On that discussion about THE Aud being “run more efficiently,” as Kate Lucariello put it in the Nov. 8, 2007 Citizen.
We’d heard some testimony way back about how costs could be cut. It was before the Mayor cut her Economic Advisory Group (EAG) off at the knees, around about the middle of May of this year, and members of the EAG were suggesting some cost-cutting measures for Council to consider.
What the EAG was not suggesting was that THE Aud be shut down, as Ald. Joyce Zeller asked about at the joint Council/CAPC meeting.
Nor, so far as we know, has Council or the CAPC considered it. –At least not in open meeting, as they’d have to under FOIA open meeting laws.
So why the question by Zeller? At first, it seemed passing strange to us. Then we remembered what several different sources had told us independently of each other:
--That Marty Roenigk is on record as saying that he bet he could make the Auditorium profitable if it were sold to him for one dollar ($1.00).
We also know that Zeller’s “innocent” query comes pretty close to an old CAPC resolution, that THE Aud should be leased for a dollar a year. [Added later: we've just had a phone call informing us that the lease-for-$1-idea been proposed again this year. More after we pick up the document tomorrow.]
What goes ’round, comes ’round, what goes up must come down. This getting rid of THE Aud for a dollar needs to quit coming ’round.
The NGOB (the new good old boys, gender irrelevant) shouldn’t get control of THE Aud for any money– and that includes Roenigk with his town-takeover mentality.
THE Aud is an historic venue that the City should take pride in, not give away. Hustle it up with some promoters who know the talent, like Willie Nelson, B.B. King, Judy Collins, Little Feat, and our local Africa in Ozarks, along with some other promoters and performers.
And make sure we can bring these folks in without alienating them.
Make THE Aud something to be proud of. Don’t let it become yet another loss on the Roenigk record.
Filed under: ES Folk | Tagged: Auditorium, CAPC, Commentary, Council, Eureka Springs, Legal Matters, Politics, Theater
I have been in Eureka now for about two years and I know the mentality in Eureka is that the outsiders come in and want to change everything but ,no ,some of us newbies love this place as much or more than the people who have been here for ages and just want to see it be the best little town in America.
I have a proposal for the Auditorium…how about utilizing all the great local talent of all kinds in the area and run variety shows ,like the old Ed Sullivan show…fill up all the open dates that we could and charge 5.00 a person to attend …even try it for free one night to get people used to coming here for entertainment. I believe that along with refreshments sold it could bring in a few thousand a night with half the doors receipts going to the entertainers and the rest to the city for more promotion of the auditorium to near by towns who would love the inexpensive entertainment alternative. I wouldnt be surprised if this inexpensive venue for our local talent brought in 250-500,000 dollars a year.
Give it a shot for a month whats to lose…Id be happy to help. Happy Holidays
love tony
Tony, this was an idea from quite a while ago. I believe that Pearl even had begun talks with KUAF to add this to their programming. It is a fantastic idea… that like so many others went no where. That was not Pearl’s fault… it is just the constant battle over what is right and wrong with the Aud. Still, it is a fantastic idea.