CSO’s New Era of Uncertainty
At last week’s annual meeting of the Orchestral Association, the governing body behind the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the board of trustees tried hard to put a happy face on the current state of the orchestra. In his brief financial report to the board, Orchestral Association trustee Frank A. Rossi said he wished to focus on “the good things” and went on to talk about the orchestra’s finances in fairly rosy terms.
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The $1.8 million deficit actually would have been greater–about $800,000 greater–had CSO executive director Henry Fogel and his financial officers not gone back in midseason and cut about 2 percent from the $34.3 million budget once the extent of the problem became apparent. According to director of finance Tom Hallett, the cuts involved items that did not directly generate revenue. Some maintenance was deferred and various advertising expenditures were reconsidered. Hallett says, “We looked at every line item in the budget where we could reduce.”
In the opinion of some orchestra members, too much 20th-century music programming and some less-than-world-class guest conductors are additional problems that CSO management needs to address. At the annual meeting orchestra players’ representative Stephen Lester voiced his contingent’s concern that a growing number of corporate-sponsored concerts could hurt the orchestra’s overall quality. One player said some of these concerts are given with only one budgeted rehearsal.
Artists in Arrears: Paying Rent Is Not Their Bailiwick
Arguably one of the city’s most ambitious theater companies, Bailiwick Repertory is in the throes of a cash flow problem that could force the company to leave the Theatre Building, which it has called home since February. Bailiwick is behind in rent payments, and Theatre Building managing director Joan Mazzonelli says the company must make good on overdue rent by the end of this week or face possible eviction. She says, “It’s not fair to the other tenants.” Bailiwick board president Randy Talcott acknowledges that the theater company is behind in its rent, but was not optimistic that it could meet the payment deadline. He says, “We are discussing with the Theatre Building our plans to bring the rent current.”
