The curtain has come down on the record-setting \Phantom of the Opera"" show here in Madison. In an astonishing success for the fledgling Overture Center for the Arts, ""Phantom"" packed in 26 shows in 32 days and moved an estimated 67,000 attendees through the Overture Center. With two-thirds of the tickets costing approximately $60, the show's $3 million in sales is a testament to the economic force this new addition to Madison offers.
Congratulations to everyone who was behind this impressive performance. Now, the question is, what do you have for an encore?
As fantastic as ""Phantom"" was for the City of Madison and the downtown in general, one has to wonder how Overture will keep up this momentum. A single show cannot carry the arts block for many years to come. Thirty-two days in the middle of winter may have added another hurdle for Overture, but the biggest barrier for its long-term sustainability may be the months after its first big hit.
To make the weeks in ""Phantom's"" wake seem like less of a letdown, ""The Producers"" is scheduled to come to Overture in early May. Considering all the fanfare ""Phantom"" has garnered, even an award-winning production like ""The Producers"" will be hard-pressed to reach ""Phantom's"" heights. But you have to cut ""The Producers"" some slack-it will only be in town for six days and offer eight shows. With significantly less time in Overture, ""The Producers"" may sell out all week, but it cannot possibly rake in another $3 million.
These shows are certainly a boon to downtown Madison and put our city on the cultural map. However, they have set a risky precedent of making Overture seem like it is only a place for the big shows and Madison's theater-going elite. Instead of striking a balance between these big productions and the single-date shows, ""Phantom"" and ""The Producers"" may push their smaller counterparts aside.
In the first days of February, Overture welcomed Emmanuel Ax and the Trinity Irish Dance Company, but these shows were overlooked as everyone was still talking about the massive sets ""Phantom"" required. When John Hiatt, Lyle Lovett, Joe Ely and Guy Clark rolled into Overture Feb. 10, the sold-out show did not seem like such a big deal. In the days leading up to the event, there was little buzz about the show, although very little was necessary.
Another downside of the ""Phantom"" phenomenon is that shows like Hiatt, Lovett, Ely and Clark will be more easily forgotten because they only filled the house for one night, not for dozens. This does not bode well for shows like the Soweto Gospel Choir and ""42nd Street,"" which will fill the seats, but will probably not be noted with as much acclaim for their contributions to Madison's art scene.
Furthermore, the ""Phantom"" effect has amplified the high brow fine art gloss Overture has already garnered. While its calendar of Broadway, ballet and jazz shows is unmatched on the isthmus, it comes up short in other genres. Overture cannot bring all art to all people, but it could do a little more to offer something in comedy performances or in rock and pop shows. Tim Conway and Harvey Korman are probably hilarious, but they need more than one April show of The Second City and one May offering from the Reduced Shakespeare Company to back them up. Furthermore, The Nylons and Four Bitchin' Babes may be Madison favorites, but they do little to get Overture out of its comfort zone.
In the days of the Madison Civic Center, artists like Tori Amos dared to enter the 200 block of State Street. More importantly, she had a college crowd to fill the seats. Considering that the coming days of Overture do not offer a show that calls for the campus crowd to attend it, there is little incentive for your average Mifflin Street resident to check out Madison's gleaming new art block. Natalie MacMaster and ""Topdog/Underdog"" will get the young professionals and rich suburbanites, but will have a harder time reeling in the 18- to 23-year-old crowd.
While students may not be as impressed as the rest of the city has been with the Overture Center, it has earned its due. ""Phantom of the Opera"" has vindicated the venue and ""The Producers"" will carry it to summer. Now the challenge is to fill the gaps.
Ben Schultz is a fifth-year student majoring in English and history. He can be reached at opinion@dailycardinal.com.
