Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 6, 1982)
Purpose of the Hult Center still in question By Doug Nash Eugene s Hult Center for the Perform ing Arts opened its doors Sept 24, cul minating two decades of effort to promote local arts But as champagne flowed and dignitaries dealt out congra tulations, the center's purpose remained in question At issue is the amount of time allotted to imported talent, such as Red Skelton, the New York Philharmonic and Pat Boone, at the expense, some say, of local performers. During the two-month grand opening season, the Eugene Bal let and the Eugene Opera appear only twice each The Eugene Symphony Or chestra. though making six appear ances, is frequently supporting big names like Marilyn Horne and Marvin Hamlisch Some groups, like the Oregon Reper tory Theatre, have been forced to stay out altogether due to financial problems Budget-minded students and families may be unable to afford the high prices for the best seats ($21 25 for Skelton: $50 for opening night). In contrast to the center's drab con crete exterior, the interior boasts a lofty lobby with Douglas fir timbers, a sky bridge, and lots of glass The concert hall mixes the elegance and intimacy of older European halls with state -of the-art ac coustical technology After viewing the opening, New York Times columnist Ha rold Schoenberg hailed it "quite possibly the model hall of the future " The center contains the 2,531-seat Silva Concert Hall and the 515-seat So reng Theatre Art critics are not the only ones excit ed The Eugene business community figures on reaping the benefits of the multi-million dollar facility, which con sists of the center, a $4.4 million parking facility, a $5 2 million conference center and a $16 million Hilton Hotel Businessmen hope all this will draw in millions of dollars more each year from conventioneers and tourists Dick Reyn olds, executive director of the Hult Center, estimates tourists alone will generate $24 million in the community Luke Bandle, the center's public relations and marketing director, says, "It's probably one of the biggest con tributions to economic development the Willamette Valley has seen in years." Popular support for the center has been long in coming In 1963, the Me tropolitan Civic Club realized the neces sity for a permanent home for Eugene's performing groups, which had been ap pearing in civic halls, make-shift audi Does center emphasize local talent enough? Photo by MarK Pynes The Silva Concert Hall opening night Insert: Luke Bandle. Hult Center marketing director toriums and gymnasiums since the city s founding In 1964 the group, renamed the Lane County Auditorium Association, began the now-famous Bach summer musical productions Conservative Eugene merchants, reluctant to open their pocketbooks for what they saw as a luxury, proved a decade-long roadblock The LCAA fin anced feasability studies and acquired about $2 million in federal aid Still, support wasn't there Two bond elec tions in 1972 and 1973 failed In 1977, the city took over the battle, and in 1978 taxpayers authorized $18 5 million for the project Catherine Lauris, president of LCAA from 1974-76. blames the early setbacks on an economic recession, controversy over the center's location and an alter native culture movement opposed to anything it considered “bourgoisie ” Sadly, the project would have cost only $8 million then, she added The group was finally forced to return the federal aid But ”20 years is not a long time to get something passed,” she contends, not ing that it took Minneapolis 72 years of effort Lauris maintains the original objec tives for the center, saying, “I think the emphasis should be on the unique en tertainment we have to offer locally, and this becomes the big drawing card for i the traveler " She cites Ashland's Shakespeare Festival and Eugene's Bach series as examples "Of course, the taxpayers have the right to say "we want this famous TV star,' but you can go anywhere to see these people Bandle. formerly president of a Wa shington, D C theatrical agency and public relations company, flatly rejects the notion that the center has become purely rich man s entertainment Ticket prices are "very comparable," she says, with tickets under $10 available for every performance Local entertainers will al ways have "first choice" and receive sizable breaks in hall rental, she says. "When they (local performers) are side-by-side with world-class performers in a world-class facility it gives them something to strive for. Because of the facility, there are no limits to how much they can grow and develop," she says. ORT Producing Director David Lunney blames his organization's financial shortcomings on the very nature of the theater Theaters have a "much longer performance level" than their musical counterparts, and are unable to invite famous artists for single performances. Through audience expansion and in creased fundraising, Lunney hopes ORT will soon be able to move from the Eugene Hotel into the Soreng Theatre. "Presently, there are no spoken theaters going on there.' he says "We didn't cause their financial prob lems," Bandle says of ORT For an or ganization to perform in the Hult Center, she says, it must "spend a lot of time doing what the ballet and opera did — building up their program, improving sets and costumes ORT has tentatively agreed to do Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" in the Soreng during December At the Community Center for the Per forming Arts, better known as the WOW Hall. Stage Manager Mikal foresees no competition between his facility and the Hult Center "We complement one an other," he says "This is the springboard We give you some exposure Performers at the new center will sometimes give the WOW Hall a nostalgic visit. "They all came ffom the street, and they realize it's people like us who put them on the top Not so much the Hults (donors Nils and Jewel Hult. for whom the new center is named) they're not the ones who buy the records" Indeed, Eugene's new home for the arts has already aroused public support for local groups The Eugene Arts Foun dation, set up in 1978 to aid both the new center and the arts community, has received some $7 45 million in pledges All but $150,000, though, has gone to the Hult Center The donations, says Jim Kuoni, assistant to the director of the EAF, "will reduce the direct operating costs for local groups " As for the future, Bandle expects no major format changes "We have to have a balance between what's local, regional and national to satisfy everybody who paid.” Laur s, however, expresses hope that this policy will change. "They just need a shakedown cruise for awhile. We've got something that needs to be filled with local artists." Lauris, who is currently editor of the University Publishing Office, a member of the ORT board and president of the Lane Regional Arts Council has kept things in clear perspective. While dona tions flow in, local artists jockey for position, entrepreneurs calculate the dollar signs and Hult Center officials attempt to make the Emerald Empire a showbiz capital, Lauris sits back and sighs. "You want to really know what the most important thing to happen to this community is?" she asks. "Deady Hall in 1886. Not the performing arts center. It will enrich our lives, and I’m glad it’s there, but it’s only one facet. The University made this community." 1 HAIRCUTTING DESIGNS 1491 PEARL • 683-3635 USA FARQUE' HPei/i/ifu/ yfbffj'S /
