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By Cathy Maestri
InstantRiverside.com

Frustrated members of Riverside’s arts community finally got to put in their 2 cents on the $30 million renovation of the Fox Theater at a City Hall meeting Tuesday afternoon.

Local groups have complained that they’ve been shut out of planning for what will become the Fox Performing Arts Center, and that it’s being refurbished with only Broadway-style productions in mind.

“We understand there’s been a lot of discontent,” David Plettner, a cultural planner hired for the project, told the group.

By the end of the two-hour meeting, Plettner said he would get the planned technical specifications to local organizations as well as ask exactly what each would need in order to be able to use the Fox. Recommendations will then be made to the City Council.

“This really is the city’s facility — the population’s facility,” councilman Mike Gardner, who took office last November, told the gathering. “It belongs to the people of Riverside.”

Steve Kester, music director of the Raincross Chorale, was among those who asked Riverside Mayor Ron Loveridge to arrange the meeting after realizing the city’s Fox Advisory Committee included only one community arts group — the Riverside Community Players, headed by Kathryn Gage, wife of former councilman Art Gage.

“The attitude seems to have been one of exclusion,” said Daniel Olson of Riverside Lyric Opera.

Approximately 50 people, most connected with community arts organizations, attended the meeting, headed by new arts and cultural affairs manager Jonathan Yorba; another gathering is scheduled for Sept. 24.

Kester, Olson, former Riverside County Philharmonic general manager Bill Brakemeyer and past Riverside Opera Guild president Geri Woods previously met with Loveridge; on Tuesday they presented their concerns about Fox programming and logistics.

The general questions seemed to revolve around whether local groups would get the chance to use the building once it opens next year — and whether it will be physically able to accommodate them.

“You need to embrace us,” said Kathie Westley, a California Riverside Ballet board member.

According to project manager Robert Wise, the Fox is on schedule for spring completion and a fall opening, complete with restored painting and plasterwork and additional restrooms.

The Stein/Malone Group was officially named as the Fox’s operator just over two weeks ago. Bob Stein has run the nearby Riverside Municipal Auditorium, which features local events as well as nationally known acts, for more than a decade.

Broadway production company Nederlander has already expressed an interest in bringing some of its West Coast theatrical productions to the Fox. Part of the renovations to the 1929 building have included tearing down and rebuilding the stage house so that the height is 78 feet, tall enough to double-hang scenery.

Acoustics, floor surfaces, storage, parking, pianos, rental rates, stage sizes and even music stands were discussed at the meeting.

“The talk has always been about Broadway-type productions,” Gardner said. But even if a deal is signed with Nederlander, those shows wouldn’t come close to filling the Fox’s calendar. “We have great local organizations that can fill that theater,” Gardner said. “We just can’t afford to have it sit empty.”

Then again, the 1,600-seat venue — whose capacity will be smaller than the Muni — probably won’t be able to accommodate all the local arts groups all the time. For example, the stage won’t be big enough for a large symphony production. And even though there had been talk about the donation or purchase of a rare Wurlitzer pipe organ similar to the theater’s original, “it has been decided that we are not going to be able to have the organ,” Gardner said; the pipe chambers at the sides of the stage will be used to house electronics.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Filed under Entertainment

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

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