Overture Center for the Arts

Overture Center for the Arts
	Main entrance to Overture Center. The facade was originally part of Yost's Department Store.
Address	201 State Street; Madison, Wisconsin; United States
Coordinates	43°4′28″N 89°23′19″W / 43.07444°N 89.38861°W
Public transit	Metro Transit
Operator	Overture Center Foundation
Type	performing arts center
Capacity	Overture Hall: 2,255; Capitol Theater: 1,089; The Playhouse: 347; Promenade Hall: 252; Rotunda Stage: 350
Construction
Opened	1928 (Capitol Theatre)
Reopened	1980 (Madison Civic Center); 2004 (Overture Center for the Arts)
Architect	Cesar Pelli
Website
	overture.org

Overture Center for the Arts is a performing arts center and art gallery in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Opened on September 19, 2004, replacing the former Madison Civic Center, the nonprofit arts organization features seven state-of-the-art performance spaces and four galleries where national and international touring artists, nine resident companies and hundreds of local artists engage people in more than 500,000 educational and artistic experiences each year. In addition, the center houses the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art.

Overture Center’s vision is to provide “extraordinary experiences through the arts.” Its mission is to support and elevate the community’s creative culture, economy and quality of life through the arts.

Leadership

Since 2021, Overture Center has been led by a shared executive leadership team. Members include Chief Operating Officer Mike Conway, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Jenie Dahlmann, Chief Development Officer Emily Gruenewald, Chief Equity and Innovation Officer Ed Holmes, Chief Artistic Experiences Officer Tim Sauers and Chief Financial and Chief Business Officer Chris Vogel.

Before the shared executive leadership team, Overture Center was led by five previous Presidents/CEOs: Bob D’Angelo, Michael Goldberg, Tom Carto, Ted DeDee and Sandra Gajic.

Economic Impact

An economic and fiscal impact analysis by the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Fiscal and Economic Research Center (FERC) reports Overture Center for the Arts contributed $34,480,000 to the Madison economy during its 2021/22 season, September 2021 through June 2022. Overture engaged in the economic impact study to establish a post-pandemic baseline (the center was closed from March 2020 through August 2021) for its activities. Overture Center's economic impact comprises four categories of direct spending and the impact of each category. The direct spending comes from the cost of producing and running shows and events, the cost of maintenance and renovations, and ancillary purchases made by Madison tourists. The money that was directly spent in these four categories was then re-spent in multiple subsequent rounds. These subsequent rounds of spending are categorized as “indirect” spending. The sum of the direct and indirect rounds of spending is what constitutes Overture Center's full economic impact on the Madison economy. The direct spending was divided up into four distinct categories:

Broadway: $2.52 million

Resident Events: $2.50 million

Non-Resident and Local Events: $680,000

Operations: $28.80 million

Additional highlights from the 2021/22 study include:

Ancillary spending by Overture Center visitors totaled $6,300,000.

Nearly 53% of attendees were people who live outside the Madison area.

Ninety-three percent of attendees from outside of Dane County said that attending a show/event at Overture Center was a “very important” factor in their decision to come to Madison.

Overture Center visitors rented around 7,000 total hotel rooms and their annual hotel spending exceeds $1 million.

Overture Center operations and events also resulted in visitor spending of $4.6 million at local restaurants, primarily located in downtown Madison.

History

The center was commissioned by Jerome "Jerry" Frautschi and Pleasant Rowland (founder of American Girl) and designed by César Pelli. Pelli's most famous work is likely the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, the world's tallest twin skyscrapers. Pelli also designed the Brookfield Place, formerly named the World Financial Center complex, in downtown Manhattan.

The entire building costs were covered by multiple gifts totaling $205 million from Fraustchi and Rowland, the largest single gift to the arts in American history to date. The Overture Center for the Arts building replaced the Madison Civic Center, which was located on the same block on State Street.

Overture Center’s oldest theater, the Capitol Theater, opened its doors to the public in 1928. Designed by Rapp & Rapp, the Capitol Theater was a marvelous example of the opulent movie houses built for the silent age. Uniformed ushers escorted guests to seats to watch vaudeville acts and feature-length shows with international stars. The theater boasted the latest in modern conveniences, including a Grand Barton theater organ, custom built by the Barton Musical Instrument Company of Oshkosh. And though silent movies are no longer a principal form of entertainment, the original organ remains intact and serves as the centerpiece to Overture’s Duck Soup Cinema series.

The Capitol Theater was first and foremost a silent movie house. When sound ushered in a new era of entertainment, the theater found itself amid a rebirth as one of the city’s most popular concert halls. Between 1940 and 1970, the Lawrence Welk Orchestra, Perry Como and the Beach Boys all graced its stage.

In 1974, Madison Mayor Paul Soglin announced the groundbreaking for the new Madison Civic Center. The Capitol Theater would serve as the anchor in the innovative city-owned development. The Oscar Mayer Foundation put up a large donation for the project, and the Capitol Theater was reborn as the Oscar Mayer Theater. The Civic Center would also encompass a smaller theater, to be named the Isthmus Playhouse, an art gallery called Madison Art Center and the Crossroads Lobby.

In the 1980s and 1990s, the Oscar Mayer Theater hosted Broadway shows and touring acts from all over the country. The theater grew in cultural significance as it became the performance home of local arts groups like the Madison Symphony Orchestra, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Madison Opera and Madison Ballet.

The Oscar Mayer had been built for silent movies, and by the mid-1990s, it was showing its age. Acoustically, it was not the ideal space for Broadway or symphonic music. A group of local arts leaders, understanding that the community deserved a theater, put their heads together and set their sights on a new, modern and much larger performing arts center.

In 1997, Jerry Frautschi, a fifth-generation Madisonian, delighted the community by pledging $50 million to build what he called Overture Center for the Arts. Two years later, it was clear that his initial gift would not be enough to carry out his original vision, and so he pledged another $50 million. When all was said and done, he had donated $205 million.

Overture Hall opened on September 19, 2004, along with four other performance spaces. Opening celebrations included a spirited gala and a weekend full of lively performances. The national tour of “Phantom of the Opera” was the first major Broadway show to open on an Overture stage, greeted by an enthusiastic Madison audience.

The Oscar Mayer Theater, Isthmus Playhouse, and Madison Art Center were completely renovated and reopened to the public in 2006 as the Capitol Theater, restored to its original designation and look.

Venues

Overture Hall

The 2,225-seat Overture Hall is the cultural center's largest theater. Consisting of four levels of seats, it has a striking architectural style and was designed for acoustics (no center aisle). The balconies have "continental-style" seating arrangements, where aisles other than those on the sides of seat rows are omitted in order to provide greater seat size and acoustics. It houses the Pleasant Rowland Concert Organ, a large, custom-built organ, by the German organ builder Orgelbau Klais. This theater hosts the Madison Symphony Orchestra, Madison Opera, and Madison Ballet.

Capitol Theater

During Overture construction, the Oscar Mayer Theater (originally the 1928 Capitol Theater and movie palace) was restored, downsized and re-christened the Capitol Theater. The theater's inaugural performance—by Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra—upon reopening took place in November 2005. The theater seats up to 1,089 people on the main floor and balcony. The theater features the Grand Barton Organ built by Oshkosh's Barton Organ Company. Local resident companies the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and Children’s Theater of Madison perform in the space as well as national and international traveling shows and concerts.

The Playhouse

This smaller, intimate performance space replaced the former Isthmus Playhouse. It was renovated with the Madison Repertory Theatre in mind as its resident company and was occupied by Madison Rep until its closure in March 2009. Forward Theater Company is now its resident company.

Promenade Hall

Promenade Hall is a smaller room, featuring a Brazilian cherry wood floor and birch wood walls with adaptable event lighting. The retractable theater seating can convert it into a performance space seating up to 300. Kanopy Dance Company is its resident company.

Rotunda Stage

Located on the lower level, this venue is used primarily for the center's Kids in the Rotunda performances. The only venue accessible to the public during regular hours, it features a color scheme of fuchsia walls and floors, as well as permanent carpeted bench seating. It is also a venue for banquets, meetings and other performances.

Wisconsin Studio

Maple wood floor and high windows give this room a spacious, airy ambiance. Located on the third floor, this room features a private “Juliet balcony.” Seats 100-160 guests, depending on room configuration.

Rotunda Studio

A versatile and spacious black-box theater space features movement-friendly, black sprung-maple wood floors and sound-absorbing concrete block walls, ideal for rehearsals and workshops. Seats about 100 guests, depending on room configuration.

Visual art galleries

The center contains four visual art galleries: Galleries I, II and III and Playhouse Gallery. Overture Galleries present exhibits by local and regional artists and organizations. The center houses the James Watrous Gallery, which is operated by the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters. The Watrous Gallery displays larger exhibits and installations from regional artists. Galleries are free and open to the public.

Programs

Jerry Awards and Jerry Ensemble

The Jerry Awards, one of Wisconsin’s High School Musical Awards Programs, encourages, recognizes and honors excellence in high school musical theater. The program began in the 2009/10 school year as the Tommy Awards and was renamed in the 2017/18 season to the Jerry Awards after philanthropist and arts supporter W. Jerome Frautschi. Educators and industry professionals review productions at more than 100 high schools in 30 counties around the state providing valuable feedback. The program elevates the importance of musical theater within high schools.

School and student achievements are honored and featured in an awards show held at Overture Center in June and two outstanding performers are selected to represent the program at The National High School Musical Theater Awards (The Jimmys) competition in New York City.

Students at participating high schools can audition for the Jerry Ensemble, the premier performance groups representing the Jerry Awards in Central and Southern Wisconsin.

OnStage Student Field Trips

The OnStage student field trip series is designed for students from public, private and home schools. The shows offer a diverse range of performing art forms, connect to content across the curriculum and present various cultural perspectives. To deepen the student experience, Overture provides Educator Resource Guides filled with curriculum-focused lesson ideas for each show.

Kids in the Rotunda

Overture’s free Kids in the Rotunda series is designed to captivate families of all ages. From renowned folk singers to drum lines and hilarious kid-friendly improv to vibrant Indian dance, the handpicked lineup guarantees an unforgettable experience for families. While tailored for children ages nine and younger, these performances mesmerize both kids and adults alike.

Lullaby Project

The Lullaby Project uses the creative process of songwriting to help new and expectant parents express their hopes and dreams for the future through music. The project pairs local singer-songwriters, parents and parents-to-be to create personal lullabies for their children, supporting parental health, aiding child development and strengthening the bond between parent and child. Overture Center is one of over 30 organizations across the country and the world to be a Lullaby Project partner, a program of Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute.

Disney Musicals in Schools

Disney Musicals in Schools aims to create sustainable musical theater programs in elementary schools by providing schools with the training and tools necessary to do so, and to share their students’ success. Over the course of 17 weeks, a team of Overture’s teaching artists guide school teachers through the process of mounting a musical starring student performers in grades 3-5. The residency culminates in a 30-minute Disney KIDS Musical at each school. Then, all students are invited to the Student Share where each first-year school performs a number in the Capitol Theater.

International Festival

International Festival is an annual celebration of the rich cultural heritage within our community. This free event includes more than 30 performances throughout Overture by artists who call Dane County home. Guests can indulge in cuisines from around the world, browse stunning arts and crafts available for purchase and learn about local businesses with global connections.

Duck Soup Cinema

Several times a year, Overture reclaims the silent film heritage of the Capitol Theater with our Duck Soup Cinema Series. Local vaudeville-style acts open for a silent film screening that has the crowd roaring by the end of the night. Each show features a skilled organist who mirrors the actors’ emotions, just as it was done in 1928.

Notable performers

Following is a partial list of notable performers that have staged concerts at the Capitol Theater and Overture Center:

References

External links