Truth: dare
Michael Kaiser, president of the Kennedy Center, celebrated mastermind of the financial turnarounds of the Royal Opera, American Ballet Theatre the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, has some interesting advice for arts organizations in our current troubled times. His ideas take on a strong resonance, La Cieca thinks, when applied to our big New York opera companies:
“My fear is that so many arts organizations are as a first resort cutting programming … but I like it to be a last resort, because when you cut programming you are basically becoming less competitive for the money that does exist. When there’s less money to be given to the arts, you have to compete harder, not less hard.”
Kaiser continues:
“What I see as the big crisis is how arts organizations respond to the economy … My fear is that so many arts organizations are as a first resort cutting programming … but I like it to be a last resort, because when you cut programming you are basically becoming less competitive for the money that does exist. When there’s less money to be given to the arts, you have to compete harder, not less hard ….
“Arts organizations that do that are in danger of having even less, suffering more and recovering slower … I see a lot of press being written about now’s the time to do accessible work, and I couldn’t disagree more. The press loses interest, the public loses interest and I don’t see that as a smart response ….
“When you do daring, interesting work, that’s what energizes a community….
“I believe in something we call institutional marketing … to get people excited about the organization …That means really exciting artistic projects; it means finding one’s way into the press …. A lot of arts organizations feel like they don’t have the time or energy to do that kind of work, but I think it’s essential.”
Kaiser has been saying this for years in any possible forum.
Without diminishing the credit he deserves for the message, is it not rather obvious?
Kaiser’s message might be rather obvious to many here, but believe, it’s not with the general public. At least not in my experience. I read Kaiser’s book for advice on navigating through difficult times a non-profit with which I was involved. Most of the other board members wanted to slash programs offered and shrink the organization.
“Kaiser’s message might be rather obvious to many here”
To this bunch of Zefferelli widows?
Kaiser is really smart and I love his take on this. Arts groups need someone like him to remind them of these things, because when the $$ is tight, they all too easily forget.
Kaiser’s really on the money, if you’ll pardon the pun. Alto, part of the problem is that sometimes the decisions to pull in the horns and do a reduced amount of safe stuff are made by Board members who are into funding and not arts management. Since bottom line is their major personal experience rather than art, they can become conservative rather quickly.
THAT’s why I think George Steele was very wise to do Esther and a cutting edge production of a traditional classic to relaunch NYCO–and the company got great press out of it.
This is the scenario in far too many US opera companies at the moment and part of the problem is that they have weak or inexperienced arts management and too much reliance on fresh-out-of-business-school marketing staff.
Wellllll……for a slight change of pace: This morning’s
Times has an interview with MME. RACETTE that reveals her age as 44. Let’s see now, when was it she was in the
Merola program in SFO? Ummmm……could be.
In any case, if she can pull off the Puccini trio in that vast house on Van Ness Avenue, she may well do so at the vast house at Lincoln Center. Here’s wishing her success at the Met and all the best. She is a hard worker who knows her craft. The interview, by Matthew Gurewitsch, also advises that P. R. will “soon” sing Tosca at the Met as well as many other places. Ummmm……could be.
I think her instrument definitely has the scope the pull it off. She is a great butterfly, and is the only one I’ve heard who isn’t underpowered in the big moments. However, no one can sing that much puccini in that way and come out without significant vocal wear. She already has a wobble, which is much less pronounced in the house than on the radio but still there, and Tosca certainly won’t be helping that….
She will be singing Tosca in a new production at Houston Grand Opera in January. I am very excited to be able to see this! The prima is Jan. 22nd, 2010.
“She is a hard worker who knows her craft. ”
Hard worker being the operative phrase.
And — on the radio at least — quite hard work to listen to. She sounds like a solid house soprano to me, but not a lot more.
I can’t believe there aren’t better voices around in the US to sing Tosca. What about someone like Lisa Daltirus? That sounds more like a real Tosca voice to me, from what I’ve heard. And she looks good.
truth: dare
very clever!
New role for Racette:
QPF, can you imagine? It could be absolutely horrible… or totally brilliant.
“Dyke, ya know…”
Michael Kaiser is a fucking genius.