The Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, Mississippi Opera, Ballet Mississippi, and Ballet Magnificat issued the following statement yesterday.
Jackson arts leaders unite in their plea for direct and more timely communication from city of Jackson officials about the shutdown of Thalia Mara Hall and hope for a stronger partnership and better coordination as problems are resolved.
Discovery of mold in the building in August forced the temporary closure of Thalia Mara Hall, the city’s premier performing arts venue, for an unspecified time. The move left Jackson arts nonprofits in a late scramble for alternative spaces to fulfill long-planned performances that are seasonal staples in the community.
“The arts are at the center of the heart and soul of life in Mississippi,” said Mississippi Symphony Orchestra (MSO) President and Executive Director Jenny Mann. MSO, Thalia Mara Hall’s most frequent user with 34 days a year in the auditorium for orchestral, pops and student education concerts plus rehearsals, is particularly hard hit as it enters its 80th anniversary season.
“Thalia Mara Hall is the main space for all of us in this area. Without the space, we can’t do what we do, and the city has not communicated with arts leaders at all,” Mann said. “We really need them to be a partner with us.”
Lack of even a tentative timeframe for repairs compounded frustration with developments that left them out of the loop. A recent city press release noting the move of “major shows” to a venue unsuitable for most arts programming further confused arts groups and their patrons.
Ballet Mississippi marks its 60th anniversary season this year, and The Nutcracker is its biggest production and annual showcase for a strong and vibrant ballet school. The production now must be minimized to fit the smaller venue of Jackson Prep’s Fortenberry Theatre. “That’s a tall order. It really creates a new vision and I’m wracking my brain right now,” Ballet Mississippi Executive Artistic Director David Keary said. As for Thalia Mara Hall, “We all need it to be repaired — all of it.
“We’re all just disappointed. It’s frustrating,” Keary said. “Things do happen. Parts wear out. But we do need better communication with the city.”
Ballet Magnificat! Executive Director Keith Thibodeaux said, “We kind of adapt, as any arts group needs to do right now.” Its Christmas season offering Light Has Come has also shifted to Jackson Prep. He lamented that Ballet Magnificat! was not directly informed of the hall’s shutdown. “We’re on the calendar. They didn’t even give us a call. We had to find out through the grapevine.”
Opera Mississippi Artistic Director Jay Dean joined a few others in concern over facility maintenance issues over the years, as well as the shutdown. “It’s so disappointing to me, when you have a facility that has so many wonderful arts events of all types… that the city does not seem to put the resources into those facilities to sustain them to the point where they can continue to have a life.”
Xperience JXN Entertainment owner Yolanda Singleton produces about four shows there a year, but her efforts this summer to contract a Leela James concert for the hall met with moved dates, information delays and her own frustrating attempts to find answers. “It’s been quite difficult,” she said, fearing the situation has damaged her hard-won, 30-year reputation with booking agents in an industry where women are in the minority.
“I’m saddened because Jackson has so many opportunities that we miss out on,” Singleton said, “and it seems like it’s down to poor leadership, negligence and abandonment. And, I’m frustrated because the citizens of Jackson deserve better.”
MSO’s Mann praised community efforts in helping find alternate locations and hopes to announce within the week the new venues for MSO concerts in the season’s first half. Dates and repertoire will not change. “We still have hope we’ll be in Thalia Mara Hall for the second half,” she said.
Kingfish note: Just keep it up, Jackson. Remember how Brandon stole a march and built the amphitheater or Pearl beat you out on the Braves? Someone is going to pick up the ball and run with it if you don't get it together.
55 comments:
Disgusting, purely disgusting ..that GD "Radical" Mayor.
You're correct, Kingfish, it's only a matter of time. What do you expect from a City that never learned what mold can do to an expensive library collection? Plenty of land available in Ridgeland and Madison for a new performing arts center. These are private or volunteer organizations that put these show on, they're not required to be in Jackson. They only need to be where they can sell out the venue.
Can a private organization purchase and take over management of Thalia Mara from these clowns much like what was done with JXN Water?
When the hell are going to see some audited financials for the city? Are they completely insolvent and just trying to delay the inevitable takeover?
Did the Jackson Arts leaders vote for Lubumba and his fellow Democrats on the City Council? If so, they are their own problem and should STFUp!
Another failure of Chokwe's. Get. Him. Out. Of. Office.
This is absoloute
Mayor Lamumba......are you trying to ruin the City of Jackson intentionally? I cannot imagine any other explanation for such incompetence!!!!!!!
September 6, 2024 at 9:17 AM
When the executive branch gives Council access. Literally that was in a video KF posted (KF might need your help finding that video). There was a spat between Council and I think either Legal or Chokwe himself about moving an IT department from the basement of the Welty Library because Lumumba's goons were withholding access to the system that allows City Council to look at the book.s
September 6, 2024 at 9:17 AM
When the executive branch gives Council access. Literally that was in a video KF posted (KF might need your help finding that video). There was a spat between Council and I think either Legal or Chokwe himself about moving an IT department from the basement of the Welty Library because Lumumba's goons were withholding access to the system that allows City Council to look at the book.s
Knowing they voted for him
frustration now, disappointment later.
a tale as old as time in jacktown.
Who needs your frickin' arts? I got me a big ol' TV and the season is just about to fire up.
A state of the art performing arts center has the Madison Square project written all over it.
There is plenty of land available around the Refuge/Sheraton in Flowood. It would be great site for a big event venue.
"Frustrated" is a common theme with the City of Jackson...
Yolanda Singleton hit the nail on the head - "...it's down to poor leadership, negligence and abandonment."
The City can point fingers at whoever and whatever they want for yet another failure, but they have continued to cut corners on maintenance and basic upkeep of one of their most important assets and this is the result.
They can't (or shouldn't) blame lack of funding this time, as the state regularly allocates money for improvements on top of the portion of ticket sales the City is supposed to be using on maintenance. But in true Antar fashion, one of the first things the Mayor points to as an excuse is the low facility rental fee and aging HVAC. True or not, if you think you are getting shorted on the rental fee, why did it take this long into your administration to notice that you should be charging more?? Ridiculous.
Next!
TM was a good move for the city when it was constructed. Anyone who ever went to the old city auditorium will know what I am saying. That broken down brick monster (a block away from the CL building?) was ok for a night of wrestling, a gospel all night sing, or when Roy Rogers (Gene Autry?) came to host the Jerry Lewis, March of Dimes annual event, but never suitable for much else.
I think I saw the symphony there as an elementary school kid in 1960, we rode the city busses - now striking because of poor management - from Clinton Blvd Elementary to the building. I remember it being dark and damp, with a distinct echo.
We were happy when TM came along, because after a long time of political talk, the city actually had something. Then more than one administration let it go to hell because the daily operation needs of a pretty good building did not fit into their program of political pocket lining.
Oh well, maybe Washington will find $100,000,000 to give the mayor to redo a little bit of the AC unit for the building and spray everything down with Pine-sol. Surely that will be enough for him and his friends to fly to Miami several times and have money left over for Richard's Building Services, LLC to take care of the rehab and set it back to 41% straight, which is probably his goal if he only gets 1/10th of a billion dollars of somebody else's money for the job.
Agreed. Where are the audits? Cut off the Fed funds until the audits are submitted.
Mayor Mary could have one built before they could say microbial growth.
a marxist like lubumbles doesn't give a rats ass about art. his only concern are that people be a slave to the state. you want art? hang a picture of fidel castro in your room and let it go at that. he wants to turn thalia mara hall into jacksons version of red square.
Jackson must be placed into receivership!
As someone has been saying in the previous comments about TM Hall, the Ballet Competition, a world class event, is GONE!
It's beyond frustrating that the city can't seem to handle such a critical issue like this with the urgency and communication it deserves. Thalia Mara Hall is a vital venue for the arts community, and the lack of transparency and coordination from city officials is absolute bullshit. These organizations are key to the cultural fabric of Jackson, and leaving them in the dark about repairs not only hurts them but also the broader community that depends on these performances. The Capital City deserves better leadership, and the arts deserve better support.
When the old Supreme Court building had mold throughout the bottom floor, the State had to demolish it completely. I don't see how TMH would not need the same based on thr photos KF posted...
Jackson appears to be doomed. I would ask that the last person left in jackson to turn the lights off, but the meth-heads already stole the copper. It shouldn't be this way, but until and unless the voters stop voting for the race hustlers, nothing will change.
None of these people are suprised by any of this because they deal with the city constantly but they are terrified of losing face in their liberal circles if they speak the truth about the baseline competency of the city. Nobody that has dealt with the city is suprised by any of this and private groups hand holding is the only reason the whole place didn't fall in decades ago.
Does anyone REALLY expect the culture currently "running" Jackson to have any sort of understanding or concern over either the timely repair of a valued city asset or, more likely, what the arts community has to say? This just isn't what they do. Those aren't concerns of theirs.
The MSO ED said "The arts are at the center of the heart and soul of life in Mississippi,” and while you can argue whether that's true or not, you can be damn sure that's not what the culture in Jackson believes. For quite a while now, and assuredly for the last 7 years, they've believed that "death and destruction is at the center of the heart and soul of Jackson." There's no denying that.
Chuck could care less about Ballet or the Symphony or the TM.
And CJ and crew cannot be bothered to even report these hard facts because they are too busy kiss the mayor's ass.
Sadly, the low IQ voters in Jackson would not care if they could comprehend that Chuckie is robbing them blind. All Lamumbles has to do is cry racism and blame whitey or Trump and they will drink the Kool Aid with a smile and keep voting for an empty bow tie, right?
Now you know just this week I read Councilman Banks didn’t know the $100,000 earmarked for pot holes in his own ward wasn’t spent. Money was sitting in a bank over a year! What makes you think the city council or the Mayor will communicate with the arts people! Duh!
Yes, let’s move the performing arts out of Jackson to a venue that people can attend at night and not fear that they will be robbed or shot, their car stolen, or lose their car in a pothole. By his actions, the mayor has proven that he does not care about the arts (or really anything other than lining his pockets). It appears that nothing in Jackson will improve without a change in leadership. I am skeptical that leadership will change, but I sure hope it will.
Maybe this would be a good time to consider building a new performing arts center in Flowood?
Silbrina Wright could fix this during a retreat to Disneyland.
utter stupidity and incompetence or intent to destroy everything, that is the question
You artsy people should have made efforts to relocate years ago. Did you really expect the COJ to do anything other than run your venue into the ground? Most of you all are leftists, so you got what you voted for: One more gift from the boy mayor.
It’s a little disingenuous for arts groups to act surprised by the condition of TMH. The mold event was basically caused by poorly functioning AC that failed to regulate humidity. However, all these groups know of the plumbing problems, the ac problems, the elevator problem etc etc.
Question. What other things go into putting on big theatrical events? Rigging systems and the pit system that can raise and lower.
Ask these groups if they know the conditions of the ropes and brakes and pulley system and ask if they know about the pit system hydraulic issues.
This is a classic case of deferred maintenance. It’s not solely this administrations fault.
Also, inquire into how much money Arden and Broadway group makes from putting on events at TMH compared to what they pay the city for renting the place. Finally, ask if Broadway group will be donating money and resources to make repairs as they have been earning huge sums of money since 2014.
The obvious solution is to close the place and do massive repairs and upgrades and reopen better than ever. Combine it with the upcoming multi year folk festival and raise money etc etc.
Actual solutions instead of bitching about who’s to blame combined with many subtle racist jabs at the city.
Agree 100%.
Liberal Democrats fuck up EVERYTHING they touch, and this is no different. I'm not surprised at all. One of the suburbs just needs to come to the rescue and build a new performing arts center and to hell with Jackson. CoJ leadership and most of its citizens don't give a shit about performing arts anyway. And that my friends, IS the bottom line!!
Actually, that's a great idea. I'd love to hear MSO at Brandon Amphitheater in cooler temps.
Unless there is something in it for him, Lumumba just doesn't care. He isn't going to do anything just because it needs to be done.
Expecting a narcissist to have a sense of duty to others is not a reasonable expectation. He simply lacks the capacity for it, just like his counterpart on the national stage.
The weird thing is that I am told by people who know that Chokwe's wife LOVES the Symphony and is friends with the conductor. Maybe that's why he is out to destroy it?
Kent at 9:33: Of course he was installed to destroy Jackson. Who do you think gives him his marching orders?
Before the Capitol Police took control, we'd exit Thalia Mara or an event at St Andrews into the ghetto street party from hell. Cars lined the streets blasting music. Loud cars, 4-wheelers, and motorcycles careening out of control down the street. People everywhere drinking alcohol in open containers. There is video evidence of this crap made about the time the news stations finally woke up and covered it.
Library gone, Crime rampant, businesses closing, Jtran on strike, Outback and Cracker Barrell close with lines waiting in Flowood. Thala mara destroyed. Chok is horrible. what is better. Water only when feds stepped in. Its time to take over the city
The symphony performing "Flight of the Bumblebee" while taking incoming golf balls at Top Golf would be entertaining just saying.
Water, sewer, Jatran bus system, garbage pickup, the Zoo, potholes, burying folks in pauper's fields, the Library, Thalia Mara Hall........... When will the incompetence end? When will the voters have enough? Unfortunately the voters would rather play the victim and the blame game than cause change. Vote these idiots out, vote someone in who will clean house and reorganize the entire failed city.
Think about the irony - the mayor blames everything on white flight & then does everything he can to drive white people out of Jackson.
Mayor doesn't care, one way or the other, about this stuff. Not a dig, just fact.
Excellent comment, September 6, 2024 at 11:23 AM
This is the Democrat Party. It’s entertaining to catch them crying on IG, FB, Reddit etc. talking about it’s a Red state and then you have to explain to the pea brains how their party works to destroy and then they throw out the ol’ reliable R word. Facts, statistics, etc are all incomprehensible to lefties.
With all the problems Jackson is faced with, I can’t see this being a priority for the city. Likely why private money had to be raised a decade ago. I mean they can’t even fix potholes with funding available.
Seriously? Those who rent the building had an obligation to supervise its maintenance? On what planet?
The problems for the air conditioning at the theater are long-standing. There was a temporary Chiller installed last year for the ballet competition because the old one was failing. The City staff not technically capable of handling these buildings. The pay the City offers is not adequate for anyone technically capable of the job.
Arts? Symphony? Ballet? Broadway? If you take a quick survey of those still living inside the city limits you would find that these "arts" play second fiddle to rap, gansta movies, and doing burnouts on city streets... Meanwhile, while the Auditorium rots the city has the patron-less zoo in a location no one wants to go. And right next door is the Harvey Johnson Big Empty Space that is losing money as well I have no belief that the repairs will take place because "artsy" people don't vote in Jackson elections. Be sure to let me know when an "arts" journey to the center of Jackson is safe...
That's been shown in plans, several times. However, every time a developer for the City Center is found, there's a day like today, and the developers withdraw. (today, if what I'm hearing is correct, antique FIGHTER PLANES were screaming overhead, illegally-low, under the rain clouds, from around 7AM until dark)
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