SPARK Magazine Spring 2020

SPARK

Spring/Summer 2020

B L U M E N T H A L P E R F O R M I N G A R T S – I G N I T I N G C U LT U R E

THE SHOW GOES ON

AS BLUMENTHAL CONTINUES TO SERVE p.18

BLUMENTHAL'S BELOVED EDUCATION DIRECTOR EXITS

Stage Left p.4

BLUMENTHALARTS.ORG | SPRING/SUMMER 2020 | SPARK

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CONTENTS LIVING OUR MISSION 14

A STANDING OVATION Team Blumenthal applauds health care heroes at Atrium Health

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THE SHOW GOES ON Blumenthal continues to serve the community during uncertain times

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Ignite a SPARK:

SPRING/SUMMER 2020

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'A BLUMEY AWARDS SALUTE' Broadcast program celebrates student achievements in musical theater

ON THE STAGE 10

‘THE LAND WE BELONG TO IS GRAND’ 2020-21 Broadway season spotlights American theater

NAVIGATING A NEW REALITY The arts will play an important role in healing the community

Ralph Beck, former Blumenthal education director, emcees at a Blumenthal Open Mic event. He has retired after more than 11 years at Blumenthal.

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NEWS BRIEFS 12 IN THE NEWS

Help for Australia, a new Ovens experience, SHOUT! returns, and more

PROFILES 4

RALPH BECK, TAKE A BOW At left, the American musical Oklahoma! is reimagined for the 21st century. It is part of the 2020-21 PNC Broadway Lights Series.

Above, health care heroes at Atrium Health get used to a new level of protection and risk during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ON THE COVER: Former Blumenthal Education Director Ralph Beck performs during an Open Mic event.

Blumenthal's beloved director of education leaves a legacy of impressive accomplishments

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POWER OF EXPRESSION New board member views the arts as a healer

NEXT PAGE: Tom Gabbard. Photo by Chris Edwards.

SPARK

SPARK is produced by the Blumenthal Performing Arts Marketing staff.

Vice President of Marketing Wendy Oglesby Editor, Graphic Designer Mark Wallace Creative Services & Publications Manager

Content Coordinator & Writer Rebecca Bereiter Communication & Creative Content Producer

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Contributing Writers Liz Rothaus Bertrand Adam Rhew Kitty Janvrin Michael J. Solender Page Leggett Editing Support Lorrie Henry John Luebke

FROM THE PRESIDENT

MISSION STATEMENT To present the best in the performing arts and in partnership with others, share and employ the arts as a major catalyst to strengthen education, build community cohesiveness and advance economic growth.

Board of Trustees Richard Battle Tariq Bokhari Kristin Hills Bradberry, Immediate Past Chair Bobby Chesney, Compensation Chair Brian Cromwell Dena R. Diorio Tom Eiselt Charlie Elberson Jonathan D. Feit Erin Lavely Fisher John Giannuzzi Jeffrey Hay, Board Chair Jen Henry Renee Hobart, Education Chair Reneé Johnson Michelle Y. Lee Portia Sherman MacKinnon Susanne H. McGuire Barbara Meeks, Development Chair Jaime Monday Gail Sharps Myers Richard Nichols Courtney D. Rogers Matthew Salisbury, Secretary

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Saying that the world has changed a lot is a real understatement. What hasn’t changed is the commitment of Blumenthal Performing Arts to serve, lead and inspire. It’s more important than ever that we provide creative leadership in helping Charlotte restore its balance and move ahead.

We are deeply grateful for your steadfast support. We appreciate your patience and understanding of the show postponements and cancellations. As you can imagine, very little was under our control for a while.

Broadway completely shut down on March 12. Within days, every national tour had closed, as did every music tour and act.

They all remain closed as I write this.

After an absolutely necessary “intermission,” though, we are making plans to bring arts, entertainment and community back to our venues in a smart and safe manner.

We’re working closely with our performing arts center peers across the country to develop new methods of operating our venues and programs. At the Broadway League, we have 15 different crisis teams at work, of which I’m part of four. Our research extends around the world to Seoul, Korea, where amazingly big shows like The Phantom of the Opera have continued to play throughout this crisis.

We have so much to learn and do, but we know we will come out of this stronger and better than ever.

I am so proud of our team and how quickly they moved to remotely keep our business moving forward. Our investment in a new phone system, dozens of laptops and other technology paid off. If you called about tickets in the last few months, a team member was talking to you from home because they never give up.

One the great tragedies of the last few months is missing the big send-off we had planned for our beloved director of education, Ralph Beck, who has retired after 11 amazing years. We had planned a very public thank you at this year’s Blumey Awards, which sadly was canceled. We’ll eventuallyhonor Ralph when people can be together, since his legacy includes his magnetic ability to engage, uplift and bring out the best in everyone. In the meantime, this issue of Spark has a terrific piece on his wonderful work and impact.

Although we’ve lost a few titles in the originally announced Broadway shows coming to Blumenthal, we’ve gained a few and still have the largest, most diverse Broadway program in the country.

Coming out of this time, we aspire to be a transformative force that helps to reenergize our city. Thousands of people who work in restaurants and hotels, or as stagehands and musicians, and other hardworking people, all count on us. Our city relies on us to create the vibrancy, creativity, passion and energy that defines our city.

Your support enables us to make a difference and is more important than ever before.

Anjali Shah, Marketing Chair Dr. Rasu Shrestha Scott Tozier, Facilities Chair Evan Turtz Kevin R. White, Treasurer

Tom Gabbard President & CEO BLUMENTHALARTS.ORG | SPRING/SUMMER 2020 | SPARK

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PROFILE

RALPH BECK, TAKE A BOW BLUMENTHAL'S BELOVED DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION LEAVES A LEGACY OF IMPRESSIVE ACHIEVEMENTS

by PAGE LEGGETT

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When Ralph Beck would speak to student groups – as he often did during his tenure at Blumenthal Performing Arts – he usually led with this question: Do you know what the No. 1 fear in America is?

“The answers usually included death, being buried alive, being burned,” said Beck, who retired April 30 after more than 11 years as Blumenthal's director of education. He delighted in telling students that most Americans’ greatest fear isn’t dying – it’s public speaking.

They were always incredulous.

That’s not your fear, he would tell them. “You’ve been involved in the performing arts. So, public speaking comes naturally for you.

And that, alone, is worth so much.”

Not every student involved with Blumenthal wants to be onstage. Some want to direct, produce, design costumes, run the sound and lights or become promoters. And some will support the arts by being patrons.

Blumenthal’s Junior Ambassadors program includes 50 students who serve as volunteer ushers each year. Beck would tell those students: “My unabashed goal for you is to become ambassadors for the arts for life.”

Beck nurtured a lot of arts ambassadors (and performers and behind-the-scenes staffers) while at the Blumenthal – about 160,000, in fact.

But you won’t hear the self-effacing Beck boast about that. He’ll say only that he worked on programs Blumenthal President and CEO Tom Gabbard initiated. “All this good stuff,” he said, “it’s not my creation. I’m just a facilitator. Tom is the creative force behind all of it, and it’s been my privilege to carry it out.”

“He cares so deeply about the kids,” Gabbard said of Beck. “He wants to see them grow personally – not just professionally.”

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Ralph Beck emcees at a Blumenthal Open Mic event.

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Ralph Beck dances during the Best of Open Mic in 2018.

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THE GRANITE FOUNDATION Beck was a theater kid himself. He played the clarinet and performed in musical theater in high school and at Pepperdine University, where he earned undergraduate and master’s degrees in music education and a second master’s in religion and religious studies. “I have known the joy of being onstage,” he said.

He’s made a career out of sharing that joy. “That care and concern Ralph has for students extends to every member of our staff,” Gabbard said. “Ralph is beloved internally as well as by the kids.”

His internal fan club includes his former department – Jenny Kabool, education manager, and Kacy Connon, education programs manager. Kabool has been with Blumenthal for 12 years and worked on Beck’s team for five of them. She calls Beck “a compassionate, humble leader with a democratic approach who allows us to find our own strengths and let our talent blossom.”

“And he loves the kids,” she added. “He’s so good with them that we started calling him ‘Uncle Ralphie.’”

He’s beloved beyond Charlotte, too. Rachel Reiner, longtime director of audience engagement at The Broadway League in New York and a longtime Beck collaborator, called him “first and foremost, a very nice guy, hard-working, dedicated, collaborative.”

Tim McDonald, playwright, director and founder of iTheatrics in New York, is another longtime collaborator. He and Beck have worked together on the three-day Junior Theatre Celebration Charlotte – formerly known as Broadway Junior – for a decade.

“Ralph is the granite foundation you’d want to build your house on,” McDonald said. Sturdy, solid, protective.

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iTheatrics adapts Broadway musicals for performance by elementary, middle and high school students and creates original musicals suitable for families.

The team’s consultants co-created Junior Theatre Celebration, along with the leading theatrical licenser and Blumenthal’s education department.

During the annual celebration, groups from dozens of area schools perform a selection from their school musical in front of iTheatrics professionals, who offer feedback. In March 2019, more than 2,000 students from around the region gathered at Knight Theater for performances and professional critiques.

Beck and his team reached more than 18,769 students in 2019. And even that’s a low estimate, since it doesn’t count students who attended more than one Blumenthal-sponsored event.

LIKE ADULTS AT A COCKTAIL PARTY Whenever Beck’s students would come together, it was a point of pride for him.

“When theater kids from different schools get together, they don’t just cling to the people they know,” he said. “They’re introducing themselves and introducing each other. It looks more like adults at a cocktail party than high school students.”

Theater kids have conversational skills that go beyond their years. And many of them would talk to Beck about how theater changed their lives. Formerly shy kids inevitably blossom when they become part of a theater community – whether they’re acting, running the sound, designing the costumes or promoting the production, Beck said.

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“Ralph is the granite foundation you’d want to build your house on.”

TIM MCDONALD

PLAYWRIGHT, DIRECTOR AND FOUNDER OF iTHEATRICS IN NEW YORK

But not every school has an active theater program.

Arts funding – in schools and overall – is being slashed more every year.

BRIDGING THE ‘ARTS GAP’ Much of what Beck and his team did was designed to compensate for what many students aren’t getting in schools.

“There is an arts gap,” Beck said. “And cuts to arts budgets drive a lot of what we do. When Hamilton was here, 2,100 students from Title I schools got to be in the audience through the show’s Hamilton Education Program (affectionately referred to as EduHam).”

For years, it was the most elusive ticket on Broadway. And some students who had never seen a live theater production were in “The Room Where It Happened” when it came to Charlotte. Prior to the matinee performance, participating students spent several weeks in their classrooms studying American history through a special integrated curriculum about Alexander Hamilton and the nation’s Founding Fathers.

Hamilton producers made tickets for this educational partnership available for $70, $60 of which is subsidized by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Duke Energy Foundation and Blumenthal

Performing Arts. Therefore, tickets cost each student $10 (one “Hamilton”).

Every educational program Blumenthal puts on has to be funded somehow. “We are blessed with a growing number of individual and corporate donors who understand how vital arts education is to a growing and increasingly culturally diverse community,” Beck said prior to his retirement.

In typical Beck fashion, he gave the credit to someone else for helping secure the necessary funding to operate the education department. “Blumenthal’s development department, led by Chase Law, is as thoroughly devoted to our educational outreach as my team and I,” Beck said. “And that’s a whole lot.”

He described the relationship between the two departments as “symbiotic.” Beck said: “We’re so united in purpose that I have to occasionally remind myself we’re actually two different departments.”

WORTHY OF A STANDING O The title Beck had while at Blumenthal – director of education – doesn’t adequately convey all he did. He has shaped the education department into something larger than its moniker – something more akin to a CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

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Ralph Beck poses with students during a banquet.

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THE BECK DECADE (AN Far from being comprehensive, here are a few of the many programs Ralph Beck brought to life in his 11 years as Blumenthal’s education director that continue today.

Beck built a legacy that will last.

Arts for All Ticket Scholarships expand accessibility to select touring Broadway shows for families and children with limited financial resources.

The Blumey Awards are founded. Patterned after the Tony Awards®, the first Blumey Awards program included 20 participating high schools. In May 2019, the number of participating high schools was up to 47.

Big Brothers Big Sisters annual ticket scholarship program introduced. By the end of fiscal year 2020, roughly 1,150 pairs of “Bigs” and “Littles” will have been treated to Broadway shows and other performances.

2011

2010 2009

2010 The Blumenthal Experience is started to give area high school theater students a free, intensive day of discovery, including workshops, a backstage tour, great seats for a touring Broadway show and a postshow discussion with the cast.

2012 The Mary Doctor Performing Arts Scholarship is established. Each year, two graduating high school seniors in the Charlotte region are selected as recipients. Each student receives an annually renewable scholarship of up to $10,000.

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community engagement department.

But Beck would never tell you that. “Ralph works behind the scenes,” said iTheatrics’ Tim McDonald, using a theater metaphor to describe Beck’s style. “He doesn’t ever take the limelight or demand accolades.”

His record, however, is worthy of a standing ovation.

Eight education programs were in place when Beck joined that have grown and remain part of the canon today. But he has added to that. All told, his five-person team supported 20 education initiatives.

Master classes and workshops, formal and informal mentoring, scholarships, the Annual Loonis McGlohon Young Jazz Artist Competition – all are among programs that were born, or nurtured, under Beck’s leadership.

High school and college internships are another signature Ralph Beck is onstage with 2018 Blumey program. Since 2014, 62 Awards best actress Reneé Rapp. college students, college grads and graduate students have served as Blumenthal interns. Eleven of Blumenthal’s roughly 100 full-time employees are former Blumenthal interns.

A few other programs in Beck's legacy: • The Blumey Awards. The granddaddy of education programs, the Blumeys are modeled after Broadway’s Tony Awards®, and loosely aligned with regional programs around the country. The first Blumeys were held in 2012 with 20 participating high schools. In May 2019, 47 high schools competed for trophies.

And the caliber of talent is impressive. The Broadway League’s Rachel Reiner has been in 8 SPARK | SPRING/SUMMER 2020 | BLUMENTHALARTS.ORG

charge of the Jimmy Awards®, the national high school musical version of the Tony Awards, since 2014. The Blumey Award winners go to the Jimmy Awards competition. “There is significant talent coming out of Charlotte,” Reiner said.

“A number of Blumey winners have gone on to be Jimmy winners and finalists.”

Ralph Beck speaks during a Blumey Blumenthal’s Jenny Awards celebration.

Kabool believes the Blumeys will be Beck’s most enduring legacy.

• Social Clubs (formerly Affinity Groups). These informal social clubs consist of members who enjoy Blumenthal performances. Participants can attend free pre- or post-show parties and receive steep discounts on show tickets. Charlotte Live is for high school students and sometimes middle schoolers, and Teachers’ Lounge is for educators. Outside of the education realm, there are two other Social Clubs: Club Blume for young professionals, and Out on the Town for the LGBT community.

• Open Mic. This free event is open to performers and spectators of all ages. Instrumentalists, singers, dancers, poets, jugglers, belly dancers and magicians turn out for their turn at the mic.

Beck, who served as emcee, confesses that he had the most fun with this program. “Ralph is a performer,” Kabool said. “He’s a bit of a ham. And he has a devoted following. There are people who tell us they come to Open Mic night just to see him.

ADE (AND THEN SOME) Loonis McGlohon Young Jazz Artist Competition begins.

Finalists between the ages of 14 and 20 perform before an audience that includes musicians from the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.

Improv workshops begin. Workshops are designed for comedy beginners.

2013

2015

2019

2014 Open Mic begins. Free to performers and spectators of all ages, Open Mic happens eight times a year and allows instrumentalists, singers, dancers, poets and more to perform before a live audience.

2017 The Gordon Hay Scholarship is established. The merit-based program provides an annual, one-time $5,000 scholarship to a high school senior planning to pursue a non-performing career in the theater arts.

He really connects with an audience.”

Again, Beck doesn’t focus on his role in Open Mic. He talks up the talent. “We sometimes have more than 100 prospective performers show up for one of about 15 slots,” he said. “We have had as many as 740 people in the audience – and that’s 10 more than we had seats for.

“Some of the performers will knock your socks off,” he said. “And some are performing in front of an audience for the first time. The audience is always supportive of both groups. We’ve had a pianist who stopped and restarted a couple of times – and the crowd cheered them on. We just want to say to those people, ‘Way to go. It takes a lot of guts to get up on a stage.’”

WHAT’S NEXT Beck didn’t coast into retirement. He kept developing new programs. The newest, called Blumenthal Big Arts, is a program with Big Brothers Big Sisters that will provide show tickets and free pre-show dinners to about 30 specially selected Blumenthal

Blumenthal establishes a new, informal mentoring strategy to provide middle and high school students with encouragement and opportunities tailored to their dreams.

Tommy Prudenti joins the education department as special programs coordinator, in part, to oversee this program.

patrons, each of whom will be matched with a child nominated by the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization.

Not surprisingly, Beck doesn’t plan to be idle in retirement. He started a novel 10 years ago that he plans to pick up again. And he’s envisioned a new education program he wants to pilot. Eventually, he hopes to recruit an entire volunteer network of retirees to join him.

It involves reading to kids in schools – but not a book the mentor chooses. Beck envisions having an oversized satchel of age-appropriate books on a slew of topics. He’ll meet with a student who needs extra help in reading. No matter what that first-, second- or third-grader is interested in, Beck will have a book in that magic satchel that addresses the topic.

So, you want to be a movie star? Beck will have a book about that. You want to play pro football? Got ya covered. He wants to hook youngsters by providing books that speak directly to them and make the point that reading is the way to achieve your dream.

And if one of those students has dreams of being involved in theater? Well, Beck practically wrote the book on that. T

WELCOME, ANDREA MALONEY It takes someone extraordinary to step into Ralph Beck’s shoes. And Blumenthal found that person in Andrea “Andie” Maloney.

She started at Blumenthal in February as vice president of education and worked with Beck up until his retirement at the end of April.

She most recently served as senior arts director for the Morrison YMCA/Ballantyne Arts Center’s theater, dance, cooking and visual arts programs and arts integrated preschool.

After earning a degree in theater educa-

tion at UNC Charlotte, Maloney worked at Children’s Theatre of Charlotte in multiple roles, including teaching artist and education program coordinator, for over a decade. She recently received the 2019 YMCA Diversity, Inclusion and Global award for her commitment to access and inclusion.

To learn more about education initiatives at Blumenthal, visit blumenthalarts.org/education.

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ON THE STAGE

To Kill a Mockingbird

‘THE LAND WE BELONG TO IS GRAND’ 2020-21 BROADWAY SEASON SPOTLIGHTS AMERICAN THEATER

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by KITTY JANVRIN

Ghost lights still shine brightly in theaters across the nation. Though the seats currently sit empty, the stage remains a vessel for potential – a blank canvas that will welcome many performances to come.

American theater – that is, theater written by American creatives and written about America – has been woven into the Broadway lineup since Blumenthal Performing Arts’ founding, but it has not permeated a complete season as fiercely as the upcoming one.

The 2020-21 Broadway season – comprising the PNC Broadway Lights Series and the Equitable Bravo Series – will take audiences on a journey from the founding of America through pivotal moments in our country’s history, and also will reflect on a joyous, hopeful future.

While these great, sweeping themes of society and introspection may seem heavy for a medium many in the Charlotte area view primarily as a channel for entertainment, the newly announced 2020-21 Broadway season is infused with beauty, hope and joy: stagecraft for our new America.

If you were to think about modern American theater, Hamilton is more than likely at the forefront.

Hamilton will make a joyous return to Charlotte in January and February 2021.

With a show that grew from a mixtape idea to a Broadway and international behemoth, it can be easy

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to forget that there was another story of our founding fathers that was revolutionary, not for its rap lyricism but for its sharp-witted didacticism. Such is the case with 1776.

When the original 1776 production debuted on Broadway in 1969, it also took the Tony Award® for best new musical. It was radical in that it depicted a subject many felt was outdated, especially as the country faced conflict in Vietnam when the show was developed. Still, 1776 humanized the main players in American history and made them not only accessible but wildly entertaining to the masses.

Now a revived 1776 is set to close out the 2021 PNC Broadway Lights season, exposing the Hamilton generation to the forebearer of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony Award winner.

Another recent Tony winner, perhaps the most talked about and relevant musical on Broadway this year, is surprisingly a piece from 1943. While you may have seen iterations of Oklahoma! from community theaters, the 1955 film or even a Broadway revival, the new production strips down conventional barnyard sets and the traditional dreaminess to focus on the darker aspects of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s book.

This is not the musical your grandparents remember, but it’s one you’re certain not to forget.

The production builds a story more than seven decades old into a modern mirror for the American audience, and aptly delves into and dissects the masterful book and score. The piece is more relevant than ever, shedding light on issues like xenophobia, the power of states, and the autonomy of women that still pervade our country. If anything, Oklahoma! is a testament to the quality of a thoughtful script and a masterful score.

Like Oklahoma!, To Kill a Mockingbird is a reckoning of what it means to produce and consume American theater. Mockingbird is not truly a revival as the play boasts an entirely new script, but it brings Scout Finch’s coming-of-age tale to the stage with lovely sets and exquisite performances. Like the experience of reading Harper Lee’s cherished words printed on the page, the new stage adaptation will knock the breath out of you. These moments, expertly written and brought to life by Academy Award-winner Aaron Sorkin and director Bartlett Sher, are draped in a heavy Southern humidity and the haze of childhood nostalgia, the weight of which we cannot and should not escape, even as audience members.

Perhaps nothing is quite as American as the penchant for entertainment. After all, this country houses both of the major players in this arena: Hollywood on the West Coast and Broadway in the East. Peppered into Blumenthal’s 2020-21 Broadway schedule are screen-to-stage and biographical musicals that showcase some of the most important cultural linchpins: Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations, Mean Girls and Pretty Woman.

American music is the bedrock of the American musical, so bringing the exceptional stories of musical standouts The Temptations to the stage not only allows for an evening of showstopping spectacle, but one of inspiration.

Mean Girls and Pretty Woman, both new musicals inspired by beloved films, each bring their own biting humor, original scores and unforgettable characters off the screen and onto the stage.

For many a millennial, Mean Girls ushered in a new era of “fetch” allusions, expanding the U.S. lexicon – a feat the new musical emphasizes to a higher degree. Pretty Woman made an icon out of a dazzling red dress (don’t fret, you get to see it onstage) modernizing the Cinderella success story for American audiences.

The newest addition to the season is Hadestown, boasting

a distinct, folksy score by singer-songwriter Anais Mitchell, innovative direction by Rachel Chavkin, and the 2019 Best Musical Tony Award. With hints of Americana and undeniable odes to the brassy, soulful sounds and ambiance of New Orleans, the show inverts ancient mythologies to create a new world and a new treatment of American theater.

There’s something to delight and excite, awe and entice every kind of audience member next season. Visit BlumenthalArts.org /Broadway to learn more about the PNC Broadway Lights Series, the Equitable Bravo Series and Broadway Extras. T

REIMAGINING THE SEASON The COVID-19 crisis has prompted significant changes across the world and has affected the national tour plans of many shows. These changes have led Blumenthal to reimagine its 2020-21 PNC Broadway Lights Series, which is now offered as a smaller 6- or 7-show Season Ticket.

The good news is we’ve added the 2019 Tony Award winner for best musical, Hadestown. We’ve made this addition because the aforementioned tour changes led to the postponement of Tootsie and The Cher Show to later seasons and the indefinite delay of Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida. With rescheduled dates for shows from the current season, including Jesus Christ Superstar, we look forward to presenting one of our best ever Broadway lineups.

Revised 2021 PNC Broadway Lights Season Hamilton Oklahoma!

(included in the seven-show package)

To Kill a Mockingbird Ain't Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations Mean Girls Hadestown 1776 (rescheduled to November 2021)

Hamilton

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NEWS BRIEFS

IN THE NEWS

CHARLOTTE AUDIENCES RAISE FUNDS FOR AUSTRALIAN BRUSHFIRE RELIEF Come From Away is a musical about the humanity of strangers during a crisis, and the international companies of the Tony-nominated best musical have been living that message in real life.

This past January, the Toronto, London, Australia, Broadway and touring companies all collected donations from audiences across the world, which the show’s producers matched, to raise $145,000 to aid Australia during the brushfires that decimated millions of acres of land.

In just five performances, Charlotte’s Come From Away audiences at Belk Theater, including the producers match, made up more than $65,500 of that final total. According to Playbill.com, all donations were sent to the Australian Wildlife Fund, Wildlife Information Rescue and Education Service known as WIRES, and the Australian Wildlife Rescue Organization.

“A 45-second speech. People with buckets. And look what

FEDERAL CARES ACT INCLUDES A TAX BREAK FOR DONORS The CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security) Act includes added financial incentive for community members who want to make contributions to nonprofit organizations. A universal tax break for charitable donations was included in the stimulus package and will remain in effect for the 2020 tax year. For information, please visit BlumenthAlarts.org/support-us or speak with your tax preparer.

2020 CHARITABLE GIVING TAX BREAKS • Individuals who itemize are allowed a tax deduction of up to 100 percent of the Adjusted Gross Income for contributions to qualifying charities.

• Individuals taking a standard deduction may also take an “above-the-line” deduction for up to $300 in charitable donations.

• Corporations may deduct 25 percent of modified taxable income for 2020 filings.

To learn more and make at charitable gift to Blumenthal Performing Arts, visit BlumenthalArts.org/support-us.

Your support of Blumenthal Performing Arts helps enrich the arts and connect our community.

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kindness can do,” said Australian actress Marika Aubrey, who plays Beverly Bass on the national tour of Come From Away.

“Charlotte, I will always remember your generosity. Thank you, thank you, thank you, from the bottom of my heart to everyone who donated and worked so hard to get this done.”

In addition to the financial support, the costume department at Broadway’s Come From Away followed To Kill a Mockingbird’s example in constructing bird nets, bat wraps, and joey pouches to save the animals affected by the wildfires.

CONTACTLESS MOBILE TICKETS MAXIMIZE SAFETY AND CONVENIENCE With many people looking to avoid handling items like menus and mail, now is the perfect time to try mobile tickets, which provide a truly contactless solution for event access.

Mobile tickets are safe, secure and available when you need them on your phone. They’re the recommended way to receive your tickets for all events in Blumenthal Performing Arts theaters sold through CarolinaTix – Blumenthal’s ticketing arm.

“Now is the perfect time to make this switch if you haven’t already done so,” said Blumenthal President Tom Gabbard.

“Mobile tickets delivered to your phone are the safest, fastest and most convenient way to get your tickets. We hope the large majority of our customers will select this option when they order.”

Mobile event tickets work just like airline boarding passes. They are sent via email with a link to download the tickets to either Apple wallet or wherever you save PDFs on your phone. You also can simply wait and retrieve your tickets from the original email when you’re heading to the show.

The link in the email will not expire.

When you arrive, our ticket takers will scan your mobile tickets from your Apple wallet or the PDF. No printing needed!

Be sure to select contactless Mobile Tickets the next time you purchase, and enjoy the safety and convenience of tickets delivered to and scanned from your phone.

Pietropinto and Vicki.JPG

LOOK FORWARD TO A NEW OVENS AUDITORIUM EXPERIENCE When you come to see Wicked or Hamilton next season, you’ll enjoy an enhanced experience at Ovens Auditorium thanks to a major investment in this historic Charlotte landmark.

A new 35,000-square-foot “connector” will tie in to the existing lobbies on the west side of the theater, providing easily accessible new space for key facilities like restrooms, concessions and special events for guests.

The interior of the theater will offer all new seats, another venue improvement that will enhance your event experience.

Some key improvements: • Plush new seats.

• 50 percent increase in restroom capacity.

• More concession locations with enhanced selections.

• Additional entrance for improved access.

Bojangles Entertainment Complex rendering.

IDEAS+MUSIC+FOOD+ART

SHOUT! IT OUT AND SAVE THE DATE Blumenthal Performing Arts, in partnership with Charlotte Center City Partners, is pleased to announce the return of Charlotte SHOUT! – taking over the heart of uptown Sept. 18-Oct. 4.

This year’s celebration of art, music, ideas, and food features BIG names, BIG art and BIG thought leaders from around the world. Stay tuned for more information on what is becoming the most audacious and inspiring arts and ideas festival in the Southeast.

The world comes to Charlotte Sept. 18-Oct. 4 for Charlotte SHOUT! Interested in being a part of the SHOUT! experience as an artist or vendor? Visit: BlumenthalArts.org/JoinShout

Gaia exhibit at University of Bristol, U.K., 2019

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LIVING OUR MISSION

The marquee outside Belk Theater pays tribute to health care workers during the coronavirus pandemic.

A STANDING OVATION TEAM BLUMENTHAL APPLAUDS HEALTH CARE HEROES AT ATRIUM HEALTH

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by PAGE LEGGETT

Coronavirus disease 2019 has challenged and changed all of us, from managing the loneliness of social distancing to the anxiety of losing a job or a business. It has required parents to become teachers and taught us how to cook, make our own masks and use new technology. But nowhere has the challenge been greater – nor the response to it more inspiring – than on the front lines of America’s hospitals.

The COVID-19 pandemic turned health care workers into warriors. For doctors, nurses and the myriad support staff that keep America’s health care system functioning, saving lives is all in a day’s work.

But a global health crisis and critical shortage of personal protective equipment suddenly meant these heroes were putting their own lives at risk each time they showed up for work. History will chronicle their stories for generations, but there’s no better time than now to shine a spotlight on these superheroes in

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scrubs working at Blumenthal Performing Arts’ longtime supporter, Atrium Health.

Eugene A. Woods, Atrium Health’s president and CEO, oversaw the system’s COVID-19 response and regularly expressed gratitude to Atrium Health’s front-line heroes. In a March 28 email, Woods wrote: “Our Atrium Health teammates are showing up day after day to care for our patients and are ready and fully committed to do what is asked of them. They are adapting to the rapid changes we are having to make to deal with this pandemic – they are the real heroes of this story today and every day.”

One of those heroes is Daniela Sanchez, RN. At the height of the pandemic, the clinical nurse supervisor in the emergency room at Atrium Health Pineville spent some of her shifts in the hospital’s parking lot. That’s where the external screening center tent was set up to treat patients with mild cases of COVID-19.

It’s easy to imagine all front-line workers feeling tired, scared and anxious during such uncertain times, but Sanchez, mother of a 12-year-old son, felt something you might not expect. “I feel a sense of pride taking care of our patients,” she said. “I have witnessed our team give their all to patients who have been some of the sickest I’ve seen in my career.

“Patients who can’t have their family present due to COVID-19 have been so compassionately cared for by doctors and nurses,” she said.

SERVING THE UNDERSERVED Atrium Health targeted underserved areas of the community with free screening and testing. Each week during the pandemic, the testing bus drove to at-risk and low-income communities. At the height of it, the bus was deployed five days a week.

Most patients got their results the same day they were tested. That’s because Atrium Health does its own in-house testing. It’s one of the few health systems in the nation to have that capability.

Geographical Information System data helped determine where testing sites were most needed. “We can identify (on a map) where the emerging hot spots are and what parts of our community might have trouble accessing testing,” said Kinneil Coltman, Atrium Health’s senior vice president and chief community & external affairs officer.

Coltman noted the testing barriers that exist in underserved and minority communities – access to technology to make appointments, smart technologies for virtual care and transportation. All can be hurdles to ensuring that the most vulnerable members of the community get the care they need.

‘HOSPITALING’ AT HOME The pandemic led to a number of innovations, including the “virtual hospital.” COVID-19-positive patients who didn’t need intensive care were able to get care at home,

Atrium Health is advancing its industry-leading COVID-Safe initiative by providing fast and reliable antibody testing to determine if a person has previously had COVID-19.

Workers in Atrium's emergency department have had to adapt to changes quickly to deal with the pandemic, including communicating through masks.

which also helped create much needed space at the local Atrium Health hospitals.

After diagnosis, COVID-19-positive patients received monitoring kits that included a blood pressure monitor and pulse oximeter to take home to check their vitals several times a day. Patients also received daily check-in calls from Atrium Health clinicians.

“During these unprecedented times, it’s critical we find innovative ways to free up beds at our hospitals for the sickest patients,” said Dr. Scott Rissmiller, executive vice president and chief physician executive at Atrium Health. “This program is not for seriously ill patients, but virtual hospital allows appropriate patients to receive high-quality care in the comfort and safety of their own homes.”

PROVIDING EXPERTISE AND ASSURANCE Medical Director of Infection Prevention Dr. Katie Passaretti seemed to be everywhere at once, and in addition to her usual responsibilities, she became a sought-after media expert. In early March 2020, with a dozen reporters and their bright lights crowded into her office, “Dr. P,” as most call her, became the face of Atrium Health’s coronavirus fight.

From educating the community on social distancing to encouraging viewers to use bandanas as masks while reserving disposable surgical masks for health care workers in the early days of the pandemic, Passaretti was a voice of calm in the storm.

As an infectious disease expert, Passaretti is schooled in treating a large population of very sick people. But even she said, “Pandemics are something you learn about, you plan for and think about, but it is a very different situation to actually be in the midst of it.”

The pandemic is already changing health care. An update on Atrium Health’s website reads: “When COVID19 spread throughout the world, the health care field required drastic changes to meet new demands. Now, health care can’t return to the old ways of doing things.

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Atrium Health’s Mobile Medicine team is always on call to serve our communities during emergency situations like the coronavirus pandemic or a natural disaster. This photo was taken before social distancing guidelines were put in place.

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And it shouldn’t.”

There has been a new and necessary embracing of technology, including telemedicine and virtual visits, and more outreach to vulnerable populations.

‘PREPARED FOR WHATEVER COMES NEXT’ In a twist of fate, 2020 was nationally known as “The Year of the Nurse.” Was it ever! As Atrium Health Senior Vice President and System Nurse Executive Maureen Swick told her staff, “In these times of uncertainty, nurses are depended on more than ever.

“Courage is what I have seen across our health care system,” she said. “Courage to step into the unknown.

Courage to do things differently – from providing more care virtually than we ever have before, to exploring ways to conserve our supply of precious personal protective equipment. Courage to ask questions and make plans so we are prepared for whatever comes next.”

As fast as everything was changing with COVID, some things remained the same. People still got injured, experienced chest pain, delivered babies.

People were still diagnosed with cancer, and those whose treatments were already underway continued with their treatments. But extra caution had to be taken.

Susceptibility to COVID-19 increases in people whose immune systems are already compromised.

The pandemic prompted Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute to begin seeing more patients virtually. About 95 percent of patients had virtual visits during the height of the pandemic.

Dr. Geoffrey Rose, president of the Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute, shared with U.S. News and World Report the impact of this transformation: “My health care system serves 37,800 patients every day (or nearly one every two seconds) across North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.

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the outbreak, we have rapidly transitioned our care delivery model from one relying predominantly on traditional face-to-face encounters to one fully embracing virtual visits.”

COVID-19 is a formidable foe, but it has also led to rapid advancements in patient care. “The pandemic is pushing us to the future faster than we planned, leading to an evolutionary leap forward for cardiac telemedicine,” said Rose. “Out of this international crisis comes an opportunity to permanently alter how we deliver care – for the better.”

ADDRESSING THE SPIRITUAL SIDE Atrium Health’s more than five dozen chaplains have always attended to the spiritual needs of patients and their families, as well as staff. The coronavirus intensified that.

“While the protective equipment is essential, the compassion still can shine through,” said David Carl, executive director of spiritual care and education at Atrium Health. “Compassion is the fuel for resilience, which is exactly what all of us need right now.”

Chaplains are accustomed to sitting beside patients, holding their hands and offering a prayer or blessing, but COVID-19 forced them to share those messages from a greater distance.

Ministering through video conferencing apps on iPads, smartphones and laptops became one innovative way chaplains could make connections with people.

Chaplains even helped patients video chat with their families who could no longer visit and their faith’s local religious leaders.

All hands were on deck during the COVID-19 outbreak. Every Atrium Health teammate played a role in keeping patients, staff and our community safe. The war and battle analogies used to describe hospitals during a pandemic are apt. And the war’s not over. Our brave soldiers – suited up in scrubs and masks rather than fatigues – are still fighting.

We salute you. T

ATRIUM HEALTH DR. KATIE PASSARETTI Medical Director of Infection Prevention What is the most challenging part of being a doctor during COVID-19?

Facing a new enemy with so many unknowns.

What are you most looking forward to, once life gets back to a new normal?

Spending time with my husband and nephews and getting back to my prework workouts more regularly. I’m boring.

What’s giving you hope now?

The amount of ingenuity and collaboration and heart in health care workers showing up day after day on the front lines; the way the community has gone all in to support health care workers in any way they can.

DANIELA SÁNCHEZ, BSN, RN, CEN Clinical Supervisor, Atrium Pineville Emergency Room What is the most challenging part of being a nurse during COVID-19?

Changes, changes, changes. It can be challenging to incorporate all of these changes so rapidly while working to provide the best care for our patients, but the Pineville team stepped up to the challenge.

What are you most looking forward to once life gets back to a new normal?

I'm missing my son more than anything else in the world and can’t wait to get back together with him. He’s been staying with his father to prevent any chance he’d be exposed to COVID-19, and I have been working crazy hours to support the team.

He’s an active kid and an avid dancer, and I’m missing him dance, going to performances or just hanging out and watching a movie. We both love musicals, the Charlotte Ballet and the Whitewater Center. We’re so ready to be back doing what we love … and making up for the fun times we’ve missed.

KINNEIL COLTMAN Senior Vice President and Chief Community & External Affairs Officer What is the most challenging part of being a health care leader during COVID-19?

We were in a race against the clock to ensure that the most horrifying consequences of this virus didn’t play out in our own communities.

What are you proudest of?

Launching a cutting-edge model of testing that used Geographic Information System mapping to identify hot spots of community spread in underserved communities. We launched something that would normally take months in less than a week.

What are you most looking forward to, once life gets back to a new normal?

I miss the collaborative energy that comes from sitting in the same room with my colleagues, so I’m looking forward to laughing with my friends at work in person. I also can’t wait to have a date night out with my husband.

What’s giving you hope now?

I have been in awe of the outpouring of support from our community to our health care heroes on the front lines. Nearly 50,000 meals have been donated to (our) teammates during this pandemic. The absolute best of humanity has been on full display every step of the way.

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LIVING OUR MISSION

Because of the foresight of Blumenthal Performing Arts leaders, ticketing sales and services representatives like Cynthia Glenn, above, have been able to maintain customer service from home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

THE SHOW GOES ON

I

BLUMENTHAL CONTINUES TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY DURING UNCERTAIN TIMES

by LIZ ROTHAUS BERTRAND

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In the last few months, the world has changed in ways few people could have ever predicted. Every person and every business has been affected by the worldwide pandemic. How does a performing arts organization – a business dedicated to bringing people together – continue to function in the midst of a public health crisis in which social distancing is the new normal?

Here’s a look at how Blumenthal Performing Arts has managed to continue operating, retain its staff, care for its customers, and even successfully launch sales for its biggest Broadway season ever. At the heart of this behind-the-scenes production has been preparation, collaboration and innovation.

PREPARATION Several years ago, on the heels of a major ice storm, the leadership team at Blumenthal Performing Arts made an important decision. The organization needed to be better prepared if another event temporarily closed offices and theaters, so they took an inventory of all their business practices to see what changes and investments would be necessary.

“We did not know what that event would be, but we knew we would face it someday,” says Steve

Brace, Blumenthal’s vice president of administration and chief financial officer. Each department helped compile a list of essential equipment, software and capabilities.

There were some obvious needs, like transitioning from desktop computers to laptops; moving files to the cloud where employees could securely store documents and collaborate on projects; investing in new communications applications like Microsoft Teams and Zoom; and training staff to use them so they could continue to work effectively while off-site.

In all, there were about a dozen items to follow up on. “We got it done,” says Vice President of Marketing & Communications Wendy Oglesby. “Blumenthal, as an organization, had to invest in that – they had to believe that was important.”

These preparations have paid off, enabling Blumenthal to continue operating despite a scenario no one could have expected, affecting hundreds of performances and spanning months rather than days.

One of the biggest and most important investments was moving to a cloud-based contact center system.

That crucial decision has enabled customer service agents to receive calls and work remotely in exactly the same way they would onsite in Blumenthal’s call center.

“We knew that when you have a weather situation there’s a great intensity where people need to talk to you – they need reassurance, they need to know what’s going on,” says Oglesby.

“We’re one of the few performing arts centers in the country that has made the leap to a cloud-based contact center system,” says Paul Myrick, director of ticketing and marketing technology, whose first major project for Blumenthal back in 2018 was to lead a team

in replacing the outdated, hardware-based phone system with a call system that functioned completely over the internet.

Since then, customer service representatives and other Blumenthal employees have used a rotation system to occasionally work from home to get comfortable with equipment, test the new systems put in place and ensure that there were no wi-fi connection Myrick issues. Blumenthal’s leadership knew that if an unexpected event were to happen, it would be essential to maintain the same high level of customer service, providing accurate and timely information to the public as well as having the capability to issue refunds, offer credits and more.

Maintaining the public’s confidence during a strained time is essential, not just for the short-term but for the future too. When things return to normal, people will know they can safely purchase tickets without fear of losing their money should something unexpected occur.

Blumenthal has also been able to give the public something to look forward to with the announcement of next season’s power-packed lineup of Broadway national tours, including highly anticipated returns of Hamilton, Wicked and Dear Evan Hansen.

Subscription sales have been remarkably strong.

“People are very excited for the new season,” says Richard Powers, Blumenthal’s director of ticket sales and customer service. “We’ve had folks telling us it’s great just to have something else to think about right now … something positive and something to look forward to.”

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Thanks to early preparations, Blumenthal Performing Arts' staff has been able to continue receiving calls and work remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Above, the staff stays in touch with meetings via Zoom.

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Booth Playhouse gets some renovations during the downtime that resulted from the coronavirus. Above is the lobby before, and at right is with carpet removed and the floor being stained.

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COLLABORATION

Carter

Launching a new season on top of handling the large volume of current postponements and canceled events has required unprecedented collaboration between departments while employees work from home. That’s because there is no one-size-fits-all solution for handling programming changes.

“You kind of have to assess on a case-by-case basis,” says Stephanie Cantrell Dowds, Blumenthal’s director of programming, who oversees the organization’s presentation of events spanning comedy, dance, music and Broadway tours. “For a couple weeks there, we took the stance of just pushing the pause button because there are so many unknowns. We’re feeling a little better about rescheduling now, but a lot of them we’re pushing out into 2021.”

As Dowds and her team work to accommodate the needs of artists and reschedule Blumenthal presented events to the greatest extent possible, they are also fielding date requests from the more than a dozen resident companies, including the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra and Charlotte Ballet, as well as theater rentals from outside groups.

“Really, the hardest part has been trying to fit the calendar together ... like a big giant puzzle,” says Dowds.

As each production change is confirmed, Blumenthal’s marketing and ticketing departments swing into full gear to notify the public. Director of Marketing and Publicity Brandon Carter says his team has transitioned in the last month from normal advertising functions to more of a triage role, ensuring that messages about cancellations and postponements are concise and accurate, and that patrons who have tickets to the

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affected performances receive proper communication.

“It was definitely uncharted territory when it comes to the sheer number of updates there were and updates that were constantly changing,” says Carter about the initial weeks of the COVID-19 outbreak in North Carolina.

Each step of the communication process requires the coordinated effort of multiple people and departments, from updating the website, to drafting an email, to pulling the list of affected ticket buyers, to handling requests for refunds, ticket credits and more.

“I really give a lot of credit to the whole organization because it really does take everybody working in a unified sort of way to achieve these results,” says Oglesby.

“You can’t have good external communications if your internal team is not aligned and not pulling in the same direction and is not sharing data and information.”

While many things are happening behind the scenes throughout the organization, customer service representatives in the ticketing department and ticket buyers themselves have had to show great flexibility and understanding as information is updated and communicated as quickly as it becomes available.

“They deserve the credit because more than anyone, they’re the folks on the front line,” says Powers.

“They’re the ones getting the brunt of all this.”

CARING FOR STAFF AND INNOVATING In order to keep things running smoothly, Blumenthal’s employees had to quickly adjust to new realities. But moving confidently toward the future with innovative ideas meant employees’ own fears had to be assuaged. In a performing arts organization, many jobs are not typical 9 to 5 positions, and some are very closely tied to the daily operations of live entertainment, such as loading in sets, cleaning and

Tynes-Miller

maintaining facilities, and welcoming guests to performances.

For many years, Blumenthal has focused on maintaining an efficient business model and growing its reserve fund to ensure continuity in operations since revenue streams in the performing arts industry are very cyclical. That fund, plus any available federal, state and local programs for which the organization qualifies, is now being used to maintain core operations and to retain staff during the closure of facilities.

“I’ve been incredibly inspired and grateful for Blumenthal’s take on this and how they’re taking care of their employees,” says Robin Tynes-Miller, ticketing sales and services manager. “I think it’s pretty unique. We have so many part-time people on our team, and I was worried about what this means for them. We’ve been able to keep them working on projects. Everyone’s been working really hard and using their time, and I’m just incredibly grateful for that.”

Technical staff, front-of-house managers and facilities managers are busy updating emergency procedures, as well as aggressively pursuing online training courses, ranging from safety management and technical skills to mastering computer programs like Excel.

Blumenthal continues to pay its senior stagehands as well, about 18 in all, who are regularly contracted to work on productions at its six theaters. Although they are not direct Blumenthal employees, they also participate in the training courses. Their new skills will ultimately benefit the organization, and supporting them during this crisis is “the right thing to do,” says Bill Dantos, vice president of theater operations.

Performances are on hold, but buildings still need to be cleaned and maintained. Electrical, fire, and gas systems require monitoring. Incoming mail needs to be picked up and sorted, checks deposited, bills paid and customer refunds mailed. Every day there is someone from security, facilities and building services at each of the theaters Blumenthal operates.

Some building improvements are also taking place, like the installation of new cell phone antennas by contractors at Knight Theater to increase coverage. At Booth Playhouse, floor contractors in full hazmat gear are pulling up the carpet and staining floors.

Meanwhile, the number of hand sanitizing stations in theaters has been doubled and Blumenthal has purchased a new sanitizing system with hospital-grade disinfectant that works like a fogger system, breaking chemicals down to a very small size to ensure the most thorough cleaning possible.

Various departments have also had to come up with new tools to handle special situations. For example, many of the local nonprofit clients that use CarolinaTix wanted to offer their patrons the option to convert ticket purchases for canceled events into donations to their organizations.

Blumenthal’s marketing department came up with a solution using a SurveyMonkey form so customers could dictate whether they wanted a refund, a credit toward a future show or to turn their purchase into a donation.

“If this situation calls for something more than what we normally do, we’re trying to step up and do more,” says Oglesby.

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During the pandemic, when theaters were closed, Blumenthal got creative and provided some online distractions for Broadway fans.

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Beyond logistics, Blumenthal’s team has also worked to creatively serve the community and fill a void left by empty stages and the absence of live arts experiences. “As a performing arts nonprofit, we are in a very unique position to provide much needed distractions from the stressors of day-to-day life,” says Becky Bereiter, Blumenthal’s communications & creative content producer, who oversees the organization’s eight social media channels. “That’s always been the case, but I feel now, that role is more important than ever. When I’m considering what to post, that’s Bereiter always top of mind. What can I share with our followers that will make them smile, laugh, happy-cry, feel hopeful?”

A tremendous amount of content has come from the Broadway and entertainment community, and Blumenthal is helping to share these resources and highlight these unprecedented moments.

“Creatives are stepping up in so many incredible ways, letting the world into their homes virtually, sharing their talents in ways we never thought would be possible and confirming that we are ALL in this together!” says Bereiter.

Because there is so much entertainment to share, Blumenthal has also created new features to offer a curated selection to the public, including The Blumenthal Daily, on the organization’s website.

Every day, Blumenthal’s team posts its pick for an inspiring performance or fun activity led by Charlotte artists, Broadway stars and other entertainers. An archive of all postings since April 1 can be accessed on the website: BlumenthalArts.org/daily.

LOOKING AHEAD

A new online feature called The Blumenthal Daily offers curated selections of inspiring performances or activities led by local artists, Broadway stars and other entertainers. At the top, Andrew Lloyd Webber provides piano accompaniment for "All I Ask of You" from The Phantom of the Opera. Above, Ain't Too Proud performers do a remote version of "The Way You Do the Things You Do."

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There are still many unknowns surrounding the timeline in which theaters and other places of assembly will be able to open again and how people will respond once they do.

“The level of uncertainty is just really challenging because it’s always in your mind, kind of fogging every decision – it’s just always there,” says Carter in marketing.

“I can only speak for myself here but working for a performing arts organization is a unique experience,” says IT Director Robert Schoneman, whose team oversaw many of the preparations that have enabled Blumenthal’s staff to work from home. “That experience largely revolves around what we make – shows.

I’m thrilled by what everyone is accomplishing with technology in this new normal, but I also Schoneman eagerly await returning to normal.”

Kindness and understanding are the most important things we can offer to one another right now, says ticketing’s Tynes-Miller, recalling a team member’s story about an upset patron who had phoned in the night before. The representative managed to calm her down and take care of her the way she needed.

At the end of the call, the woman apologized and explained she was a nurse and had just come off a long shift.

“We don’t know what they’re going through,” says Tynes-Miller.

“This is a really scary and challenging time for everybody. We want to be the part of their day that brightens it. We’ve had some really wonderful calls with people who are so excited about the season and are so glad to have something to look forward to.” T

LIVING OUR MISSION

NAVIGATING A NEW REALITY

THE ARTS WILL HELP HEAL THE COMMUNITY

A Gabbard

by ADAM RHEW

As the coronavirus pandemic swept across the globe during the first quarter of this year, the seats in theaters sat empty. Marquees shared messages of hope.

Artists and audiences stayed home. The effect on arts organizations, including Blumenthal Performing Arts, which halted performances across its venues on March 14, has been profound.

“It’s daunting,” says Blumenthal President and CEO Tom Gabbard. “We’re all worried about figuring it out. When the time is right, how do we reset and get people back into venues to have that communal experience together?”

Closing down prior to stay-at-home orders was, of course, the right call, Gabbard says. “We all have to do our part to get better. Hunkering down was the start of how we get through this safely.”

But the crisis has been a challenge for creatives who thrive on the sense of community they find in the performing arts. “I typically go to 350-plus performances and workshops a year,” Gabbard says. “It’s totally changed my lifestyle, but there was no questioning the necessity.”

His own bout with COVID-19 underscored the seriousness of the situation. Gabbard and his wife, Vickie, believe they contracted the virus during a trip to London in early March. They were diagnosed with COVID-19 after their return to Charlotte when they battled flu-like symptoms, and they self-quarantined as directed by health care professionals.

Today, fully recovered from the virus, Gabbard is focused on recovery and resiliency, both for Blumenthal Performing Arts and for Broadway, through his role on three crisis committees of the Broadway League.

“This is so different from anything else that we’ve experienced,” he says, recalling that theaters in New York City shut down for just a day after the 9/11 attacks.

“It’s going to be a lot more challenging than people realize. It’s going to take time to get our mojo back.”

One of the logistical challenges facing organizations such as Blumenthal is the industry’s level of interconnectedness. Rebooking a theatrical show or concert in Charlotte, for example, is impacted by other venues on the tour and their availability.

Broadway will experience lingering effects,

Gabbard predicts, which will have ripple effects across the industry. “So many attendees on Broadway are tourists,” he explains, “so if new shows struggle because tourism declines, it impacts the pipeline of shows coming to Charlotte and elsewhere.”

Performing arts venues, including the theaters Blumenthal manages, will have to navigate physical distancing requirements as an uneasy public navigates a new reality. “People are going to think about life differently after this crisis,” Gabbard says. “There will be an initial period after reopening where people establish new habits based on old habits.”

The arts can be a salve for the isolation and grief many have experienced because of the pandemic.

“People are going to feel some cabin fever,” Gabbard says. “They’re going to need that opportunity to get out of the house and get somewhere that is creative and stimulating to the senses and to experience something that we’ve had to do without.”

Indeed, the time under lockdown – deprived of the experiences that matter to each of us – may make us more appreciative during the recovery. “Anytime you have a crisis moment like this, people become reflective,” Gabbard says. “We really have a chance to think about what matters in our lives. For many, that reflection reaffirms that the arts, creativity and community are important to them.”

The organization’s impact extends beyond the walls of its venues. As Charlotte’s center city gradually reopens for business and leisure, the urban ecosystem will begin to reinvigorate itself. “People frequently tie a Blumenthal visit with another experience like having dinner in a restaurant, or staying in a hotel, or having drinks,” Gabbard explains. “It has a ripple effect that is really important. There are lots and lots of jobs that rely on us and need our help to be reactivated.”

Arts will have an important role to play in the broader community’s recovery, too.

“How do we smartly invest to bring back community vibrancy?” Gabbard asks. “It’s essential for arts organizations to lead at a pivotal time in reenergizing our community.” He anticipates Blumenthal will stake out an important leadership role in community healing and the return of vibrancy through unique programming and thoughtful experiences.

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LIVING OUR MISSION

‘A BLUMEY AWARDS SALUTE’ SPECIAL BROADCAST PROGRAM CELEBRATES STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS IN MUSICAL THEATER

F

by LIZ ROTHAUS BERTRAND

For many students, one of the hardest aspects of schools closing their doors this spring was that it halted their musical theater productions. With stayat-home orders in place to slow transmission of the COVID-19 virus, Blumenthal Performing Arts had to make the difficult decision to cancel this year’s Blumey Awards, the annual high school musical theater awards celebration for students in the Charlotte area.

This popular event is a highlight every spring and attracts sold-out crowds to Blumenthal’s Belk Theater. Forty-eight local schools were slated to participate this year. The national competition in New York City, known as the Jimmy Awards®, was also canceled.

“I think for all of them, it was absolutely a disappointment for their students, but it just came down to what we had to do for the safety of everybody,” says Andie Maloney, Blumenthal’s vice president of education.

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PBS Charlotte, who has partnered with Blumenthal to broadcast the awards ceremony since 2016, was determined not to let The Blumey Awards disappear this year. “My heart ached that the seniors weren’t going to have the recognition,” says PBS Charlotte General Manager Amy Burkett, who also serves annually as an emcee for The Blumey Awards. “It’s not just for students who want to have a career in the musical arts. (High school musical theater) really helps every student. There are so many students that that’s where they find their people, their connection. I just love being backstage at The Blumeys and talking to all of the students. The energy is amazing; the camaraderie is amazing.”

In partnership with Blumenthal and with the corporate support of Wells Fargo, PBS Charlotte presented “A Blumey Awards Salute: Performances From Yesterday and Today” on May 12.

The hour-long program included footage of some of the best moments from the last four years at The Blumey Awards. It also featured a special tribute to this year’s seniors and snippets from many of this year’s school productions. About one third of the schools were able to complete their show runs this spring before social distancing measures were put in place, but others were at various points in their production process.

As part of the broadcast, PBS Charlotte incorporated everything from dress rehearsal footage to custom-created Zoom versions of songs produced by students during the quarantine. “With 48 schools, it was not possible to share videos from every school; however, PBS was able to include select video submission highlights,” said Maloney.

Participating schools were invited to include two students each in a virtual choir led by Broadway orchestrator and arranger David Dabbon, music

director for the annual Blumey Awards. They sang Dabbon's original composition, “Don’t Be Surprised.”

The spirited song traditionally serves as the closing number at The Blumey Awards.

“The talent here is top-notch, and it’s just a real honor as the public television station to be able to extend the impact because Blumenthal sells out every year for it,” says Burkett. “ … But we reach 1.3 million households across 13 counties, and so we can just shine the spotlight on these young people in a much broader way so that more people can see their extraordinary talent.”

Maloney believes the broadcast also serves as a tribute to the hard work of teachers who have continued to support students from a distance, both academically and emotionally as mentors. “They were told to turn on a dime and change the way that they work,” she says.

“And particularly for performing arts, that connection with students – that in person work – is such a key component. It’s just amazing what they’re pulling off.” T

At left, Carmel Christian students perform Beauty and Beast via the Zoom app. Below, Cuthbertson High School performs a song from the musical Big Fish.

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PROFILE

POWER OF EXPRESSION NEW BOARD MEMBER VIEWS THE ARTS AS A HEALER

by MICHAEL J. SOLENDER

T

The fact that Dr. Rasu Shrestha’s medical training found him focusing on radiology was not accidental. “I’m an artist at my core,” says Shrestha, executive vice president and chief strategy officer for Atrium Health.

“I love the stories pictures can tell. I’m a painter and lean toward unforgiving mediums like watercolors, charcoal and pencil with the works I create.”

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“

”

“It’s important for Blumenthal to continue to expand our reach. The arts can play such an important restorative role for us, no matter who we are.”

DR. RASU SHRESTHA

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER FOR ATRIUM HEALTH

Shrestha recently was appointed to the Blumenthal Performing Arts board of trustees, a role he’s excited to fully embrace and lean into. “Being in a community leadership role for Blumenthal Performing Arts is such a natural fit for me,” Shrestha said.

“Ultimately, it’s about serving the community, and that is precisely what I strive to do in my day job as a physician, strategist and innovator at Atrium. Working with community leaders and being part of this very strong arts and cultural organization informs me on what I call the community ecosystem. By this I mean bringing together entrepreneurship, industry, education, health care – nothing supports these and ties them together like the arts can, and I want to be part of that.”

Shrestha came to Charlotte in 2019, having relocated from Pittsburgh. There he was the chief innovation officer for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. In his new role at Atrium Health, Shrestha is a member of the executive leadership team and responsible for enterprise strategy, including planning and tactical direction for the organization’s strategic roadmap. In addition, he spearheads a renewed focus on innovation for the region’s largest health care system.

Dr. Shrestha was recently recognized as “Executive of the Year” by Healthcare Dive and was acknowledged as one of the “Top 20 Health IT Leaders Driving Change” and as a “Top Healthcare Innovator” by

“

InformationWeek. In addition, he is on the board of directors of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society and is chairman of the HIMSS Innovation Committee, and co-chair of Health Datapalooza. He was the youngest student in his college in Malaysia and received his medical degree from CCS University in India. He went on to complete his training in radiology and his fellowship in informatics at the University of London and earned an MBA at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business.

“We are thrilled to have Rasu on our board and look forward to his thoughtful leadership and contributions, especially in the areas of innovation, technology and community outreach,” says Tom Gabbard, president and CEO of Blumenthal Performing Arts.

Of special interest to Shrestha is Charlotte’s explosive growth, a characteristic that provides challenges and opportunity.

“Charlotte has a huge promise in its future,” Shrestha said. “It is a rapidly transitioning city; the arts help foster and support that growth. I’m particularly excited about helping bring arts and cultural offerings to all corners of our community. It’s important for Blumenthal to continue to expand our reach. The arts can play such an important restorative role for us, no matter who we are. There’s power in expression and sharing different perspectives. There is a healing component – this is what the arts can do.” T

”

“We are thrilled to have Rasu on our board and look forward to his thoughtful leadership and contributions, especially in the areas of innovation, technology and community outreach.”

TOM GABBARD

PRESIDENT AND CEO OF BLUMENTHAL PERFORMING ARTS

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BLUMENTHAL

in Pictures

The Color Purple Get to Know the Show with UNC Charlotte Professor Kaja Dunn takes place at the Gantt Center.

Alvin Ailey dancers teach a master class at UNC Charlotte.

Union Stagehand Cat Carter, left, is named 2020 Woman for Animal Welfare by the Humane Society of Charlotte.

Blumenthal President Tom Gabbard speaks at Blumenthal's 2020 annual meeting.

THE NEW COLOSSUS MOMENTS

The New Colossus co-writer and director Tim Robbins, at left, and cast, above, speak during a Get to Know the Show event.

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UPCOMING EVENTS SEPTEMBER 10

KATHLEEN MADIGAN

(Part of Queen City Comedy Experience)

McGlohon Theater

11

LEANNE MORGAN

(Part of Queen City Comedy Experience)

Knight Theater

11

DAVID KOECHNER

(Part of Queen City Comedy Experience)

McGlohon Theater Blumenthal Experience participants take some photos backstage at Belk Theater in January.

12

JB SMOOVE

(Part of Queen City Comedy Experience)

Knight Theater

12

NIKKI GLASER

(Part of Queen City Comedy Experience)

Knight Theater

13

EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL TOUR WITH JENNA BUSH HAGER McGlohon Theater

20

RONAN FARROW

(Part of Charlotte SHOUT!)

Knight Theater

26

SPIKE LEE

(Part of Charlotte SHOUT!)

Belk Theater

29

JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER ORCHESTRA (Part of Charlotte SHOUT!)

Belk Theater

OCTOBER Alvin Ailey Artistic Director Robert Battle speaks at the Blumenthal Business Leaders for the Arts event in February.

1

AN EVENING WITH ANTONI POROWSKI (Part of Charlotte SHOUT!)

Belk Theater

1-3

CHARLOTTE PODCAST FESTIVAL (Part of Charlotte SHOUT!)

Spirit Square

3

QUEEN CITY COMEDY SPOTLIGHT Knight Gallery at Spirit Square

22

BEN RECTOR

25

CRIME JUNKIE PODCAST LIVE

Knight Theater Belk Theater

NOVEMBER 4-8

THE CROWN LIVE!

Stage Door Theater

CITY SPOTLIGHT 7 QUEENlist For a complete ofCOMEDY upcoming events, visit NOVEMBERKnight Gallery at Spirit Square BlumenthalArts.org Shows and dates subject to change.

My Fair Lady cast party.

Have peace of mind with our COVID-19 Guarantee when you purchase tickets by Sept. 1, 2020, for events presented

by Blumenthal through Aug. 30, 2021. If you feel COVID-19 conditions make it unsafe to attend one of these shows, you have the option to exchange your tickets for another event or gift card, donate the value to Blumenthal student and community programs, or receive a full refund or credit. Learn more at BlumenthalArts.org/COVID19Guarantee.

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THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS SUPPORTERS CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED FROM MAY 1, 2019-MAY 1, 2020

PRODUCER’S CIRCLE $25,000+

Peg and Jay Adamczyk Gary Bechtel Dr. Milton and Arlene Berkman Philanthropic Fund Vickie and Tom Gabbard Barbara and David+ Goodman* Laura and Jeff Hay Renee and Chris Hobart Julianne Marley Ann and Michael Tarwater

$10,000+

In memory of Linda Beck Betsy and Alfred Brand Robin and Lea Burt In honor of Katherine and Emery Cherok Mary Anne Dickson Victoria and Porter Durham Beth and Jonathan Feit Bob and Jena Gallagher Sandra and Stephen+ Godofsky Nancy and David Hauser Rebecca S. Henderson and J. Michael Booe Michelle Lee Mr. and Mrs. William B. McGuire, Jr. Michael, Jaime and Allie Monday Charlotte and Arthur Mott Robert H. Norville, Jr. Linda and Tony Pace Mr. and Mrs. George Raftelis* Kelli and Mike Richardson Jean and Matthew Salisbury Carolyn Shaw Glenn Tynan and Karen Jensen-Tynan Joan Zimmerman

$7,500+

Rubina and Samuel Batt Ben Bourne Dorlisa and Peter Flur Barbara and Josh Meeks Karen and Robert Micklash Courtney and Casey Rogers Larry and Dale Polsky Tracey and Scott Tozier

$5,000+

Anonymous Cathy and Jim Baily Tom and Sharon Barnes Mr. William M. Barnhardt and Mrs. Nancy B. Thomas* Kelly and Richard Battle Christine and Arthur Becker The Blumenthal Foundation Amy and Philip Blumenthal Doug and Shelly Bose Crandall and Erskine Bowles Rosanne Brandt Hona Childers and Daniel Browne Morgan and Brian Cromwell Dan and Gena DeChant Elizabeth and James Faulkner Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Gibbs Debby and Mike Groenhout Dale Halton and Fred Wagner Beverly and Jim Hance Charles and Diane Harrington Mr. George and Dr. Koh Herlong

Neil and Janet Kaplan Julie and Howard Levine Portia and Mark MacKinnon Jane and Hugh McColl Courtney and Jared Mobley Dr. Derek Raghavan Denise Olexa and Charlie Rapp Sally and Russell Robinson Rose and Tom Sherard Lori and Eric Sklut Melissa and Kevin White Mr. and Mrs. Michael L. White Anja and David Zimmerman

$2,500+

Anonymous Becky and Michael Alcione Randy and Nancy Baker Shavonda and Reginald Bean Margaret and Howard Bissell Mr. and Mrs. Alan Blumenthal Chris and Steve Brace Kristin and Buck Bradberry Karen and Christopher Bright George Brooks Nathalie and Daniel Carrizosa Cheryl and David Carson Mary Catherine and Robert Chesney Nan and Hal Clarke Harvey and Muri Corzin Lorin, Erica, and Lydia Crenshaw Karin and Sean Davies Amy and Alfred Dawson Jim Donahue Michele Durkin Dr. Bryan Edmiston and Mr. Felipe G. Edmiston Julie and Tom Eiselt Lou Kinard and Charlie Elberson Erin Lavely Fisher Michele and Walter Fisher Karen Griffin and John Galloway John and Kathleen Giannuzzi Douglas R. and Elizabeth G. Goldstein Belinda and Timothy Gunter Patrick Hammeke Robin and Blaine Hawkins Patti and Mark Hawley* Jennifer and Stephen Henry The Hertel Family Larissa and Ken Huber Nora and Thomas Hughes Beth and Hytham Imseis Susan and David Jamison Ronald Kahn Mary Jean and Howard L. Kushner Chase and Ron Law Meghan Daigle and Troy Leo Fara Maltsbarger Jill Maxwell Ms. Marie Mitchell Anna and Tom Nelson Janet and Peter Nixon Rene and Brian Noonan Andrew Olah and Lara Shurig Laura and Fidel Prieto Nadine and Leif Rauer Kathleen C. Richardson Irena and Lee Rimler Wendy and Frank Rosen Amanda and Neil Salvage

Mr. and Mrs. Jason C. Schmidly Vesime and Marty Schroering David Senay Gail Sharps Myers Lisa and Glenn Sherrill The Marc and Mattye Silverman Foundation Suzanne and Michael Stritch Jennifer and David Teifer Carrie and Jeff Teixeira Jacqueline A. Tucker Rita and Bill Vandiver Ellen and Ron Vilas Ellen and Jim Wade Ed Weisiger, Jr. and Betsy Fleming Dr. Matthew Wheelock and Dr. Jill Smith-Wheelock Karen and Ed Whitener Dara and Bob Whiting Lisa and Kenny Wilson In loving memory of my Rip Cathey Winfield Amy Wooden and Joe Kolodziej

$1,500+ Anonymous (2) Marty Anderson Elizabeth Austin Bryan and Kristen Barboza Anne and John Barry Joanne and Steve Beam The Donald H. and Barbara K. Bernstein Family Foundation Julie and Riaz Bhamani Lakana and Tony Bikhazi Andrew Blumenthal and Stephanie Baumann Sam Blumenthal Peggy and Ray Bouley Mona Brandon Lauren and Peiffer Brandt Pat and Tim Brier Kathleen Britton Susan and Greg Brouse Beth and Rich Buchanan Steve and Rhonda Bueche James R. Bullock Sarah and Bret Busby Joy and Chris Butler Karmen Cassell Delane and Walter Clark Ofelia and Philip Claxton Brent Clevenger Steve and Martha Clifford Dr. Elaine and Steve Coats Melissa M. and Howard R. Cohen Edward Cook Lori and Derek Copeland Catherine Cordle Craig and Sara Cummings Rose and Bill Cummings Bill Dantos Pamela and Greg Dills Claude Duet Marcia and Bob Dynko Sidney and Andres Echevarria Lorine and Ray Edwards Kelli Enos Elaine and Jeffrey Fagan Greg and Jennifer Faucette Kayla Freeman Windy and Jef Fullagar Kelly and Doug Gardner

Todd E. Gardner, MD Joseph H. and Carol Gigler Jessica and William Griesser Randy Griffin Kathy R. Hairston Ms. Anne-Scott Hatcher Leland Helms Randy P. and Donna Helton Frances and James Hill Kathy and Ben Hill Sarah Hollar and Peter Macon Jim and Frankie Honeycutt Christine and Robert Hopkins Carol and Chris Horn Mr. and Mrs. William T. Houser Peggy and Jim Hynes Beth Ipock Kathy and Charlie Izard David S. Jacobson Juanita and Lloyd Johnson Michelle Johnson Ginger Kemp Lyndon W. Kennedy Linda and Kerry Kenner Virginia A. Kern Patty and Chris Lambert James Ledbetter Margie and Victor Lisciani Thomas Madson Joseph and Uschi Marko Marie-Claire MarroumKardous Ashley and Scott Mattei Laurie and Pat McCormick Susan Mitchell Linda and Edward Need Jill and Ed Newman Jacob Norris Dr. Valerie and Mr. Barton O'Kelley Jack Page and Robert Myers Geri and Jacob Palillo Anne Patefield Donna and Steve Pernotto Peggy and Terry Peterson Susan and Dale Pond Jim Putnam Mary and Dave Pylipow Robin and John Raley Lisa and Robert Rollins Mikel and Diane Ryan Chryll and Wayne Salow Beth and John Schleck Anne and Steve Schmitt Anjali Shah and Palash Desaio Dr. Marvin Shapiro and Mrs. Anita Shapiro Emilie and Gene Sharbaugh Mr. and Mrs. Donald J. Sherrill Deanna and Norman Shue Peggy and Pope Shuford Skinkle Tona Family Susan and Edwin Small Dr. Ramada Smith and Mr. Kevin Smith Tom E. Smith Cindy and David Soliday Debby Stanley Dia and Paul Steiger Jonathan Stewart Patricia and John Stewart Phil and Michelle Stillman Sheri and Kelly Straub Dr. and Mrs. Robert Sullivan Joseph and Christine Thomas Lois J. and Robert L. Thomas MBA, CFEI David Thomason

Ted and Sandy Tozer Cassandra and Nathan Tucker Sandy and Greg Vlahos Lisa Whitney Mary Ellen and Reid Wilkerson Johnnie Willis and Michael Green Jennifer and John Wozniak

$1,000+

Charles Allen Keith Alyea Amy Baker Mr. Marty Barris Mrs. Corey W. Becker Scott Bengel Ian Berke Bonnie and Jim Blair David Boddy Laura and Sam Bowles Susan and Ralph Bracket Mary and Frank Brown Peter and Cynthia Buck Jesica Bullrich and Patrick Halsch Caroline and Matt Chambers Karen and Kevin Chapman Lillian M. Chapman Michael Condel Linda and Richard Cook Brooke and Steve Cornwell Katie and Lee Cornwell Dennis and Rita Daar Virginia A. Davis Meg and Jay Dees Tara DellaVecchia and Ryan Zepp Dena R. Diorio Shirley and James Dougherty Mrs. Roddey Dowd Sr. Bobby Drakeford Christine and James Drost Marcy and Fred Dumas Sandra and Eddie Edwards Darcy and Steven Garfinkel Glenn and Krissa Gaston John R. Georgius Robin Gershen Linda and Greg Gombar William Gorelick Cynthia Greenlee Mrs. Gail Grim Sharon and Benjamin Hager Amy Hamilton and Michael King Neil and Sharyn Handelsman Eric Hauser and Phillip Butts Amy Hecht and Claudia Ribas, in memory of Walter Soares Ribas Jon and D’Linda Highum Carol Hitselberger Michelle and Brian Howell Mike and Cathy Hyzy Julianne and Eugene Inozemcev Katina Cole Jakubowski Dr. Leslie Y. Johnson Karen and Newmoon Jung Jerri Kallam Dr. Charity Kates Mr. and Mrs. Randall King

Joan Kirschner Tricia and Ryan Knatz David and Amy Kulbok Rob and Heather Larson Beverly and John Lassiter Laney and Wood Lay Jennifer and Ross Levin Vickie and Ron Livingston Crystal Long Mollie and Grant Lyman Holly and Joseph Machicote Kristy Markners Richard and Anna Marriott Jon and Melissa Martin Drs. Nydia and Michael McCrohan Patricia McHale Suzy and Ed McMahan Darlyne Menscer Dr. and Mrs. Alden Milam Scott Suddreth and Marty Miller Shelley and Andy Misiaveg James and Koh Morrisey Dr. Robert and Norma Nagy Donna Nellis Amanda and James Nichols Holly and Jason Norvell Rachel and Steve Nystrom Wendy Oglesby and David Higbe Drs. Elaine and Thomas Pacicco Debbie and Bill Pendleton Julia and Kline Pepper Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Perlongo, Jr. Brad Platt and Steve Crook Melissa and Timothy Prentice Lynn and Barry Pronier John G. Rae Robbin and Patrick Riley Eddie and Wendy Roland William R. Rollins Carla and Ed Rose Carol and James Salisbury Karen and William Schaphorst Dr. and Mrs. Michael Schlesinger In memory of Dr. Daniel Schneck Marshall Silverman Jan and Scott Smith Wendy and Brian Smith Mary and John Spegal Sara Spencer Morgan Spencer Ken Spielfogel and Richard Withem Shannon and Ken Stober Claire and Jim Talley Mr. and Mrs. Jack H. Thomas Kathryn and Mark Thompson Kristin Thomas Barbara Walker Mr. Charles Wallach Abby and James Warren Jacqueline and Rusty Wasco Drs. James and Jackie Wheeler Teresa and Stick Williams

* Members of The Legacy Society – Blumenthal Performing Arts' planned giving program + In memoriam

Membership gifts make inspiration possible in our community. Join today! BlumenthalArts.org/givenow or call 704.379.1288 30 SPARK | SPRING/SUMMER 2020 | BLUMENTHALARTS.ORG

CATALYST PARTNERS The Arts & Science Council supports Blumenthal Performing Arts’ 2020 fiscal ear budget with operating and programmatic grants.

THE DOCTOR FAMILY FOUNDATION

Blumenthal Performing Arts receives support from the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources.

STRATEGIC PARTNERS

SIGNATURE PARTNERS

CHAIRMAN PARTNERS

$15,000+

LO U N G E

$10,000+

HOSPITALITY PARTNERS

$5,000+

$7,500+ Publix Super Markets Charities Winston & Strawn LLP

Alston & Bird LLP British American Business Council Concrete Supply Co. Deloitte Edifice Inc. Ernst and Young LLP

Foundation for Respect Ability Great River Hemp Company InterCon Building Company LBA Haynes Strand, PLLC Kimpton Tryon Park Hotel McKenney’s Inc.

Metromont Corporation Moore & Van Allen Parker Poe Pinnacle Financial Partners PwC Rodgers Builders Inc.

Rose Transportation RSM US LLP SteelFab, Inc. Troutman Sanders LLP Uncle Maddio’s

$2,500+ Baird Foundation, Inc. Baird Private Wealth Management BDO Bradley LLP Carolina CAT

C Design, Inc. Chicago Title Insurance Company Collier Law, PLLC Conder Flag D.H. Griffin Companies Foundry Commercial

Garmon & Company Inc. Commercial Flooring Gray Dog Investments, Inc. Hood Hargett & Associates, Inc. McCracken & Lopez, P.A. McGuireWoods LLP

BB&T Cabarrus Glass Company, Inc Carousel Capital Charlotte Business Journal Charlotte Labor Source Coddle Creek Farms, Inc. Crosland Southeast /C4 Builders

Donald Haack Diamonds & Fine Gems Fitzpatrick Engineering Group, PLLC Galvan Industries, Inc. High PerformanceTechnologies Inc. Hoopaugh Grading Company, LLC Howard Brothers Electric Co

Jenkins Peer Architects Lil Associates II, Inc. Little Diversified Architectural Consulting McVeigh & Mangum NC Interiors Contracting Inc. Odell Associates

Mechanical Contractors, Inc. NARENCO New England Foundation for the Arts PMMC Robinson Bradshaw The Dowd Foundation, Inc.

Tippens & Zurosky Walbridge Southeast White Knight Engineered Products

O’Hagan Meyer PLLC Olde Mecklenburg Brewery PAGE Power Systems, Inc. Piedmont Properties Preferred Electric Co., Inc. Robert E. Mason & Associates, Inc. Savills

Schindler Elevator Corporation Velligan Medical Services, PC Warco Construction Waterstone Multi-Family Group

$1,000+

BLUMENTHALARTS.ORG | SPRING/SUMMER 2020 | SPARK

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Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Charlotte, NC Permit No. 3036

130 N. Tryon St. | Charlotte, NC 28202

DREAM

Achieved

Reneé Rapp was named best actress at Blumenthal Performing Arts' 2018 Blumey Awards, won national attention as best actress at The Jimmy® Awards in 2018 and went on to land the role of Regina George in Mean Girls on Broadway in New York.

Blumenthal Performing Arts has been entertaining and inspiring our community since 1992.

Your gift can help more big dreamers achieve their dreams

WE INSPIRE BIG DREAMS 130 N. Tryon St., Charlotte, NC 28202 704.372.1000 • BlumenthalArts.org

Photo by Joan Marcus