MUSIC HALL CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS Annual Report 2018-2019 THE HISTORIC MUSIC HALL, THROUGH ITS PRESENTATIONS AND PRODUCTIONS (INCLUDING COMMISSIONS OF ORIGINAL ARTISTIC WORK), PROVIDES SE MICHIGAN WITH HIGH QUALITY PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAMS AND EDUCATION THAT REFLECT THE DIVERSE MIX OF CULTURES THAT MAKE UP OUR COMMUNITY. MUSIC HALL IS DETROIT’S “PEOPLE’S THEATER” – THE PLACE FOR HIGH QUALITY BUT NON-ELITIST PERFORMING ARTS AND EDUCATION WITH AN EMPHASIS ON DANCE, THEATER AND MUSIC, PARTICULARLY JAZZ. MUSIC HALL AIMS TO BE THE MOST ACCESSIBLE, INCLUSIVE AND CULTURALLY DIVERSE PERFORMING ARTS INSTITUTION IN THE COUNTRY. MUSIC HALL CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS AT-A-GLANCE* EVENTS & AUDIENCE 100 MAIN STAGE EVENTS 135,000 MAIN STAGE AUDIENCE 150 JAZZ CAFÉ EVENTS 15,000 JAZZ CAFÉ AUDIENCE 50 3 FIFTY TERRACE EVENTS 50,000 3 FIFTY TERRACE AUDIENCE (EARLY EVENING, MID-, AND LATE-EVENING SEGMENTS) 300 TOTAL EVENTS 250,000 TOTAL AUDIENCE 1M+ WEB HITS 56,000 EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS 20+ ORIGINAL COMMISSIONS CAST & CREW 22 FULL TIME EMPLOYEES 280 PART TIME EMPLOYEES 66 TRUSTEES 1,321 INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS 3,200 TOURING ARTISTS 1,200 LOCAL ARTISTS 75 COLLABORATING ORGANIZATION PARTNERS 300 VOLUNTEERS SUPPORTERS 225 INDIVIDUAL PRODUCERS 30 CORPORATIONS 9 FOUNDATIONS 3 GOVERNMENT AGENCIES DEMOGRAPHICS STUDENTS AUDIENCE 56% AFRICAN AMERICAN 40% AFRICAN AMERICAN 7% LATINO 5% LATINO 34% CAUCASIAN 39% CAUCASIAN 1% ASIAN 9% ASIAN 2% MIDDLE EASTERN 7% MIDDLE EASTERN PERFORMING ARTS EDUCATION OUTREACH 7 EDUCATION PROGRAMS 22,000 STUDENTS 32 SCHOOLS 38 CLASSROOMS 30 EDUCATORS 140 TEACHERS & CHAPERONES FINANCIAL $7 MM BUDGET $17.4MM AGGREGATE ECONOMIC IMPACT 800 SUPPLIERS * A L L NUMBERS REPRESENT ANNUAL TOTALS ANNUAL REPORT Table of Contents Pages A Brief History . .2 - 3 Special in 2019: Building Mural . .4 Special in 2019: 90th Anniversary Archive Gallery. 5 2019 Season: OnStage & Season-At-A-Glance . ..6 - 8 2019 Season: In The Classrooms . .9 - 11 Financial Information . .12 - 14 Narrative Income Statement Balance Sheet The People Behind the Scenes . 15 - 18 Governance Administrative Team Resident Artists Legacy and Architecture . .19 - 20 2019 Building Improvements Addenda . .21 - 25 Executive Committee & Partner Organizations Board of Trustees Season Highlights A BRIEF HISTORY Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts opened as the Wilson Theatre on December 9, 1928 with a production of Florenz Ziegfeld’s ‘Rosalie’. Designed and built as a ‘legitimate’ theater (for live performing arts) amidst many new 1920s movie palaces, it is the creation of Matilda Dodge Wilson, who envisioned a top tier venue that welcomed men and women of ALL ethnicities to its audience and its stages. Her commitment to a standard of inclusion, unheard of in its day, remain central to our current mission and work. The building is one of the finest examples of Art Deco architecture in Detroit, and most of the original elements – wood paneling, silk drapes, torchieres – remain today. Fred Astaire and the Ballets Russes have left footprints on our boards, the swing of Count Basie still reverberates, and the voices of Eartha Kitt and Ella Fitzgerald have reached into the rafters. Traces of Marcel Marceau's silent magic linger, and Ray Charles declared us one of his all-time favorite houses to play! The name was changed to Music Hall when it became home to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (1944-1953), broadcasting the Ford Sunday Evening Hour to the nation. In 1953, a giant curved Cinerama screen was installed, along with custom surround projection and sound, drawing fans in such numbers that films ran for a minimum of six months. Michigan Opera Theatre was launched here in 1971, adding opera to the mix of Mrs. Wilson's vision for an inclusive variety house. A courageous band of civic leaders and Trustees saved the building from the ill-conceived civic wrecking ball in 1974. Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts 350 Madison Avenue Detroit MI 48226 - www.musichall.org Page 2 In 2006, under the new leadership of Vincent C. Paul, a former cloakroom was converted to a second stage: the Jazz Café. In 2018, the venue was re-christened ‘Aretha's Jazz Café’ in honor of the Queen of Soul's wish for a downtown venue to carry on her legacy. A third stage was also added in 2014, when we opened 3Fifty Terrace on the building's seventh-story rooftop – a seasonal hotspot nestled among the City’s architectural gems. Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts 350 Madison Avenue Detroit MI 48226 - www.musichall.org Page 3 SPECIAL IN 2019 : STEVIE WONDER MURAL ON SOUTH WALL Serendipity happens. We’re paraphrasing, but it’s the sentiment of UK-based muralist Richard Wilson, who contacted us last year following his participation in Eastern Market’s murals program. As one of Stevie’s most ardent fans, Richard had his eye out for a canvas large enough to realize his vision. He was stunned to learn that the wall he spotted and had his heart on belonged to one of Detroit’s most iconic music venues. We said ‘YES’ and the rest is history. Arriving in the spring, Richard set about the enormous task of creating an 8,000 square foot likeness of a young Stevie at the Clavinet. We are simply in awe, and take joy in the great numbers of people who come by or simply stop in their tracks. It’s that amazing! Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts 350 Madison Avenue Detroit MI 48226 - www.musichall.org Page 4 SPECIAL IN 2019: GRAND OPENING OF 90TH ANNIVERSARY ARCHIVE GALLERY On December 9, 2018, we celebrated a very special moment: ninety years to the day when Florenz Ziegfeld presented the very first production onstage at the Wilson Theater, so named for the visionary woman who created it – Matilda Dodge Wilson. The Gallery is open to the public every day free of charge, thanks to the generosity of the Skillman Foundation and DeRoy Testamentary Foundation. It contains many hours of enjoyment and learning about Detroit’s history as a world performing arts capital. In addition to physical artifacts such as vintage tickets and programs, there are twenty interactive digital screens with thousands of poster images, organized by decade as well as by topic area. Explore the days of Cinerama, take a turn conducting the Detroit Symphony Orchestra from Eugene Ormandy’s podium, or sit down next to Billie Holiday at her makeup table as she prepares to go on! Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts 350 Madison Avenue Detroit MI 48226 - www.musichall.org Page 5 OUR WORK: ONSTAGE & SEASON-AT-A-GLANCE Our ‘onstage’ work is in in three main categories -- PRESENTATION & ENGAGEMENT, CREATION, and EMERGING ARTIST DEVELOPMENT. Our year-round audience base numbers approximately 250,000 and is spread among our three stages (Main Stage, Jazz Café, and 3Fifty Terrace.) PRESENTATION & ENGAGEMENT Four content Series comprise the bulk of our programming. The Lear Family Theater Series consists of ‘page to stage’ creations of classic children’s literature, such as The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Diary of a Worm. It draws families together and inspires an early love of live performance. The works are created by companies dedicated exclusively to children’s theater, understanding exactly how to show kids that there is life beyond screens! The Contemporary Dance Series, recently including such companies as Diavolo and Complexions, keeps Detroit tuned into the global dance scene and connects us with the region's large dance student community. Another recent highlight was Shen Wei Dance Arts, headed by the choreographer who staged the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet, Jessica Lang Dance, MOMIX – all are companies that see into the future of dance as it is shown on the world’s biggest stages. Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts 350 Madison Avenue Detroit MI 48226 - www.musichall.org Page 6 The World Cultures Series offers culturally significant, world-class productions drawn from across the globe - engaging with the full spectrum of Detroit’s rich demographic mix and affirming that all groups are important to Detroit’s growth. Recent examples include Dance Cuba, Taj Express Bollywood, and the Haflah Arab Fusion Fest. From the Scots Guard to Spanish flamenco, the Polish Baltic Orchestra to Cirque Chinois, the Series brings the world to Detroit – no passport required. The Music Series includes both established and emerging artists in our Jazz Café and on the Main Stage. Recent examples include: Raul Midon, the Stanley Jordan Trio, Ethan Bortnick, and Cameron Carpenter. Still humming in our ears are the sounds of Hugh Masekela, Allen Toussaint & the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Gino Vannelli, Stanley Jordan, Jean-Luc Ponty…the Series also has a history of tapping artists just on the brink of fame, such as Jon Batiste (now of The Late Show with Steven Colbert) and Esperanza Spalding. ORIGINAL WORK CREATION Each year, we commission and present several brand-new works, varying by genre according to the availability of talent and that season’s planning. One of this season’s most highly- visible new works is ‘Woke’ – a work choreographed for the artists of Complexions Contemporary Ballet. Woke is a bold, physical, socially-conscious reaction to the daily news with a vision of enlightenment via divine human movement. EMERGING ARTIST DEVELOPMENT We believe in doing all we can to keep a full pipeline of that extraordinary Detroit talent. Singers, dancers, instrumentalists, poets, and actors can practice their craft here, building their skills and developing their talent as far as it will take them. Our Jazz Café stage serves as their proving ground at least 4 nights a week, year-round. Main Stage use is also available at cost (mainly consisting of labor) to larger groups.