Music Hall: a delicate balance
What to preserve? What to enhance?
Society for the Preservation of Music Hall
ROLE: Volunteer organization established in 1992 to help “preserve and enhance” Music Hall. They have made dozens of improvements to the building and surroundings over the past 17 years and have funds to contribute should changes be recommended with which they can agree.
ISSUES : Having to decide what to preserve and what to enhance or change to meet the widely varied and, at times, conflicting needs of tenants, patrons and the community at large. SPMH is charged with upholding the historical significance of Music Hall in the face of any efforts tenants may make to alter it for their own needs. How significantly can they allow the building to be changed before it loses its heritage? On the other hand, if it should become unsuitable for its current tenants, are there other ways the building may be used to maintain its iconic place in the artistic life of the city and region?
The Citizens of Cincinnati
ROLE: Music Hall’s owners and patrons
ISSUES: There are few amenities that make Music Hall attractive as a pre- or post-concert destination. There is no real restaurant or nightclub to entice people to come early and stay late, to make the space more of a social gathering place. Fortunately, the evolving neighborhood shows potential for the future.
Music Hall seats are too crowded, too small and too uncomfortable. People used to be shorter and narrower! Seats in the Balcony and Gallery lack leg room, the latter having wooden backs, and many are at a right angle to the stage. Support poles restrict sightlines in some cases. Handicapped access is improved, but challenging. As mentioned before, restrooms are too few.
Limited parking in close proximity to Music Hall has always been a drawback. As the neighborhood has improved, safety concerns are waning, but this continues to be an obstacle for some.
What next?
A grand and amazing series of structures, Music Hall is antiquated in many respects and must be refurbished to meet the needs of 21st century organizations and their patrons. What seems to be needed is a solution that offers maximum flexibility to scale the hall for varied circumstances or an alternative, smaller venue to complement Music Hall. Of course, all of this takes money. Reportedly, the Music Hall Working Group – made up of representatives of the above organizations – is investigating both public and private options for funding, but first they must make certain decisions as to what path to take at this important juncture. Hopefully, we will all have some options to consider very soon.
In spite of its challenges, Music Hall stirs our civic pride more than almost any other landmark. It is symbolic of our early growth and cultural sophistication. It is our secular cathedral, inspiring us to don our very best in honor of its grandeur.
The question for everyone to consider is: How do we most effectively balance the glories of our past with the necessities of our future?
We encourage you to share your opinion on this topic.
Posted: September 29th, 2009 under Arts & Culture Blog.
Comment from gibson60
Time October 2, 2009 at 5:40 pm
Express deserves applause for Thom Mariner’s timely column on the future of Music Hall. It’s a well-organized and easy-to-understand rundown of an extremely complicated and important issue. The column needs to be read by anyone who cares about Greater Cincinnati – arts fan or not – and I hope that happens.
Many of us remember in the 1960s, when conservative Cincinnati confronted a high-stakes, far-reaching choice about the need for a new sports stadium on the riverfront. Since then, it seems that every generation has had to face the same fundamental question: do we want to remain a “big league” city? Do we, and can we, try to keep pace with “large market” cities when they raise the ante with bigger and better arenas, stadiums and performance venues?
Factor in our aesthetic, civic and historic responsibility to maintain Music Hall – our “secular cathedral,” as Thom so aptly put it – and things get REALLY complicated!
Today’s harsh economy underscores the fact that there are plenty of worthwhile ways to spend our money. But the discussion has to start somewhere and must include Music Hall.