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MICHAEL DUNNE: I'm Michael Dunne. bringing niche acts that captivate a niche audience or delivering some of the biggest Broadway shows in the nation. The Hult center in Eugene is built for it all. and now a new leader has taken the helm to steer the performing arts center into the next decades. Today, on the show, you'll hear a conversation with Laura Lee, the new managing Director of the Hult center, and hear about her vision and strategy. In many ways, we're lucky to have a venue like the Hult Center, which many experts say is just as good as performing arts centers in much larger cities. Yet, the challenge of continuing its ability to attract top talent and expand arts and culture in the community is something that will greatly occupy Lee's tenure at the facility. Laura Lee, the new managing director for the Hult Center for the Performing Arts. Thanks so much for coming in and talking to us.
LAURA LEE: Thank you for having me.
MICHAEL DUNNE: Why don't you give us a bit of a background on yourself, talk about your career progression that got you to this point.
LAURA LEE: Oh my gosh. Okay, thank you. I'm one of those people who have recreated myself multiple times. I most recently came from Seattle. Washington. I managed theaters there for 14 years, small theaters, kind of starting it up from the ground, building it up to about a $4 million organization. Super important to that theater was maintaining their voice, which really was to produce events that were compelling and drove conversation, and then also owning their own building. Gentrification is a real thing, and making sure that there was an arts presence in West Seattle. And then, most recently, with a theater called Village Theater, which had two venues that were run by a city, two venues that were privately owned and it was a big musical theater in Issaquah and Everett, and raising up artists and having a great education program at the same time. Additionally, I ran a sports production company that I started back in 2007, and I worked primarily with us, figure skating, USA Gymnastics, the US Olympic Committee, Seattle Sports Commission, and for those national governing bodies of sport, I produced their international network televised competitions.
MICHAEL DUNNE: Wow. One of the things you said is, maintaining their voice. Talk about that a little bit in terms of the Hult Center. It’s not just a building, is it?
LAURA LEE: No, it absolutely is not just a building. It is this opportunity to come into this place in Eugene that has been established that has done well producing its own Broadway series, which has opened up opportunities for other investment, and now being able to invite the community in a very big way, so that voice of who are we? Who are we here for? What do we do? For me, it's about the art that's in the building. The building is an incredible container, and we're stewards of that container. But it's more than that. It's what you infuse inside the building that kind of brings it alive.
MICHAEL DUNNE: What attracted you about the job and the community?
LAURA LEE: Yes. Well, I have come to Eugene before, but with friends who were dropping their children off to go to the U of O. And you know, my SUV would have been full of suitcases and boxes and helping folks move in. So, I was aware of Eugene, but I'm kind of at a time in my world where the work I do really needs to matter, because you get a little bit more seasoned in your career, you have that flexibility to choose where you want to put your energies and talents. At the same time, my husband, who's still up in Monroe, Washington, where our home is, is a family doctor, and he's retiring, so he wanted a location that kind of had it all, which is what to me, Eugene is. It has incredible trails and the ability to be outside on these amazing, beautiful days. It has a vibrant art scene. They are so good to be able to sample the different food and the diversity. And so, for us, it was kind of like a no brainer to find this location. So, when the job came up, it was the right fit. It felt like the right fit in a career move, but also for us to come and retire, for him to retire, and us to be really involved in this community.
MICHAEL DUNNE: As you were going through the interview process and just thinking about the job and the Hult Center and you think, okay, it's great…But obviously there must be some challenges, especially now that you've been here for a few months. What are some of those challenges that you and your team need to address?
LAURA LEE: Yeah, thank you. You're right. I think one of the very first questions that I asked my boss, Isaac Marquez, was, what was he looking for in this position? Because if it was someone just to book the building, you know, book in acts, just do that repetitively and be successful, that's great, but that's not who I am. I very much want to kind of break down the walls, and get the community into this space that the Hult Center was built for. So, we're bringing in a community that loves to come and see Broadway. We're bringing in community because they resonate with something, a comedian or whatever we have on our stage. But actually, being part of the arts ecosystem, to me, is different from what the Hult is doing currently, and instead of supposing that I know what our local artists want, there are opportunities that we can maximize. There are conversations to be had that I don't direct, but I want to open up the space to bring folks in who may not have seen themselves there or even understand how their art could transition from where they are to that building. So that's the biggest challenge, I think, is breaking down that barrier of why people aren't seeing or aren't experiencing the Hult Center as a hub of the arts ecosystem in Eugene.
MICHAEL DUNNE: I've done other shows about the Hult center, and one of the things I always thought was fascinating is that geographically speaking, it occupies such a great space, because obviously there's a lot of acts that want to go to your former stomping grounds, up in Seattle, but also Northern California, certainly in terms of booking those acts, but also in terms of bringing this diversity of performance to Eugene, both in terms of selling the venue to an act, but also selling the act to the community. Talk about that dance.
LAURA LEE: Yeah, programming is an incredible art, slash science. Okay, part of it is, the obvious, data driven metrics. One of the things that we've been talking a lot about at the halt is, what, what is that balance, right? Like, what income do you need to come in that feels very commercial, but backed with a strong commitment to the community? And how can we make the facility more accessible? And then we have our four resident companies that are part of the halt that I consider part of our family, and we're so fortunate to be able to have that diversity of art within our building and really celebrate what they're doing. But the programming dance is pretty interesting. We get many, like, I'm talking hundreds and hundreds of agents that email our director of programming every week with everything from, you know, puppies that jump through hula hoops to magicians to tribute bands all over the place, and then Broadway is slightly different, but I'm just talking about those other artists. First, we get all of these emails. There's an awareness that programming needs to have with science. What is selling, what does the community want right now? What does what is playing, what feels right in the moment of what in our current zeitgeist, of what's happening around us, and have that so they've got the data, the science, and then on top of that, it's a little bit of really understanding who comes into the Hult center, and for us right now, who also is not coming into the Hult center. But programming should be based on relationships as well, so relationships with the agents or relationships with the producers. But when we're thinking of maybe communities in Eugene that have not seen themselves on our stage or don't feel welcome, it's really about us understanding what those communities would like to see, not us prescribing what we think a community might want to see. So that's a little bit of a different approach. We've started surveying folks, asking people what they do want to see on our stage. So that's kind of the programming dance for things that are not Broadway. Okay? Broadway itself is a big industry, musical theater, American music theater started in the United States from folks who immigrated, but also started in the US. And in that world, there are four big players. There are four big producers, agents, and we find out through conversation with them, what is touring meaning, which shows have funding, which shows are out in the world that we could access, and then it's a lot based on the tour route we're on I-5. So, we're very lucky. Sometimes it's, you know, Vancouver, BC to Seattle, to Portland, or sometimes not Portland, just direct to Eugene and direct to the US. There are overlying things like unions, where teamsters that are driving trucks need breaks, where actors need breaks, and we happen to be very well positioned to be able to access that top tier of Broadway theater. And we kind of just have conversations back and forth, what's available, what's touring, what could we bring here? And then it's myself and our director, producing, having a really good insight into Broadway. So, I do get to go and watch the shows, but I would say I'm watching the audience much more than I'm watching the shows. I know to hang out in the ladies’ room at intermission, because you get to hear what people really think about the show. So, for me, it's watching the audience, watching the reaction, and then understanding if that would play in Eugene.
MICHAEL DUNNE: Wow. I had a great opportunity a few months ago to work with your team, to sort of get behind the scenes as Chicago was coming in. Talk a little bit about all the many moving parts it takes to put on a show. And I think that most of us, we buy our tickets, we go to the seats, it's great, and we get to see the magic that happens. But you know, having seen that and realizing backstage, it's like a panic room back there. It's amazing. And I'm just wondering, from your perspective, what’s it like to be in charge of it all?
LAURA LEE: Yeah, the magic of live theater, right? It's live. They're human beings, yeah? Yeah. There is a there is definitely a buzz and energy that the staff has as well. When a Chicago or Broadway show comes in, I have incredible people that are my director teams, that are experts in what they all do. And I think the fundamental understanding for my team and for me and for anyone is that it takes every single person, like it takes all of us. It is such a machine to move that you can't have one or two stars. We all have to be there, and we all have to show up and do our best work. And then it's an incredible feeling for that to happen so that all of those pieces are in play. They're also in play at different times. The programming team is like a year and a half before choosing the show. Marketing gets involved 16 weeks out. But when the trucks arrive, which they do, and they're very, very large, the Hamilton trucks, I don't know how those guys drove those trucks into the alley, but when they arrive, there is this, like, heightened awareness, and its very industry specific. We know roles, we know how people function. So, there's a comfort that no matter what tour you're on, no matter what art you're putting in the building, there's a comfort to how the operations happen.
MICHAEL DUNNE: So, let's transition to your vision. What's your vision for the Hult center going forward?
LAURA LEE: Yeah, thank you for that opportunity. I think for me, the vision really lies in the community, and that is the area that I feel like we need to reach out and really understand who we're here to serve. That task sounds so simple, and yet it really does involve having conversation with people, being open to hearing other people's opinions, learning the best way to get in relationship with the community is so not transactional. And I think that some people may view the Hult Center as a place where you come and you buy tickets and then you consume a show, and yet it can be so much more. The building is open between noon and five when tickets are being sold, and there's an incredible indigenous art exhibit that's in there. Currently, we have spaces where we could host local artists pre show, like if you came in to watch a Broadway show, but also you got the ability to pop in and see a local dance group, or there was an acoustic maybe cello player up by the bar upstairs. Bringing in local artists and giving them a platform is something that I'm incredibly interested in. We also would love to find the best way to uplift the youth in Eugene more so focused at this point in musical theater and what that can look like.
And, I will hopefully be talking to you about something exciting coming up, little teaser there, yeah, yep, called the Jimmy Awards that folks can find online, that we'll talk to you more once we get our kind of ducks in a row for that, but having opportunity for high school musical theater, for our young people to be able to connect with Broadway level performers is something that we have access to. There are incredible theaters already providing acting, dance and music, singing for young people, but we have that access for those students who young people who may see a career like, Simon Longknight, who's from South Eugene and was on the Hamilton tour, that can see this as their future career. We can take those that interest level and connect them with current Broadway folks to be able to offer workshops and classes at just a little bit of a different level. So, I'm excited for us to not at all take from our local theaters that are doing this work, but to for those special moments for those kids that are very, very serious, to be able to do that, to be able to show young people what it means to have an arts career in an administrative capacity like mine, to be able To think about tech, the stage, when we think of stage labor, that's such a wrong term, because to me, they're stage artisans, the crew, the carpenters, are lighting folks. They are not they are providing a level of artistry and expertise that I don't know, that young people know is out there, sure. So, for me, it's really about inviting in that community.
MICHAEL DUNNE: I often think of the Hult center, almost like a tent pole, because other parts of arts and culture throughout the community, you know, can sort of, I guess, vibe off the success and the notoriety of the Hult center. Do you agree?
LAURA LEE: Yeah, absolutely. We have this platform, and there's a privilege and a responsibility that comes with this platform, and I want us to lean a little bit more into what that responsibility is like. How can we take this ability, this incredible venue, our platform, and make sure that we are not doing that at the exclusion of the local artists and the community around us? There are opportunities with local businesses where we could partner in a way that we're not currently doing. I'm really interested in destination marketing. Like, how do you bring somebody down for a weekend? Especially with Hamilton, I heard all of these folks that had said to me, because I go out and talk to people, you know, like, I hang out in the audience and talk before the show. And there were a lot of people from Northern California that had a choice. They could come see Hamilton and Eugene, or they could go see Sam. They could go see it in San Francisco and in proximity, geographically, it made sense to go to San Francisco. Not at all. They came. They came here because they wanted to spend a weekend, and at the end of that weekend, with lodging, with hotels, with shopping, with coming and seeing our priced tickets, that, to them, was an experience. It was a destination, and in some cases, it was less expensive than buying a ticket in San Francisco and dealing with the parking Sure. So, all of that, to me, is like, super exciting. How can we take the Hult center and uplift our local artists, but also that community around us? And how can we draw folks that are coming to Eugene for a weekend experience? And what does that look like? Yeah, also thinking too, you know, you come to the Hult center with a fresh set of eyes, and I'm wondering, you know, in the time that you've been there, maybe as you've experienced it, what are some things that maybe you see, that maybe those of us who've been going for quite some time maybe don't know if maybe it's a surprise or just something about the building, about the team, about whatever that you think, Boy, this is something truly unique that if you're kind of take it for granted, you may not see, yeah, okay, that's awesome. Thank you. I think I'm going to talk about them both a little separately. Okay, the building itself. I mean, it's gorgeous inside. The outside looks like, you know, the era it was built. I'm super interested in how we can dynamically change the outside with lighting or projections like, what if Eugene ballet was having a rehearsal, and we could project some of that rehearsal so that folks that are in that Plaza space could see and access the art that way. And then within the building, there are many spaces that I would say are not curated for art yet. So, by that, I mean instead of a resident company having a brochure for us to pick up. What if we profiled some costumes from example, Eugene ballet again, and that was the connection to the ballet. But there are these hidden pockets within that building that are not being utilized yet, and so I'm very excited about how to activate the building. And I’m excited about how to bring people in, and consider it like a third place where you can just come and gather, sit in our new Community Connections corner, experience the art that's in there, not just to buy a ticket. There are many opportunities. And then I think, with the team of directors that I walked into are at the top of their game. And I don't know whether people realize that, like we have, the folks who are running the Hult Center are extraordinarily positioned in their careers. They are providing top of level service. And I'm just going to call out our box office and our guest services folks, who are the people that the public most often interacts with. They go above and beyond. I've seen connections made. And that does not happen everywhere. Other places you can go into are very clinical, especially in New York, if you go to Broadway, very clinical, and not with this open welcome. We're actually here to make sure you have the best time. And that's how the team leads. And that's extraordinary. They've also been there a long time. Our box office, folks that are running the box office and those I have ushers that have been there 42 years. Wow, and that's because they love the ability to work with the public in Eugene. So that's pretty special.
MICHAEL DUNNE: Laura Lee, the new Managing Director for the Hult Center for the Performing Arts. Thanks so much for coming in and talking to us.
LAURA LEE: Thank you for letting me have this opportunity.
MICHAEL DUNNE: That's the show for today. All episodes of Oregon on the record are available as a podcast at klcc.org. Tomorrow on the show, you'll hear from the Oregon Republican leader in the House about their proposal to cut transportation funding they see as unnecessary in order to save taxpayer money. I'm Michael Dunne, and this has been Oregon on the record from KLCC. Thanks for listening.
