Modlin Center for the Arts

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!