Did you happen to catch the article in the Saturday paper about the design process for the Boettcher Concert Hall remodel? Since I live in the 'burbs, and this is a Denver issue, I can't profess to having paid much attention last November when voters approved a couple of bonds to fund the remodel of the 30 year old (WHERE does the time go?!) concert hall.
I guess I haven't been paying attention. In my mind it was always that open, contemporary sort of "out there" symphony-in-the-round space. Of course, I've only been in it a very few times...so what do I know? Here's one: 90 million dollars. That's the budget to redo the place, give it state-of-the-art acoustics and, if the actual paying customers of both the Boettcher and Ellie Caulkins are to be listened to, comfortable seats. Really, 90 million. Pause a moment and wrap your brain around that one.
Let's remember, they already own the land, AND the building. Let's say they completely gut the place-as they did with the Ellie-what's that mean? Top to bottom we're looking at things like drywall, studs, insulation, carpet, lighting and those all important comfy seats. Apparently the current seating has left patrons feeling like they are about to fall onto the stage. (This brings back personal memories of watching Jesus Christ Superstar from the last balcony of the Schubert in Chicago...long ago. These days an experience like that could give me vertigo!) While the unique curving wood of the seats may be been designed to capture sound, they don't seem to hold people well.
Still, this all couldn't possibly cost that much, could it? Okay, let's pad the budget with the coolest acoustic what-not out there. Let's even suck-up the seat count from over 2600 down to 2000. Gee, that would save us the cost of hundreds of seats...of course the cost of a seat for you and me just went up. Now lets add the one item all public areas invariably need more of: women's restroom space. Done!
Somebody check the figures, we can't possible be even half way to 90 mil. yet, can we? Oh wait, I forgot the tent. No, we're not camping out for opening night tickets, we're putting up another one of those festive Cirque du Soleil style tents for the Symphony to play in during the construction season. (More uncomfortable memories...I popped out of that tent after a show on the night of the infamous October Blizzard...all I can say it, dress warmly and bring a four wheel drive!) I suppose its better than playing in a parking lot, even though that's probably where the tent will be. Better include the cost of renting a parking lot.
The final piece in the puzzle, for now, is picking the designer. And guess what, you get to toss in your two cents at open meetings. The article listed possible candidates for the job, including Tateo Nakajima who observed, "Each project has its own story, and there will always be cost-overruns." Hmmm, not sure how you voters feel about that attitude. How about Paul Scarbrough, who said, "You've got to reduce the size...smaller seat count...create the impresson of (ticket) scarcity." As in 'higher prices' scarcity?
Or maybe you'd prefer Christopher Jaffe, the designer of the current hall. Jaffe told the Rocky, "I think I have a shot...since my budgets for the project are less...It wouldn't require a lot of money." As in, less than 90 million? Now that sounds do-able. Or you might prefer the opinion of Jack Finlaw, Denver's Director of Theaters and Arenas. According to the Rocky, Finlaw suggested that, "the new Boettcher may not, in fact, be radically different from the old one."
And they're doing this...why??