Woodstock Opera House Advisory Commission

MINUTES OF THE WOODSTOCK OPERA HOUSE ADVISORY COMMISSION Tuesday, August 20, 2024 The meeting of the Opera House Advisory Commission of the City of Woodstock was called to order at the Opera House at 4:30 pm by Keith Johnson on Tuesday, August 20, 2024. A roll call was taken. I. CALL TO ORDER Present: Keith Johnson, Cassandra Vohs Demann, Peggy Hart, Judith Svalander, Mary Ellen Prindiville. Absent: Jeff Kleinschmidt, and Jordan Rakittke. Staff: Daniel Campbell (Opera House Director), Betsy Cosgray (Opera House Business Operations Manager), and Tiara Thayer (Clerk). II. ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES Director Campbell highlighted two errors in the May 21, 2024 meeting minutes and provided corrections. P. Hart motioned to accept the May 21, 2024 meeting minutes as corrected, and C. Vohs Demann seconded. Ayes: Keith Johnson, Cassandra Vohs Demann, Peggy Hart, Judith Svalander, Mary Ellen Prindiville. Nays: none. Absent: Jeff Kleinschmidt and Jordan Rakittke. Motion to accept the May 21, 2024 meeting minutes passed. III. COMMUNICATIONS a. Opera House Director Report: Daniel Campbell reported that both Sweeney Todd and Sleeping Beauty were well attended shows. Similarly, the Rhythm and Brews event, featuring the Blooze Brothers, was very successful. In general, the Opera House enjoyed a summer full of successful and well-liked programs and events. The Opera House has started using a new point of sales system for concessions and is currently looking to hire some custodians and bartenders. Director Campbell attended the National Independent Vendor Association (NIVA) convention in New Orleans where he obtained a lot of useful information. The preliminary meeting for this year’s Lighting of the Square was held earlier this month. The Opera House’s revenue has been lower due to the building closures, but the Opera House remains on track with the budget. Chairperson Johnson asked about touring the 1  facility to view the renovations, to which Director Campbell informed the commission of the dusty boots tour being held on Saturday, August 25 th. b. Commission Chair Comments: Keith Johnson shared that John Hegner and Friends will close the Sundays on the Square 2024 season. Chairperson Johnson also stated that he has been disappointed with the low attendance at the last Sundays on the Square event, but suspects that it was likely due to the hot and humid weather the city has been experiencing. c. Commission Member Comments: Cassandra Vohs Demann (Member at Large) stated that the Opera House’s trivia nights have been great, and that is has been fun to experience the event as a participant. C. Vohs Demann shared that the choir has been rehearsing at the Blue Lotus Temple for the October 27th concert. The choir will also begin preparing for the Lighting of the Square event soon. Peggy Hart (Friends of the Opera House) shared that the Friends of the Opera House have started their membership campaign this summer. Additionally, the Friends are rolling out a new website and a new business sponsorship program. As part of their community outreach efforts, the Friends will be bringing a group of seniors to the Leslie Goddard program at Stage Left Café on Tuesday, August 27th. The Friends also have a “Hoppy” Hour fundraising event coming up on September 14th. Jordan Rakittke (Theatre 121) Absent. Judith Svalander (Judith Svalander Ballet Theatre) expressed her excitement to be returning to the Woodstock Opera House. The Judith Svalander Dance Theatre (JSDT) will be performing at Harper College on Saturday, September 28 th, and Commissioner Svalander stated that the profits JSDT receives will be donated to the Woodstock Opera House. Mary Ellen Prindiville (Woodstock Fine Arts Association) reported that the Mecum Fundraising Auction was very successful. The 2024-2025 Creative Living Series starts on October 3rd with travel writer Thomas Swick. Jeff Kleinschmidt Absent. IV. OLD BUSINESS a. May Open House Event Director Campbell reported that there were no updates to share and reminded the commissioners to contact him with any questions. b. Opera House Goals and Objectives 2024/2025 Director Campbell reported that there were no updates to share and reminded the commissioners to contact him with any questions. 2  c. Opera House Annual Report Chairperson Johnson requested that the September meeting agenda include time for the commission to share their suggestions for City Council. V. NEW BUSINESS a. Opera House Program Schedule Director Campbell explained that in the interest of fostering relationships with non-resident and independent companies, the Opera House is looking to restructure their seasons into two blocks: Fall-Spring and Summer. The Fall- Spring season would run from September or October through May, and the Summer season would run from June through August or September. Whether September will be part of the Summer season has yet to be determined. i. Ticketing Tickets will be listed all at once in order to promote the entire season. This suggestion was made by the City’s Marketing Department, with the reasoning that the current piecemeal approach may be oversaturating the customer base. ii. Marketing The Opera House events and programs will be promoted as their dates approach. iii. Date Submittals/Contracts Due to the restructuring of the Opera House seasons, resident companies will now need to submit their October 2024 – May 2025 schedules by September 1st, 2024. Similarly, the schedules for September 2025 – May 2026 will need to be submitted by July 1st, 2025. Director Campbell pointed out that this timeline is not drastically different from the current one, but that he is looking to accommodate the resident companies as much as possible. Discussion ensued concerning these changes, and E. Prindiville requested to further discuss her concerns with Director Campbell outside of this meeting. Chairperson Johnson requested that this topic be kept on the next meeting’s agenda to allow for further discussion from the commission after they have had time to form their opinions. b. DCEO Updates and Project Communications Since the Opera House signed with Kandu Construction in June, the main stage and box office have been demolished. The original stage floor will be turned into 8-inch memorabilia pieces and sold for fundraising efforts. Additionally, the windows are being reinstalled and the HVAC units have been removed in preparation for the third floor addition. Director Campbell estimated that the entire project is roughly three-weeks behind schedule due to delays caused by 3  the discovery of lead paint and asbestos, and historical integrity concerns. It was determined that neither the lead paint nor the asbestos posed any threat to building occupants or visitors, and the historical integrity concerns were addressed and cleared. Kandu Construction expects to complete the main floor and green room by October 1st, 2024. The South Annex will likely be completed in November 2024, and the HVAC units will be delivered in December 2024. The Opera House is working with Building and Planning to obtain temporary permits for temporary heating solutions, likely electric radiators. This project is estimated to be over budget, largely due to soil concerns under the South Annex, which required significant repairs. Discussion ensued. c. Re-Opening Gala The Re-Opening Gala will be a formal, ticketed event on November 2nd, 2024. Director Campbell shared that the Opera House is looking to invite a celebrity speaker, such as Donny Osmond or John Cleese. The Friends group will assist with organizing fundraising efforts. The commission requested that fundraising be added to the September meeting agenda. VI. ADJOURNMENT C. Vohs Demann motioned to adjourn the meeting, and J. Svalander seconded. Ayes: Keith Johnson, Cassandra Vohs Demann, Peggy Hart, Judith Svalander, Mary Ellen Prindiville. Nays: none. Absent: Jeff Kleinschmidt and Jordan Rakittke. Motion to adjourn passed. Meeting adjourned at 5:38 p.m. 2024 Advisory Meetings: Jan. 16, Feb. 20, Mar. 19, May 21, Aug. 20, Sept. 17, Oct. 15, Nov. 19. The next meeting: September 17, 2024 Respectfully Submitted, Tiara Thayer 4