INTIMACY SPELLS SURVIVAL FOR CSO
To lower costs and increase ticket sales, the Charleston Symphony Orchestra plans to move its January (and hopefully its April) Masterworks performances from the Gaillard Municipal Auditorium to the Memminger Auditorium.
The 850-seat Memminger will require two performances on Jan. 9 and 10 to accommodate demand, but the hope is to eliminate the empty-seat syndrome that currently plagues the 2,700-seat Gaillard. Moreover, seating will be general admission, not assigned as in the past.
“This was the best approach, given the time frame that we have,” says Emily Rybinksi, director of marketing and public relations for the CSO. “We’re hoping people will understand that we’re trying to act responsibly.”
The Feb. 21 Pops concert with Pablo Ziegler has also moved from the Gaillard to the Charleston Music Hall. Masterworks concerts in February and March remain at the Gaillard, but the repertoires, as well as the Backstage Pass show in April, have been updated to allow the CSO to utilize sheet music it already owns.
The changes trim about $27,000 from the budget, and will hopefully allow the CSO to finish out the year.
Executive Director Jan Newcomb has praised the more intimate spaces of the Memminger and Music Hall, and the shifts are likely to carry over into next year’s scheduling. —Stratton Lawrence
Eric Friberg, 66
A key figure in the histories of Spoleto Festival USA and the Gibbes Museum of Art died on Dec. 6.
Eric Friberg, who was credited widely for shepherding the $6 million renovation of the Memminger Auditorium, was 66. He died of an apparent heart attack.
Friberg’s death is a major blow to Charleston’s arts community and Lowcountry culture in general. He served eight years on Spoleto’s board. He was also vice president of the Gibbes Museum’s board of directors, and he was set to be its next president. His efforts to restore the Memminger have given hope to performing arts groups in search of a new home and new audiences.
“When Spoleto was in a very bad situation, he came in, joined the board and set out to create a long-range plan for us,” Nigel Redden, director of Spoleto, told The Post and Courier. “That plan ended up paving a very clear path for us. It brought us out of a very desperate situation.”
The Gibbes Museum has established a memorial fund in Friberg’s honor, because, according to the official press release, Friberg “brought a uniquely informed world-view to his commitment of championing the arts in Charleston … His experience and dedication has shaped the future of the Gibbes.”
Some Much-Needed Cash
Charleston Stage announced on Dec. 10 that it received a matching grant for $50,000. Each dollar raised from now until the end of the season will be matched for as much as $100,000.
The grant is from the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation and is the result of a request made in June. The grant will supplement Charleston Stage’s general operating budget.
It was requested before the current crisis facing Charleston’s Big Three — Charleston Stage, Charleston Symphony Orchestra, and Charleston Ballet Theatre. It is not related to a pending request made by the Coastal Community Foundation on behalf of the Big Three for as much as $250,000.
Julian Wiles, founder and director of Charleston Stage, the city’s largest theater company, said in a press release that “with this extra wind in our sails, we plan to steer a course toward long-term sustainability.”
Wiles did not expound on “long-term sustainability,” but later said in an interview that his goal is to be debt-free in three to five years and to save 20 percent of the company’s operating budget (about $350,000-$400,000) in eight years. That way, the company can live on a cash reserve during lean times.
“It’s an ambitious goal, but I think we need to do that,” Wiles said. “When we hit another one of these crises, it won’t be as traumatic.”
Earlier this month, Charleston Stage downsized its staff. Three staffers were laid off and the rest of the company received a 6 percent pay-cut, including Wiles. Wiles also took a nearly 20 percent deferment of salary. The cuts are said to save about $160,000 this year. The budget has been slashed by 30 percent, down from $1.6 million last year. —John Stoehr
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