For decades, as theatre groups came and went, Newport’s ballet troupe emerged, and the city’s tourism profile grew; folks involved in the arts yearned for a proper performance space. People asked over and over, why doesn’t Newport have a performing arts center?
Great question, but the answers are simple enough. Money. Money. And more money.
Local actors, dancers and musicians weren’t the only ones asking the question. Promoters could see big names coming to Newport to perform. Business owners wondered about it, as well. Some city leaders thought it was a good idea, but how could it be done?
As it turns out, the approach has as much to do with history as anything else. The most recent target, the former Opera House movie theatre on Washington Square, has started, stalled, started, made progress and stalled again. But there is, as always, some hope. Someone, somewhere has to do what the original owner of the building did when he had it erected just after the Civil War. What this city needs is good old-fashioned philanthropy, along with a big pinch of community support.
Key figures in the effort to raise around $18 million express great optimism, and they’ve received large contributions in the early stages of the capital campaign to turn the theatre into the Newport Performing Arts Center. What’s different now than nine or 10 years ago when the process began?
Melissa Caldwell Quinn, managing director, and John Cratin, chairman of the board, sum it up succinctly.
Earlier fundraising efforts have allowed the board to stabilize the historic building, which needed a lot of help. Over 25 tons of steel beams have been installed to properly support the structure. The stage has been expanded, and an orchestra pit, with an access tunnel, has been added for versatility. An elevator shaft and emergency stairwell have also been added and two balcony sections framed. The second-floor lobby has been expanded, restrooms enlarged, and a fire suppression system installed.
The raked seating on the stage level and two balcony sections will accommodate 700.
“We’ve made a lot of progress over the past 18 months, and when we show the building to people, they have a much better idea of what it can be,” Quinn said. “The work that we’ve been able to do, along with contributions from crucial local donors, gives people confidence that we can make this happen.”
With architectural plans complete, the foundation for a new annex building has been laid. That space will house backstage amenities. A pilot program for decorative plaster restoration has been done on the theatre’s proscenium arch. As you walk through the empty space with recently installed steel beams in view, the pit visible from the framed balcony, and computerized renderings revealing beautiful, modern theatrical spaces, it is much easier to imagine performances taking place there.
Cratin, who has been on the board for nine years, points out that fundraising has allowed the board to hire Palmer Westport Group, a marketing firm, to guide the capital campaign. The firm works specifically with arts organizations.
“We are tapping their expertise all the time,” board member Chris Bicho said. “They have helped us think about things we would never have realized because we did not work in this area. The key is that we have been building trust in the project.”
They are also working with a promotional group, Spectacle Live, that books shows of all kinds in theatres. “They and others we have spoken to who have done projects or operate theatres like this have told us we are perfectly situated for this to be successful,” Cratin said.
Cratin, a business management consultant who served as co-chairman of the Philadelphia Folk Festival, said, “No one in the industry doubts that this will be successful. That’s why we are confident.”
The board is heavy with representatives from business, such as banking and finance, property and real estate development, including some newer members, such as Jack Murphy of Bank Newport and Marc Lewinstein, who has worked at Berkshire Capital, Lehman Brothers and other financial investment companies. They also recently added Ed Henry, former president and CEO of the Doris Duke Foundation, which recently gave $250,000 to the project. Bicho said the additions have helped attract a significant set of new donors.
“We have folks on the board who have experience in the arts community and in running arts organizations, including theatres, so we are in a great position to get this right,” Cratin said.
Getting it right means more than just hitting the campaign goal, opening the theatre and booking performers; it means involving the community. Quinn, Cratin and Bicho all said that the plan has a community education component and a specific plan to open the space for performances by local arts groups, such as The Newport String Project, Newport Contemporary Ballet, Newport Children’s Theatre, Newport Classical and others.
“There are many nonprofit arts groups in the area, and we want this to be their central home for promoting their cause,” Quinn said.
“We envision having performances connected with the Jazz and Folk festivals,” Cratin said. “The range of what we could do is great.”
While leading a tour of the three levels of the building, Quinn pointed out a classroom space where local school children could gather before or after a show to meet performers and learn more about theatre, music or dance.
“It’s a key component of the project for us,” she said.