in Richmond. Not surprisingly, it was a well-attended session with artists and arts organizations of every size and shape represented.

Not unlike other regional papers, we’ve seen arts and entertainment coverage in Richmond change, and not necessarily for the good, in the last few years. Full-time critics have retired and not always been replaced, more ink is given to TV, film and popular music and many components of the traditional A & E pages have been moved to the internet.

During the 90-minute session we heard comments ranging from the importance of the arts in society to questions about when retired critics would be replaced. (Answer: they weren’t.)

Much to my dismay, though, much of the session consisted of lots of whining about how the paper had failed you-name-it artist or organization by not covering some event with an announcement, a feature or a critique. In my view, the arts community came off as a collection of charity cases, begging for help from the oh-so-powerful RTD. My view is that by taking the “please help us” approach, we squandered the opportunity to make the case for why the arts beat should be a priority for coverage.

Arts and culture in Richmond are inextricably woven into the fabric of this community. What we do as artists and produce or present as arts organizations is a significant part of the life, work and soul of this community and it’s the paper’s responsibility to reflect that in their coverage.

At the heart of the challenge is the fundamental difference between arts organizations and the media. We are mission driven; they are bottom line driven. Our day to day decisions are guided by our missions -- theirs are guided by profit.

In the case of the Times-Dispatch, I would imagine that the decision not to replace the classical music critic had less to do with presenting an honest reflection of the community by maintaining art music coverage, and more to do with maintaining a profit margin.

That’s a tough fight for us to win, but one where we should be able to cover some significant ground.

How do we show them that it will be good for their business to be a player in a meaningful discussion of power of arts and culture in our community?

How do we demonstrate that coverage of live performances and exhibitions is just as important to readers (and therefore, to the bottom line) as TV, film and commercial music?

How do we convince them that the fact that we operate under a not-for profit tax code, does not make us charity cases, or relegate us to the bottom of the coverage food chain?

We are “community corporations” established by design and intent to service the various cultural needs of our community. That is in fact, a mandatory condition of our 501 C-3 status. The Richmond community IS our full-time job! To that end we deserve to be treated as fully vested partners in the life and work of this community.

And if what the new managing editor says in true, which is that he wants the paper to become a truer reflection of the depth and breadth of our very diverse community, then arts and culture coverage must be included in what they present to readers each and every day.

Please let me know your thoughts.
kp

Friday Free For All

2006-09-15T10:48:00.000-04:00

It is a beautiful day to be outside. I don't think we could ask for nicer weather to do our first Friday Free For All concert. I could, though, do without the pine needles that are constantly drifting onto my gear.

This concert mini-series is a new thing for us. Once per month we're going to have a free show somewhere on campus. We're hoping for a wide array of groups in a wide spectrum of venues that you wouldn't normally think of as concert spots. Today we're outside in the Wilton Forum, with Westhampton Lake as our backdrop. Thankfully, the lake looks pretty today.

This is, I suppose, a bit of a late notice to tell you all to come out and enjoy the show. Instead, maybe this will be more of a reminder that we'll be doing this again in November [yes, i know i said every month, and November is most certainly not next month. you can wait]. We'll be in a different venue, with a different group, but still on Friday. It's like being on tour without ever leaving campus.

MJL

The Middle of Battleworks

2006-09-09T20:17:00.000-04:00

The second night of Battleworks is about to go to intermission. While I've got a few minutes, I thought I'd share a few tidbits from a place that very few write from: backstage.

Our lighting system is very robust. I call it robust because there are many different ways to accomplish the same effect. For instance, there are at least four different ways to cut off the house lights. We also have approximately 300 available dimmers that can power upwards of 1200 lights! Not only can we make our stage amazingly bright, we can make it terribly hot. One day i would love to see how long it would take paint to dry under the heat of 1200 lights. Today is not that day.

As I am sure most of you have noticed, our stage is almost twice as wide as it is deep. This lends itself well to most dance companies; they have room to space well, yet never really feel far away. What you may not know, however, is that all that backstage area is where we stagehands dance to the Peanut Butter Jelly song. It is a veritable DDR in those spaces where you can't see.

We often use air effects for performances. This includes smoke, haze, fog, and snow. All of our effects are water based, which helps in that they leave no residue on clothing, scenery, or flooring. However, it takes more of a water based air effect to equal an oil based effect. Our hazer, used tonight for "Promenade," does a fairly good job at filling our space. For all its output, though, it is rather loud. I guess some things have to make lots of noise to work well. Maybe that's why i make so much noise backstage...

MJL

A Love Letter to the Folks in the Box

2006-09-09T15:13:00.000-04:00

I’ve never done hard time in the box – box office, that is. Unlike many of my colleagues, who started their arts careers working in the box office, I was a latecomer to arts management and came through the ranks on the fundraising side of the business. A different kind of hard time, yes, but nothing like the box.

The folks who work in the box office are the unheralded heroes of the arts business. More often than not, they are the employees with whom our customers have the first contact and because of that, the future of our relationship with that customer rests squarely on their shoulders.

That makes box office staff indirectly responsible for marketing, public relations and fundraising. They are not just selling a ticket, they are acting as gatekeepers as we begin the process of building a relationship with our audiences. And success with that relationship turns a single ticket buyer into a season subscription holder, and then into a donor, a volunteer or a board member.

So at the start of our 11th season of performances at the Modlin Center, I want to thank each and every member of our box office team for a job well done. Thank you to our full and part-time staff and to the over 200 student box office employees, who, over the last 10 years, have helped to build the Modlin Center into the success we are today. Thank you for your commitment, your patience, your tolerance, your creative problem solving, and most of all for doing this job so I don’t have to.

xxookp

Our Toughest Audience

2006-09-05T10:28:00.000-04:00

Not unlike other performing arts venues on college campuses, we have struggled for years to attract students to our performances. Student participation in our early years was abysmal, but now nearly 30% of our annual audiences are comprised of UR students. That’s almost three times the national average and while it did not come easily, we are very proud of those numbers. We still have work to do in this area, but here are some of the strategies we have used that have contributed to our success so far.

One thing we have learned is that there is no silver bullet solution to the challenge; it takes multiple strategies, implemented simultaneously over a protracted period of time and fueled by a tremendous commitment of human and financial capital.

1. Make student attendance an organizational priority.
For years we recognized the extraordinary challenge of developing a student audience. We whined about the numbers, acknowledged it was a shame that more students did not take advantage of these world- class performances, but we did relatively little to actually address the problem. Two years ago, when we hired David Howson as associate director, we made student audience development a primary responsibility of his position. And what a difference he has made! His arts management students conducted focus groups and he consulted with our student employees and many student organizations about the problem. Then he developed and implemented a strategic plan of action across or our organization to address the challenges. Many of the strategies listed below are a function of David’s hard work in this area.

2. Involve the faculty.
A great deal of the credit for student attendance goes to our wonderful faculty. Many require arts events as part of their course work. Believe me, when a grade is involved, the students are there. And many are actually surprised at the caliber of the events they see and are motivated to come back on their own. As director of the Modlin Center, I participate annually in our new faculty orientation, encouraging faculty members to include events as part of their syllabi. Additionally, my staff and I take the time to get to know the various course offerings throughout the university and do a great deal of one-on-one marketing and performance planning with faculty about events that might tie into their classroom work.

3. Develop student-specific audience marketing strategies.
We have learned that the marketing strategies that are successful with traditional audiences do not work with the 18-25 year old crowd. After years of assuming that students were reading the brochures we put in their mailboxes and weekly university emails, focus groups told us that they never read either. Ouch! What they did respond to were personalized emails and to that end we began and annual email acquisition campaign, complete with a special web page and IPOD giveaways to get students to sign up. We are in our second year of this effort and we have seen our participation numbers rise.

4. Students beget other students.
For years we watched how strong student attendance was at our Department of Theatre/Dance productions and realized that was due to the fact that their peers were appearing on stage in those productions and students came to support them. While we do no usually present performances in which students, appear, much of the Modlin Center staff is comprised of students -- thirty, each year to be exact. We have come to rely heavily on our student employees, who have advance knowledge of our performances, to generate interest and excitement about our events among their peers.

5. Create a social component.
Our students have very evolved social lives and they enjoy doing the things their friends do. To that end, we have launched a series of social activities around performances with guidance from our student employees. They range from date nights with post-performance receptions to bringing an entire student organization to a performance. Last year, for example, we coordinated an event with the Asian Student Alliance around Ravi Shankar’s “Festival of India” last season. These events have been highly successful and we are planning more for the coming season.

6. Expand your view of programming.
For years, the Modlin Center has been in a philosophical tug of war with students over the role of the Modlin Center. At the heart of the disagreement is our view that the Modlin Center’s role is to help shape students’ tastes and the students’ view is that our job is to cater to their tastes. After ten years, I have realized that there is actually some common ground between the two. The Modlin Center is, first and foremost, an academic program of the University and our primary responsibility is to support the University’s educational mission. That said, I have learned that there is some programming that can have both academic value and meaning and relevance to our students. In response to the strong acapella tradition on campus I have booked Tonic Sol-fa, a Minnesota-based acapella group who, in addition to their performance, will conduct workshops with our four resident acapella groups. After last year’s phenomenal success, we are again presenting Bela Fleck (here last with his Flecktones), this time, with jazz great Chick Corea. We expect both performances to have heavy student patronage. Bottom line for me as a programmer is to be open to new ideas.

While there are many other things we are experimenting with, these are just some of the things that have worked for us so far and much of the credit for their success goes to David Howson, our associate director and Samantha Sawyer, our marketing director. My hope is that this post will generate some additional discussion about this delicious topic from my staff, our students and our colleagues throughout the field.

Thanks for listening and do let me know your thoughts.
kp

Why Invest in New Music?

2006-08-06T11:25:00.000-04:00

This season marks the beginning of the third year of residency at the University of Richmond for the acclaimed new music sextet eighth blackbird. Some of our patrons are not happy about that. They prefer our former ensemble-in-residence, the Shanghai Quartet.

Both groups are world class - the very best in their particular genres - and both continue to perform regularly as part of our Great Performances Season, but patrons still wonder why we have made such a substantial commitment to a group who specializes in new music. Here’s why:

The commissioning, development and performance of new work is the single most significant way to further the art form (in this case, music) and guarantee a healthy future for the arts in America and beyond.

To put the idea in scientific terms, it’s research and development for the arts. Interestingly enough, few seem to question this process when it comes to science or medicine – through what other process will we find cures for cancer, AIDS/HIV or Parkinson’s – but when it comes to new music, many seem to question the commitment.

I accept that many audiences do not like what they hear when it comes to this sort of music and they do not rush to the concert hall to buy tickets. It is music that is not always easy to listen to or understand, especially if you are comparing it to a Mozart string quartet or a Beethoven symphony, but please try and repect our investment in the process.

Arts organizations, especially those at universities like the Modlin Center, have a moral and societal commitment to see that this important work continues. To do that, we must commission new work, support those who perform it and help our audiences understand that it is the process developing new work and not just the final product that keeps the arts alive.

To our own audience members who have not attended an eighth blackbird concert, I ask you to make a commitment to come to at least one of their concerts this year. Stay for one piece or a half of a concert – it’s OK. And if you don’t think it’s worth the price of the ticket, call me and I will give you one, just so you can experience this exciting process first hand.

For the many Modlin Center patrons who are fans of eighth blackbird and new music, please know that we appreciate your encouragement and support. I have provided information below on the exciting things coming up this season and beyond.

In September, the Birds are premiering a new work by Pulitzer Prize winning composer Joseph Schwanter. The Modlin Center has arranged for Mr. Schwantner to come to Richmond and he will join the Birds in their regular post-concert talkback. The concert also features works by Richmond-based electro acoustic music composer Benjamin Broening and sound artist Stephen Vitiello. In November our annual Third Practice Electro Acoustic Music Festival opens with a weekend full of concerts of new electro-acoustic music and works for mixed media performed by eighth blackbird and other artists and composers.

The 2007-2008 season marks the completion of a major commissioning project with eighth blackbird and world-renowned composer Steve Reich. The Modlin Center is a commissioning partner in this project and I look forward to sharing more as this process unfolds.

As always, thanks for listening. I look forward to hearing your comments.

Want to know more about new music? Check out New Music Box.

kp

The New Cosmopolitanism

2006-07-21T18:49:00.000-04:00

We are about half way through our subscription campaign and things look good. I am especially delighted by the significant increase in new subscribers (a pattern that contradicts national trends) and intensely interested in what performances both new and renewing patrons are choosing. There are the predictable front-runners, yet there are always surprises.

This year we are presenting a considerable amount of music and dance from other cultures and all are extremely popular at the box office. When I came to Richmond, I was peripherally aware of the influence of world cultures on American popular culture, but I had no idea that Richmonders would have such a strong appetite for these kinds of performances.

During our inaugural season, we presented a Polish Dance Company (it was REALLY cheap and filled an empty slot) and people came from as far as the western part of the state to see the company. This, I thought, was not what I expected from the former capital of the Confederacy. I don't know that I had specific expectations, but this was a real surprise. In subsequent years we upped the ante, presenting music and dance from a variety of cultures -- the Mosieyev Dance Company from Russia, Klezmer music, the dance company of the Peking Opera, Celtic music and dance, Brazilian guitar and percussion, Flamenco and Tango, Chinese ehru and pipa players, classical Indian dance and music -- all to full houses -- in Richmond, a small capital city with a population of a little over a million! What did it mean?

To me it meant and still means, that this community runs much deeper than most give it credit for. It is not, as many still believe, a two-dimensional community of black and white citizens, but rather a community of world peoples and cultures, not unlike the much larger communities of Washington, D.C. and New York City. My scholarly colleagues refer to it as the new-cosmopolitanism and Richmond is a real player. And our residents, natives and transplants, are the beneficiaries of the art, culture and cuisine that accompany it.

My experience is that Richmond has a real appetite for world culture. You barely have to travel outside of your zipcode to experience art, culture and food from around the world. We celebrate it at the Modlin Center and clearly our patrons do, too.

Executive Director Kathy Panoff comments

2006-07-09T17:34:00.000-04:00

I am a novice blogger.

I needed to start somewhere so I though I would begin by sharing a few thoughts about our upcoming season and how I approach the booking process. My hope for this blog is to broaden the discussion beyond the Modlin Center to a greater conversation about the arts, culture and society in Richmond and beyond.

Ten years since we opened the doors of the Modlin Center! Honestly it seems like yesterday -- my staff and I joke that it seems like 25 years. :) I was new to Richmond and had no clue what the response to our inaugural season would be. Thankfully it was positive and we're still enjoying success after 10 seasons and 350 touring performances.

While many of our patrons are in the process of deciding which events they would like to attend this season, I am actually well into the process of booking the season for 2007-2008. Many folks are curious about how I choose a season. For me it's always an exciting and interesting process.

Much of our season is developed in collaboration with the University of Richmond faculty. I honestly view them as specialists in their particular disciplines and I count on them to broaden my own view of the arts and cultural universe. The result for me has been the education of a lifetime and for our the patrons, season after season of very diverse offerings.

Our seasons are also anchored by major interdisciplinary units developed in partnership with University Museums and departments and programs across the university. During the season beginning in September, these two semester long units revolve around a major Japanese calligrahy exhibition in the fall and an exhibition of artifacts from the slave ship "Henrietta Marie" in the spring.

For the calligraphy exhibition, Steve Addiss, the professor curating the exhibition suggested that I bring in a Bunraku company. My first reaction was "What the hell is that," but after some research (thank goodness for the internet) I found out it is one of the oldest and most developed forms of puppetry in the world. I tracked down one of the few US practitioners at the University of Missouri and he will be bringing his company to the Modlin Center in November.

For our spring unit, which coincides with the Jamestown celebration, we are presenting an exhibition entitled "Henrietta Marie: A Slave Ship Speaks" calling attention to the fact that the first slaves in the US were at the Jamestown colony. This exhibition presents artifacts and remains of the ship to help us examine the complex maritime slave trade as a contributor to racial inequality in America. In conjuntion with this exhibition we are presenting the Soweto Gospel Choir (returning after a sold out performance several years ago) and bringing in noted scholar Guy Ramsey who will open the exhibition with a lecture on race and music. We are looking forward to the provocative discussion this unit will initiate between our students, faculty, staff and the Richmond community.

While it is not my explicit intention to use this online diary to promote our events, I thought it would be a reasonable way to begin my blogging experience. I look forward to your comments.

kp (Kathy Panoff)

Welcome to the Modlin Center for the Arts blog!

2006-06-29T14:38:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the Modlin Center for the Arts blog! We hope to share all sorts of behind-the-scenes information with our readers, so check back often to see what might be going on in production, artist services, marketing and all other areas of the Modlin Center.

We've just posted our entire 2006-07 season on our Web site, so check it out and plug in to the best-kept secret in town! Starting with Battleworks Dance Company on September 8 & 9 and running through jazz vocalist Dianne Reeves on April 25, we have again assembled an exceptional schedule of artists in music, theatre and dance. Brochures have been sent to patrons on our mailing list and should be arriving shortly. In the meantime, you can visit our redesigned Web site to see our complete schedule, download order forms, request a brochure and much more.