Performing Arts Center

On Sept. 28, you published a letter from Ms. Patti Van Rekom of Irvine, indicating her distress over being unable to purchase season tickets in the new Performing Arts Center. She indicates that she has a desire to expose her children to good music, dancing and theater, and that limiting access to the Center to only the affluent does not bode well for the long-term growth of the Center.

Her letter hit on a major issue facing the Orange County Performing Arts Center and the resident performing arts companies. As president of Opera Pacific, I am here to tell you that help is on the way!

Let’s give the generous donors to bricks and mortar the benefit of the doubt and assume that the elitist face put forward by the organizers was necessary to draw the funds required to build this house. But the reality is that the local producing arts companies (Opera Pacific, Pacific Symphony, Orange County Master Chorale and the Pacific Chorale) are the organizations that will build audiences from all ages and economic groups and will pay most of the rent. I believe that we are making progress in convincing Thomas Kendrick and others that this is where his largest source of revenue will eventually come from and, therefore, are deserving of his support as well as special assistance.

Opera and quality music theater can’t thrive without people like Ms. Van Rekom and her sons. Sure, we’ll have our glitzy opening night, but our real audience must be broad-based and transcend all age groups and economic levels. If Opera Pacific keeps this in mind, we will be around long after the sizzle of the opening festivities.

Please call the Opera Pacific box office. You’ll be delighted at what is available that you can afford.

THOMAS T. HAMMOND

President, Opera Pacific