Second of Two Parts

Editor’s Note: In the Sept. 7 Focus, Allentown Symphony Orchestra Artistic Director and Conductor Diane Wittry previewed the 2016-17 symphony season. This week, Allentown Symphony Association Executive Director Sheila K. Evans discusses other concerts and events for the season at Miller Symphony Hall, as well as the hall itself.

Miller Symphony Hall has been around a long time, long enough to go back to a time when it was probably the only game in town, and not only in Allentown, but the Lehigh Valley.

Allentown Symphony Association Executive Director Sheila K. Evans is well aware that Miller Symphony Hall is now just one in a crowded field of Valley venues competing for the concert- and theater-going ticket-buying public.

“I’ve been here seven years. When I came, the two major venues were the State Theatre and Zoellner Arts Center. Since that time, we’ve had ArtsQuest’s SteelStacks [Musikfest Cafe, Levitt Pavilion] and the Sands [Bethlehem Event Center at the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem] and now the PPL Arena [home ice for Philadelphia Flyers’ Phantoms farm team and the Valley’s biggest year-round concert and event venue].

“That has make the competition for the entertainment dollar intense,” Evans continues. “We are revisioning. What do we do for the next seven to 10 years? What is the role of Miller Symphony Hall and the Allentown Symphony in the future of downtown Allentown?”

Roots run deep

Miller Symphony Hall’s past runs deep in center city Allentown. When it comes to continuously-operating concert-theater venues, Miller Symphony Hall probably even predates State Theatre Center for the Arts, Easton, which dates to 1910 as a vaudeville house, and to 1926, when it was expanded as a “combinatIon house” (stage and movies).

Miller Symphony Hall dates to the late-1890s when concerts were held there, with conversion to a theater, named The Lyric, in 1899. Sarah Bernhardt performed at The Lyric in 1910.

During the 1920s, the theater’s neo-classical facade was added. The Lyric became one of the United States’ “tryout” theaters for Broadway-bound shows. The Marx Brothers debuted the revue, “I’ll Say She Is,” at The Lyric in 1923.

The Lyric became home for the Allentown Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1951. The hall was also home for burlesque shows. A Philadelphia Inquirer Magazine profile tisk-tisked: “They have burlesque every Saturday night. It’s doubtless the only symphony in the country that is partly supported by burlesque.”

Donald and Sam Miller, Morning Call Newspaper owners, brokered a plan in 1959 for the Allentown Symphony Association to buy the building. Burlesque got the hook.

The Symphony Association launched a $10-million renovation in 1987, completing the project in 2006. A 60th anniversary fundraising campaign in 2011 raised $6 million for additional upgrading. Other improvements are planned.

In recognition of the Miller family’s contributions, the Association renamed the facility as Miller Symphony Hall in 2012.

The Valley’s explosion of entertainment venues translates to a contest for booking pop, rock and country stars, comedians, stage shows and other attractions. As a result, many performers’ fees have skyrocketed.

The NIZ effect

However, the biggest show in town, and possibly the Lehigh Valley, is within sight of Miller Symphony Hall, which is well-positioned to benefit from Allentown’s center city turnaround.

With the PPL Center and accompanying Renaissance Allentown Hotel, Lehigh Valley Health Network facilities, office buildings, apartments complexes, restaurants and stores, Allentown boasts an estimated $1 billion in investment thanks in large part to the Neighborhood Improvement Zone (NIZ), a tax incentive financing program created in 2009.

Says Evans, “We love the rebirth of the downtown and all of the activities, from entertainment to shopping to restaurants and apartments. And there’s a lot of discussion about the value of the arts and cultural community to the downtown.

“Neither Miller Symphony Hall, nor any of our arts partners, the Allentown Art Museum, the Baum School, are in the NIZ, although many people assume that. And to date, none of the monies has moved from the NIZ to support the aging infrastructure of the downtown arts buildings, including Symphony Hall.

“If you talk to restauranteurs and business people, they really love having Symphony Hall downtown because it brings people to their establishments when we have concerts.

“However, the support for the concerts in terms of sponsorships has decreased. Many businesses have invested in Allentown by moving downtown. That leaves little dollars left to invest in the entertainment community. And that, in the face of increased competition, and hjgher costs for entertainers, has made it increasingly difficult to support downtown growth with increased numbers of performances.

“Many people want us to be here, but the support from the city, the state, the county, is minimal. I don’t expect government to pay the freight for the arts. However, if people and businesses want them to exist, they have to step up.”

Continues Evans, “We have increasing audiences for numbers of performances for the Symphony. We serve diverse audiences through our jazz programming, Metropolitan Opera HD and our community partnerships. Thirty-five community organizations have had events or performances here last year, among whom are the Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Allentown School Foundation, Repertory Dance Theatre, many private dance studios, and Life Church, just to name a few.

“Our thriving businesses are the Symphony, the ‘Jazz [Upstairs’] cabaret, children’s theater and the Met HD,” says Evans.

Season overview

The 2016-17 season-opener is the Pops Series, with the Allentown Symphony Orchestra,” Lights, Camera ... The Oscars,” 7:30 p.m. Sept. 24. The Pops Series continues with the Symphony, with guest artist, pianist Jim Brickman, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 21, and “Rock On! Classic Rock & Pop From the 1970s and 1980s,” 7:30 p.m. May 13.

The signature Classical Series with the Allentown Symphony begins with guest artist, saxophonist Branford Marsalis, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 15; 3 p.m. Oct. 16. The Classical Series includes Elgar’s “Enigma Variations,” 7:30 p.m. Nov. 5; 3 p.m. Nov. 6; “Viennese Nights,” 7:30 p.m. Feb. 11; 3 p.m. Feb. 12; “Symphonic Organ Festival,” 7:30 p.m. March 11; 3 p.m. March 12, and Mahler’s “Resurrection Symphony No. 2,” 7:30 p.m. April 8; 3 p.m. April 9.

The “Jazz Upstairs Series” includes The Chris Cummings Trio, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 16; Frank DiBussolo Philly Reunion Group, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 7; The David Leonhardt Jazz Group, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 18, and Eric Mintel Quartet, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 16.

“The Met: Live in HD Series” includes Wagner’s “Tristan Und Isolde,” noon Oct. 8; Mozart’s “Don Giovanni,” 12:55 p.m. Oct. 29; Saariaho’s “L’Amour De Loin,” 6:30 p.m. Dec. 21; Verdi’s “Nabucco,” 12:55 p.m. Jan. 7; Gounod’s “Romeo Et Juliette,” 2 p.m. Jan. 22; Dvorak’s “Rusalka,” 2 p.m. Feb. 26; Verdi’s “La Traviata,” 2 p.m. March 19; Mozart’s “Idomeneo,” 2 p.m. March 26; Tshaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin,” 12:55 p.m. April 22, and R. Strauss’s “Der Rosenkavalier,” 12:30 p.m. May 20.

El Sistema Lehigh Valley concerts include “Fellowship of the Strings at Regalo Cultural,” 11 a.m. Oct. 2; Lehigh Valley Opening Concert, 6 p.m. Oct. 28; “Fellowship of the Strings Holiday Concert,” 4:30 p.m. Dec. 14; Lehigh Valley Holiday Concert, 6 p.m. Dec. 22; Spring Concert, 6 p.m. March 6; “Fellowship of the Strings Spring Concert,” 2:45 p.m. March 15, and “End of Year Concert, 6 p.m. June 8.

The “Live OnStage Series” includes Annie Moses Band, “The Art of the Love Song,” 7:30 p.m. Oct. 21; Straight No Chaser, 3, 8 p.m. Nov. 12; Canadian Brass, “Holiday Show,” 7 p.m. Dec. 18, and Curtis Symphony Orchestra, featuring Peter Serkin, piano, with Osmo Vänskä, conducting, Brahms “Piano Concerto No. 1”; Strauss’s “Ein Heldenleben,” 7:30 p.m. May 6.

The “Family Series” includes “Fancy Nancy’s Splendiferous Christmas,” 11 a.m., 2 p.m. Nov. 26; “The Berenstain Bears Live! Family Matters, The Musical,” 2 p.m. Jan. 28; ASO, “Peter and the Wolf, 2 p.m. Feb. 25; “A Year with Frog and Toad,” 2 p.m. March 18, and ”The Little Prince,” 2 p.m. April 29.

Strategic partners

“Our big coup this year is “Fancy Nancy,’ which is their last tour, because Disney is buying them,” notes Evans. “Fancy Nancy” is expected to become a Disney Junior animated movie and television series, set for 2017.

“And then we have the ‘Year with Frog and Toad,’ ‘The Berenstain Bears’ and we conclude with ‘The Little Prince,’ Evans noted of the “Family Series,” says Evans of the “Family Series.”

The ASO Pops Concert, “Disney in Concert: Magical Music from the Movies,” July 16, was a sell-out. “We’re planning on bringing them back next July with a new show,” Evans says.

Evans envisions strategic partnerships with Lehigh Valley organizations and individuals to keep the music playing at Miller Symphony Hall.

“Right now what I’m doing is to meet with 25 to 30 Lehigh Valley business, community and political leaders about what’s their view of the role of Symphony Hall and the Symphony in the future of downtown Allentown. Not a funding call, but a visioning call.

“We’re working on partnering with the [PPL] Arena, Global Spectrum, on performances. We’re going to be doing a ‘Symphony on Ice’ performance. Trying to reach out other partners, newer partners. But we still have to pay for the building and the cost of being downtown.

“I guess what most people don’t know is that most orchestras don’t own a building. Our challenge is activating, using, the building, during the times when the Symphony is not here.

“For the last seven years, we’ve done that through increased concerts, performances and one-night rentals. With the increased entertainment competition, we’re looking at many different alternatives. We would welcome partnering with any universities and colleges who are looking for a downtown presence, both for classroom space and for performances.”

Continues Evans, “If it’s too costly to be successful with entertainment, then we need to look for other uses for the building.

“I think it’s exciting because the most successful arts venues are affiliated with another building, whether it’s Zoellner at Lehigh [University] or Foy Hall at Moravian [College]. We’re looking for a great business partner, or support for creating and bringing entertainment downtown.

“We’re very fortunate because we have a core product, the Orchestra, and the Orchestra is very healthy. We have great attendance. We’ve also added performances.”

Added to Miller Symphony Hall is a new marquee, again emblematic of Allentown’s center city renaissance. Explains Evans:

“It will mirror the canopy. It will be LED. It will communicate what we’re doing. It will let drive-by, walk-by, traffic know what is happened. It will be visible from three sides.

“And that’s a downtown thing. Before, there weren’t that many people who came down Sixth Street. Now we’ve got increased foot traffic, increased drive traffic. A marquee is essential to communicate what is happening at Symphony Hall.

“We’re continuing fundraising for the Lyric Room, which is a retail space, a storefront on Sixth Street. I think we’ve spent $12 million over the past 15 years on improving the building. And that will continue.

“This is a different place than it was seven years,” concludes Evans. “And it’s for the better. With all the change, it means we have to change as well. And the direction of the change is under construction.

“It will always involve the Orchestra, and programs such as El Sistema. And the rest is up to the community and what they want. That’s how you be successful. You listen to your patrons.”

Allentown Symphony Orchestra season subscription and single tickets for the season and other events at Miller Symphony Hall: millersymphonyhall.org, 610-432-6715. Tickets for students 21 and under are available free, courtesy of a grant from the Century Fund, at the box office: 610-432-6715.