Volume II, Issue 24, June 9, 2016

In this Issue:

- Parlez-vous français? Margo does and she has a lot to say about her adventure in Aspen.

- Four things that keep Paige Price up at night.

- Ducky bucks keep swimming in. How much can Frieda Wallison and Co. raise?

 

It's so much fun to see so many faces on Thursday morning. Off season is officially over. Unfortunately, that also means that it's almost time for our lovely Margo to return home to France. If you missed her presentation at Thursday's meeting, you can still watch the video she made about her time in Aspen - it looks like she had as much fun being here as we've had hosting her.  

 

 

 

 

Comments? Rotary News? Send to:  AspenRotaryNewsletter@gmail.com
Samantha Johnston, Editor-of-the-month 

 

 

Speaker:  Paige Price, Executive Artistic Director, Theater Aspen. One of the coolest things I did not know about Paige is that she was a Tony Award (recognizes achievement in live Broadway theater) Nominator this year, which means she saw 40 live Broadway shows and 24 off-Broadway shows. Paige often reviews off-Broadway productions to get a feel for productions that would be good for Theater Aspen. This year's summer season has an "Escapist" bent, she said, focusing on productions that allow audiences to "check their brain at the door." This season includes Mama Mia, Buyer & Cellar, and Dear Edwina. Because of the magnitude of the Mama Mia production, there will only be four shows instead of the typical four. The summer season kicks off Fri., June 24 and ends Sat., Aug. 20.

 

What happens behind the scenes when Paige isn't introducing the main acts on stage during the summer is what keeps her busy ... and up at night. She said her main concerns about the arts are:

 

1. Relevancy: How do the live arts stay relevant to younger audiences in the age of technology? The beauty of live performances is seeing, hearing and feeling the emotion and energy on stage, which can be very difficult to convey digitally. The challenge is to merge art forms into bite-sized pieces online that will encourage people to come see a show.

2. Philanthropy: How people give has changed. In the past, many children carried on their parents' interests and traditions of giving, but the youngest generations now are more pop-up philanthropists, meaning that they give, sometimes spontaneously, based on interests at the time. Corporate contracts are also on the decline.

3. Barriers to Entry: Young talent used to show up on Broadway with a suitcase and a resume; now that same talent needs to show up with a suitcase, a master's degree and share a room in Brooklyn with five roommates. Access to talent in the live arts shouldn't be limited to just those that are most impressive on paper.

4. Feeding the Beast: Theater Aspen's philosophy is "If they come, we will build it." While Price hopes to one day have a permanent facility that is nicer than the current one, there won't be a new building until community support demands it. 64% of Theater Aspen funding comes from individual contributions, 25% from ticket sales and the rest from other giving.

 

Steve Wickes suggested that Paige move to Aspen and run for mayor with her philosophy of lean operations and building infrastructure philosophies. She declined.

 

Finally, if you are looking for an amazing show to attend, Paige recommends "Hamilton," a musical about the life of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton. What makes this show so special? According to Paige, it's the success of bringing a multi-cultural group of actors together to perform 

 

Guests: Karla Kelly (Jon Kelly's wife); Jennifer Allen (Emily Burr); Chace Dillon (Justin Barrow); Georg Hart (Snowmass Rotary Club); Margo Ulrich (Exchange student - France);  Terri and Annie Caine (former host parents of Margo); Lisa and Terrance McGuire (former host parents for Margo).

 

Happy Bucks: There were a lot of  happy bucks. A good editor would have been able to tell you exactly who was happy about what. Unfortunately, a renegade mimosa spilled all over the written notes and, alas, there is no longer a record of the happiness. I'll do my best to keep the notes away from the booze in the future.

 

 

Skip Behrhorst presented club President John Ward with a framed poster from the club's first Ducky Derby in 1992. Skip's special presentation was a fun trip back in time to the days when the club used to do a Football Raffle to raise about $12,000 annually. Skip told tales of a wild group of younger men (himself included) who used to sit at the Wienerstube and dream up ways to raise money. Thus, the first batch of ducks were rented and the tradition, which is almost 25 years in the making, now raises hundred of thousands of dollars.

 

For those in the club who haven't been here long enough to know about the Wienerstube (myself included), here's a little history for you: The "stube" was an Aspen tradition, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner for almost 45 years. The building was torn down in early 2011 to make way for the Aspen Art Museum. Want more history on the Wienerstube: http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20110112/NEWS/110119944

 

 

 

June 16 - Joe Bonnett, American Development Model Manager for USA Hockey. Joe provides nationwide support for USA Hockey's age-appropriate skill development efforts. He has more than 20 years of hockey coaching experience, including 18 seasons at the NCAA Division I level. Before joining USA Hockey, he served 14 seasons (2000-2014) as an assistant men's ice hockey coach at Colorado College.

 

June 23 - Terri Caine. Summer Advantage USA. Terri will speak about this program that raises educational achievement in its scholars by harnessing the power of summer learning. Focused on both academic and social development, the program offers five weeks of rigorous academic instruction in the morning and afternoon enrichment activities?

 

June 30 - No meeting so you can all get your BBQ supplies ready for the July 4th weekend. Also, the Changeover Dinner will take place on Tuesday, June 28 and that will replace the Thursday meeting. More details about the dinner to come soon.

 

Friday, June 17, 2016. The Rotary Board will meet at 7:30 a.m. in the Sister Cities Room in City Hall. Since the President moved the meeting to Food & Wine Weekend Friday, he promised boxed wine and doughnuts for the meeting. I'd personally prefer a fine champagne and orange juice, but we'll take what we can get. Join the board for lively discussion about a variety of topics - some on the agenda, some come from left field. If you still have your Red Badge and have not attended a board meeting, boxed win WILL make it better. Come now or forever hold your peace.

Frieda Wallison reported that the Ducky Derby has officially raised $129,600 as of the Thursday meeting. To raise more money, send all of your friends to the Ducky Derby website where they can buy stuff: https://www.fundlyenterprise.com/Event/DuckyDerby2016#/