Things they are a-changin'. Madison is in the midst of a huge transition with respect to its art scene. With the highs and lows of recent years, the near future seems to hold vast improvement for the music scene and possibly the performance and visual arts.
O'Cayz Corral has begun plans to relocate to the much bigger Buy and Sell building on East Washington Ave. Since O'Cayz Corral burned down last year, several supporters have come forward to help it find a new home. Now that a spot has been obtained and construction is ready to begin, Madison will receive its much-needed full-time music venue.
The Daily Cardinal recently had a chance to speak with O'Cayz owner Cathy Dethmers about the new club and its impact on Madison's music scene.
What phase is the new O'Cayz in right now and when will it be completed?
We're pretty much just getting the architectural stuff planned out right now. We plan to open probably in June. We will be able to start construction next month.
Can you tell me how you obtained the Buy and Sell property on East Washington Avenue?
I met Nick Schiavo in February or March and we started looking for buildings together at that time. He was looking to buy new property, and he was interested in my project and renting space to me. We just kind of happened upon the Buy and Sell building, and because it was such a big space he decided he was interested in opening a business in there as well [in addition to the new O'Cayz Corral].
Do you think the new club will be laid out and stylized like the old O'Cayz Corral?
It will be similar, not the same. It's just a much bigger space, so we'll obviously have some differences.
What kind of entertainment are you planning on drawing? Will it be the same bands, or are you planning on doing anything different?
It will be similar. We'll still have a lot of local bands and national touring acts like we had in the past, but we'll be able to get a few bigger known bands just because of the size of the club.
Do you think the new club will change the music scene in Madison?
From what it is today, yeah, probably [laughs]. I just think that this town is lacking a full-service, full-time music club at this point.
Were you surprised by the public's reaction when O'Cayz burned down?
Yes and no. I knew a lot of people really thought of that place as being a home for them. So I wasn't surprised that a lot of people were upset and wanted to help a new place get going. But I was surprised by the media support, which was pretty overwhelming at the time. We had TV coverage and everything else.
Do you think that support will carry over into the new club?
I hope so. It looks like it, a lot of people have already been calling and asking about it. I think just the scope of the project as a whole is going to draw a lot to attention.
Do you think anyone will follow your lead by creating more music venues in Madison?
Hard to say. I know a lot of places have been trying to incorporate music into their regular events. I don't know, from experience I can say that running a full-time music club is a lot of work, and I don't know if anyone is looking to do that, but if they are good luck to them [laughs].
Do you think the dance club and the music club that will be housed in the building will work well together?
I think it will work out because I think it will be an entertainment destination. The crowds maybe won't be the same, but I think everyone is just looking to have a good time.
What are your biggest goals for the new club?
Just that it will succeed. I mean hopefully it will be as great or greater of a place than the old O'Cayz was. That's all I can hope for right now. I'll probably do more special events, maybe a wider variety of music. Just incorporate more people, but it will maintain the same flavor as the old O'Cayz, I think.
It's been established that Madison's music scene will improve greatly with the appearance of the new O'Cayz, but what about theater and visual arts? The Overture Project is looking to fill this performance-and-visual-arts void for Madison. There has been much controversy surrounding this project due to the displacement of valuable places such as the New Loft Teen Center and Dotty Dumpling's Dowry. Many questions remain: Is a large arts facility what Madison really needs? Will the Overture Project offer anything for students? Will this enormous building change the face and flavor of downtown?
The Daily Cardinal spoke to the Civic Center's Bob D'Angelo, chief executive officer of the Madison Cultural Arts District, about these issues.
What has your involvement been in the Overture Project?
I participated in writing the proposal that got the grant. I've been involved in the planning and the architect selection and design [of the Overture Project]. [The Civic Center staff] is designing the program that will actually operate in it. The programming that actually happens comes largely from [the Civic Center].
So, did the grant come to you?
[Jerry Frautschi] came to me and asked me for some advice on how to proceed in providing the lead in funding some new facilities for the arts. He hired a consultant and did some background work to find out what the needs were in the community. At the same time he came into a substantial amount of money due to the sale of a business he and his wife owned, the Pleasant Company. We never quite asked for this kind of money, we asked for a sum quite a bit smaller. He had the ability to do this, and instead of being the lead gift for the project, he was the only gift.
What do you think the needs in the community that you just spoke of are?
Most of the arts organizations in town had at some time asked [Frautschi] to get involved in fund drives for new facilities for the arts. What he was hoping to do was to merge all of those needs together where they could share facilities, share resources under one roof. That's what the purpose of the Overture gift is.
What phase is the Overture Project in?
It's in phase one, which will be completed in May of 2004. Phase one includes a new 2,250-seat multi-purpose hall and three smaller studio theaters. Phase two will be a renovation of the Oscar Mayer Theater into a much smaller space.
What kind of art and entertainment will the Overture Project draw?
With regard to visual arts, that will be a rental space for the Wisconsin Academy for Arts, Letters and Sciences. They will determine what art is hung on the walls. There will be some other community art space that will be dedicated to local and regional artists. With regard to performances we hope to escalate up to the next level of touring shows and hope to attract shows that are playing in larger markets such as Milwaukee and Chicago. It will also provide a home for much of what's happening here now, but it will have larger stage facilities, better acoustics and more comfortable seating.
Do you think students will be able to find an interest in the Overture Project?
I think you'll find the same programming mix as you find now. We just had a sold-out show for Natalie Merchant with many students in attendance. But there are shows that the students are not interested in. I think largely we will have the same kinds of shows that are of interest to students now.
How do you feel Overture is going to change the art scene in Madison?
I think it's going to create a better environment for local arts organizations to do what they do. We hope to be able to attract shows here that we don't have the technical ability to do now.
What do you think the public reaction will be once Overture is complete?
Since it's funded by private money, I think we're started on a high note. Money is a great equalizer when it comes to controversy. I think the public is ready to embrace it. We have a direct measure of the public because they buy tickets, they continue to buy tickets and this year they're buying more than ever.
What do you think about some of the negative reactions to Overture?
I think this is a town where everybody is entitled to at least two opinions and they can be conflicting opinions. Everybody's entitled to express those opinions and everybody does. We hope that in our project we have made the necessary adjustments to appeal to the greatest number of people, but there are certain things a building must have to make a good theater, so many things were not open to public discussion. I think the negative opinions were due to land use and whether the Overture was more important to this area than some businesses that had to relocate.
The New Loft and Dotty's created some controversy. But the New Loft has a better facility now. Some people not connected with the organization were offended on their behalf because they thought they should stay [on Fairchild]. But [New Loft staff] think their new facility is better. It's not like Dotty's was a Madison landmark, it wasn't there in 1990. That piece of land on Fairchild was a tavern; they could have said you're dislocating our favorite tavern to make place for a hamburger place; we didn't ask you to come here. Besides these two businesses, everyone was a willing seller. Most of the people who have expressed concern were people who weren't personally affected.
Have you felt any concern from people that Overture is not representing what the students or the public want?
You can't homogenize the students or the public. I suspect we are providing what people want. Our attendance is up 400 percent in the last 10 years. I don't know what we could be providing that we're not. Club bands don't play in 2,200-seat theaters'they play in clubs. The fact that Madison may have a problem with small music clubs is not the responsibility of a 2,200-seat theater. Those bands don't even have the equipment to play a 2,200-seat theater nor do they want to. I think we're providing a very large spectrum of performing arts across all disciplines from punk rock to opera and we don't discriminate; it's all welcome here.
Do you think the Overture Project will start a new movement in Madison towards a bigger art scene?
Hopefully because of us, people will become more art aware. Hopefully other donations will appear. People will say I can help make something happen here. Mr. Frautschi has raised the bar and other people are giving more freely.
The future looks bright for Madison arts. Hopefully all realms of the arts world, including projects of epic proportions and all things underground and independent, will continue to expand and innovate.
