Not sure if many people knew this, but I was the lead usher of the Great Hall for the first 4 years the Pavilion was open. I still remember my interview in the Great Hall with then House Manager, Jeff Venekamp. It was exciting and over the years I have supported the place with my own brand of criticism. I met many amazing artists and performers, including George Carlin, Bill Cosby, Weird Al, and helped Carrot Top with some of his material. I even had drinks with Richard Weisman (epic art collector) at the Top Hat, oh, and the Violet Femmes. I even witnessed a famous jazz singer belt out a very large fart, in which she replied, “The pure mention of soda pop gets my gas gauge a goin”. I can’t even count the number of dancers I saw naked or near naked.
I also had my first solo art exhibit at the Pavilion and contributed to Arts Night where I won the people’s choice award one year. In recent years I met Rosanne Cash at a meet and greet.
I have always maintained that the city needs this place, but has always fell short on welcoming the whole community. In recent years charging to see local and regional art at the arts center was a huge mistake by the Pavilion and went against the promise of keeping the gallery free to the public.
While the Pavilion has brought in many great shows (My most memorable were Drums and Tuba, Wilco, Bulgaria, Late Night Cathecism, and the opera ‘Carmen’) it still has yet to embrace everyone. Oh, and the management and politics behind the place are atrocious which have tried to destroy many great peoples’ careers and lives and continues to this day.
After 20 years, I will confess we still need the Pavilion, but I think it is time we hit the reset button, it could be so much more if we would just allow it.
20 years and still subsidized? Sell it. Scientology will buy it. Downtown needs a cult. Should the city become a religion? The unprofitable play places can be paid for and operated with assets and labor from believers. Then, taxes can be focused on infrastructure and social welfare.
The Pavilion was never really built for everyone. It’s like an indoor pool, where a general swim pass doesn’t work. It’s like an Events Center, where First Premier employees get first rights to events’ tickets. It’s like a school board election, where the “Super Precincts” favor taupe houses. It’s like a rubber stamp Council. It’s like….. Well, I think you get my point….#TaleOfTwoCities
“I can’t even count the number of dancers I saw naked or near naked.”
Were these to have been contestants in beauty pageants rather than dancers, you might be more likely to be known as ‘President Ehrisman’!
#weneedbeautypageantsatthepaviliontomakeehrismanPOTUS
One girl was from a Russian Opera troop. She had her dressing room door wide open and she was completely naked, she even said HI as I walked by. I asked my boss Jeff later about it, he just said, “The Eastern Europeans are not real shy.” Then one time I get a call on the radio to go to the loading dock area immediately, when I get there, there was about 20 dancers from a Celtic troop eating fruit in their thongs and bras. Hard to erase that scene.
But no Golden Showers?
So many questions …
Were the Celtic troop in their thongs and bras eating fruit? Or eating fruit in their thongs and bras?
One of those scenes would be unforgetable (very fortunately).
My vicarious pleasure awaits your reply.