This combined June-July posting includes topics on diversity, malfeasance, and the inherent risk associated with creating new work.
I thought the article about how American orchestras are grappling with cultivating more diversity on stage and in the audience is a good discussion topic for aspiring arts managers in any discipline. There is great value reading about the many different initiatives being tried by orchestras across America. This topic could be integrated into year-long class discussions, and you might include monitoring diversity efforts underway in performing arts organizations and museums in your own community.
The article about the Fresno Grand Opera is interesting because of the unusual move by the company to self-report the alleged malfeasance by the former general director and associate director. The article offers a detailed breakdown of the charges against the former employees, and should make for a lively class discussion. Questions about governance practices and board oversight will be prompted by this article.
Lastly, it is always interesting to read about the inherent risk associated with producing theatre on Broadway. The New York Times article about four shows that recently closed provides a good basis for a discussion about what ingredients go into the success or failure of a show.
Orchestras Face Connection Between Diversity and Relevance
By Jeanne Allen, June 14, 2016, Nonprofit Quarterly (NPQ)
The headline for an article in last week’s Baltimore Sun says it all: “In Baltimore, the largely white orchestra world talks diversity.”
The conference theme for the 2016 League of American Orchestras was “The Richness of Difference.” This annual conference was held last week in Baltimore, a majority African-American city, with the conference drawing a mostly white audience. The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) hosted the event, and invited the keynotes. Earl Lewis, the president of the Andrew Mellon Foundation and an African American history scholar, was the opening speaker, sharing lessons learned from Mellon’s initiatives to diversity the profession of college professors. Read more here: Link to NPQ article
For the Baltimore Sun article read more here: http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/arts/artsmash/bs-ae-orchestra-conference-20160608-story.html
Fresno Grand Opera reports financial misconduct to state attorney general
Donald Munro, June 16, 2016 3:39 PM, The Fresno Bee
The Fresno Grand Opera charged Thursday that former key employees were involved in financial irregularities, conflicts of interest and improper corporate governance.
The opera company, led since December 2014 by a new board and general director Matthew Buckman, delivered a ream of documents, a scathing internal report covering 2009-14 and a list of allegations to the state attorney general’s office on May 16. As part of the self-reporting process, the company says it will amend and refile its Form 990 tax filings for the period covering 2010-14. The attorney general’s office is the enforcement mechanism for keeping the state’s nonprofit organizations (also called community benefit organizations) in legal compliance.
“It was very disturbing to discover these issues upon my arrival to the company,” Buckman said. “Our goal here is only to establish trust and credibility in our community.”
Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/entertainment/performing-arts/donald-munro/article84257807.html?mc_cid=4af2653dd1&mc_eid=1a1932085a#storylink=cpy
Anatomy of a Broadway Flop: What Sank These 4 Shows?
By Michael Paulson, June 22, 2016, New York Times
The woeful wordplay writes itself. “American Psycho” met a gruesome end. “Tuck Everlasting” was not immortal. “Bright Star” ran out of fuel. And “Disaster!” proved to be — well, you can finish that one yourself.
Broadway is a brutal business, in which real success is enjoyed by a handful of shows, while a vast majority crash and burn. And this season was especially tough, because one show, “Hamilton,” gobbled up much of the attention, enthusiasm and awards that motivate potential ticket buyers.
For musicals that opened this spring, it was an especially unforgiving season. Broadway is increasingly saturated with long-running hits, and four musicals that opened last fall — “School of Rock,” “On Your Feet!,” “Fiddler on the Roof” and “The Color Purple” — reached the new year still running strong.
“People don’t have to go to their ‘I don’t know, maybe I’ll like it’ show when there are so many ‘You’re going to love it’ shows to see,” said Jordan Roth, the president of Jujamcyn Theaters, which owns five of the 40 Broadway houses.
Read more here: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/23/theater/anatomy-of-a-broadway-flop-why-these-4-shows-failed.html?mc_cid=14a1044df7&mc_eid=1a1932085a&_r=1