Uptown Business And Opera House Success

UPTOWN BUSINESSES AND OPERA HOUSE SUCCESS CAN BE MORE TIGHTLY LINKED

WE DON'T NEED A STUDY TO FIND THIS OUT - AND HOW FOOLISH WE HAVE BEEN, NEGLECTING AN ADAPTABLE, DYNAMIC VENUE

     IT WAS CLEAR, ABUNDANTLY SO, THIS PAST WEEKEND, IN GRAVENHURST, THAT ENTERTAINMENT AT THE OPERA HOUSE, CAN, DESPITE THE NAYSAYERS, SELL-OUT. TWICE IN FACT. IF STUART MCLEAN HAD STUCK AROUND FOR THE WEEK, THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE HE WOULD HAVE SOLD OUT EVERY SHOW. CONTRARY TO SOME OPINIONS, THAT HAVE BEEN CIRCULATING FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS, IT IS POSSIBLE, WITH THE RIGHT CHOICE OF ACTS, THAT OUR WELL KNOWN ONTARIO THEATRE, CAN BE JUST AS DYNAMIC AS IT WAS IN ITS OWN HALCYON DAYS. ONCE AGAIN, READ THE BOOK, IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY.

     THE PROBLEM IS QUITE SIMPLE. WE HAVE HAD AS AN ONGOING ENCUMBRANCE, RIGID MUNICIPAL GOVERNANCE OF AN ENTERTAINMENT VENUE. IT MIGHT HAVE WORKED YEARS AGO, BUT IT DOESN'T WORK NOW. THERE NEEDS TO BE AN OPERA HOUSE LIAISON COMMITTEE, OR A BOARD OF DIRECTORS, TO GIVE IT SOME WORKABLE, ARM'S LENGTH DISTANCE FROM TOWN HALL. OUR COUNCILLORS HAVE ENOUGH ON THEIR PLATES NOW, WITHOUT HAVING TO WORRY ABOUT THE WELL BEING OF DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS AT THE OPERA HOUSE. IT'S ONE THING TO HAVE IT AS A TOWN RESOURCE, BUT QUITE ANOTHER TO BE ONLY A WEE ADMINISTRATIVE DISTANCE, AWAY FROM THE ACTUAL ENTERTAINMENT ASPECT OF THE FACILITY. A BOARD WOULD SPLICE NICELY BETWEEN THE MANAGER AND THE RESPECTIVE TOWN DEPARTMENT, THAT IS ULTIMATELY CHARGED WITH LOOKING AFTER ITS MAINTENANCE AND BUDGET ALLOCATION. I WOULDN'T WASTE THIS MUCH TIME ON THE ISSUE, IF IT WASN'T THE CORRECT AND RESPONSIBLE THING TO DO…..AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN ESPECIALLY RELEVANT AND PUBLIC RELATIONS-SAVVY, TO HAVE HAD A BOARD IN PLACE PRIOR TO THE ROOF RE-CONSTRUCTION, TO HANDLE DAY TO DAY SITUATIONS, AND LIASE ACTIVELY WITH THE PUBLIC TO KEEP EVERY ONE UPDATED. IT'S THE KIND OF DISTANCING THE TOWN COULD BENEFIT FROM, IN TERMS OF ADMINISTRATIVE DOWN-LOADING.

THE GOOD BUSINESS OF USING THE OPERA HOUSE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT - MORE TIMES A MONTH

     The town and the business associations, might believe, you can only find economic growth solutions, by employing out-of-area experts, to do more plans, projections, studies and various other soothsaying endeavors…..based on how they do it in the big cities or our world. The fact is, all one had to do, was watch the comings and goings from the Opera House, this past weekend, and the shop bags being carried by members of the Vinyl Cafe staff, and those folks who had arrived early for the event, visiting our restaurants for a pre-show meal. For long and long in this town, we have bought into the explanation, offered by some, that theatre is dead, and venues are being wiped out, in the province. Crowds are small everywhere. There's no way of filling a venue any more. It's survival of the fittest. Baloney! I've been contradicting this for more than half a decade. The problem is, trying to convince council that it doesn't have to subscribe to this nonsense. The town needs to drop their rigid interpretations of what it means to manage the Opera House. They need to appear and be open to suggestion. They have to be willing to trust where they seem unable to do so…….believing strangely enough, that local folks can't have workable solutions to the problems we face. They need to explore and open their minds to some sage advise from those in our community, who do have terrific and workable ideas, about what needs to be done, to bring back the old days, when getting a good crowd out, wasn't so hard at all. Maybe they weren't sell-outs like the recent Vinyl Cafe, but they still turned a modest profit. Our store makes a modest profit and we're still here, with great expectations, that success is the result of hard work and creative retailing.

     Presenting ideas to council these days, does turn a lot of folks off. They don't see our council as approachable and willing to consider ideas that aren't their own. They jump to conclusions about important community situations, without really knowing the will of the people……and then they wonder why constituents feel the chasm between the electorate and local government is miles apart and growing. It doesn't have to be this way. It never had to be this way. You know, it's not the case, council can please everyone in this town, all of the time. I can't with this daily blog. But then I don't expect to…..but I still want to know why my readers feel this way. It's often perceived, the town has no interest in those voices raised in opposition…..especially if they represent a minority opinion or position. When all it would take, to appease objectors, is simple dialogue, and explanation, why something had to be done the way it was. Most of us do understand, you see, that it is difficult to be a councillor, and almost an impossible task, to navigate through four years, without encountering one or dozens of highly contentious issues. It's just what it means to be our elected representatives. My argument, based on this, is that by allowing more public input, and not setting up barriers of protocol and privacy where it is not warranted, or legally required, a lot of adversity would be quelled before it could ever engulf or provoke anything. The Opera House roof delay, and the Haight Bequeath are two recent examples, of errors in judgement, not allowing the free flow of information perform its democratic function.

     Our town council has an opportunity here, to make the final two years of its mandate, far more prosperous than the first two. What it did well, became lost in what it did badly. And while it might be the case, that the town will argue, on my suggestion, it needs a hundred thousand dollar study to figure out the future of the Opera House, I'm willing to bet there's a cheaper, more efficient, more amicable and immediate solution a phone call away. I am unable to infill here because it is a situation that is only in the preliminary stage. It could have happened five years ago. That's what makes me crazy. Yet it's the kind of homegrown solution to homegrown problems……that we need to cultivate……and that requires the trust by those who govern our community, that it is possible someone from our bailiwick, has the solution to our conundrum. Sometimes, it's true, stubbornness clogs up the free flow of ideas and creativity. This is the case, in the field of renewed faith in the Opera House……and a hidden truth to the famous "Field of Dreams" line "Build it and they will come." The CBC had to come to our community, (they were not recruited to perform here, but decided to honor us with their presence) to show us how it's done. Why oh why did it have to come to this…..where we have lost so much faith in ourselves, we had to let someone else show us how to fix the problem? Showing us that all we really had to do, to change our fortunes, was to climb out of the doldrums on pretty average gumption, and with only a smattering of fundamental confidence, that a change from nothing to something, was within our capability all the time. Yup, we just didn't know it! But then our town wasn't looking for solutions from the citizenry. If they had really wanted to change their fortunes, it was under their nose all along. They just couldn't see it. But maybe now, there will be a willingness to toss out the negativism, about the future of the Opera House, and entertainment in this town, and let the experts step in where they should have been all along. There's no reason to whine about what we don't have. We can have what other communities have! It's true.

     A busy program of entertainment at the Opera House, should interest both the BIA and Chamber of Commerce. If they didn't appreciate the success of the Vinyl Cafe's shows in town, and the spin-off some of us enjoyed, then they missed a tremendous study-opportunity at no cost of consultants. Observation and questioning would have covered all the relevant bases. There are thousands of acts out there, suitable to our historic Opera House. There are thousands of acts out there, that would entertain our youngsters. We have the stage. We have folks in town who are experts in the field of entertainment. So listen to them. Bend some preconceived notions…..some tired old protocols, and take advice from those who have experience in the field……and who know Gravenhurst and Muskoka, because it's also their home. The solution to the Opera House is to allow the community that owns it, to help bring it back to its former glory. Those folks who have strong opinions about this, and who have been sitting on the sidelines, now is a good time to vote for change from status quo. There is money to be made, and the Opera House could, under the right administration, be the engine of a business community turn-around. Now that we're getting a brand new roof, how about a brand new attitude. The old one must be chipped away, in order for these new ideas to emerge. The first thing to go…..is the generally accepted opinion that most entertainment venues are faltering, because of the public's unwillingness to support initiatives. With the price of the CBC tickets, in and around fifty dollars each……give me a break. There's money out there, for quality entertainment. And I think a range of entertainment can be sought, so that not only the rich can attend…….and it's doable.

     If the town was to do a survey, of its population, would you be shocked to find out, just how many of our citizens have never been through those Opera House doors, for any event, at any time? Even when election polling was done there? We've done our surveys, when we've had shows, and at least thirty percent of our guests, were first-timers in the building. It has an "elitist" aura that needs to be removed……with a mission to get more people involved in Opera House activities.

     I have been involved in the Opera House, when it was a bee hive of activity. So I do know the before and after. It can come back. But there has to be the will to change, and it must come from town council, sensing that to justify a new roof, a new attitude would be a perfect companion.  There are solutions. Low budget, workable alternatives, inspired by those of us who pass it every day…..and who frankly, are tired of seeing it without a full agenda of coming attractions. Wouldn't it be great, for 2013, to make the kind of improvements that necessitate a bigger marquis……the price being offset by corporate sponsors. Even more letters to spell out the groups and performers on both sides. All for the compromise of listening and negotiating, because honestly, it's time to make the improvements to justify having this beautiful and historic venue……because its just wrong, to be losing its potential, letting it sit for most of the year unused. The business community needs to mount the rallying cry, to make the necessary changes.

     Thanks so much for visiting with me today. As usual, it's been pleasant company all round. I hope to see you at the Opera House some time soon.