The Director of the C. L. Hoover Opera House, Joe Markley, issued this report on Wednesday.
It hardly seems possible that I am coming up on one year here. Time goes by fast when you’re having fun. I make a monthly report to our Board to keep them informed about things here, but I thought it was also important to let you, our patrons, know how things are going. I know this is a little long, but I’ve created section headings if you want to jump to the parts that interest you.- Attendance is up! First, know that the C.L. Hoover Opera House is doing well. If you have attended any of our October shows, you’ve noticed that we have had wonderful attendance and very positive feedback about the programs.
- Friends of the Opera House has almost tripled. In addition, our Friends of the Opera House has had and continues to have phenomenal growth. Last year we had 18 Friends of the Opera House with a total revenue of $5,050; this year we are up to 52 Friends with a total revenue of $13,100. That’s an increase of $8,050 (and we are continuing to add new Friends)!
- Our finances are in order. We have the financial tools in place to track our income and expenses and we are on track with our budget. Be assured that your donations are being spent to enhance our programming and keep your Opera House financially sound and secure.
- We are partnering with businesses for in-kind support. In addition to the monetary donations from patrons, businesses and corporations, the Opera House benefits from in-kind support – services or goods given to us. Rainbow International has been a long-standing supporter of the Opera House in the quarterly cleaning of our carpets, and just recently we received the gift of LED light bulbs for our lobby (upstairs and down). This was a donation from Waters True Value Store, Jim Waters, CEO and the General Electric Corporation. Not only did we get the donation of the bulbs, but we save in many other ways. They use so much less electricity, we project saving at least $800 per year. Add to that the life of the bulbs is projected to be 13.5 years – total savings to the Opera House will be over $10,000!!! We had wonderful volunteers who helped us install the bulbs on Oct 12.
- Success in staffing: I believe a big part of our success here is our wonderful staff. Although we have no full-time employees, everyone here does the work of several people and does it with a smile and positive attitude. Everyone – from those patrons who rent for an event to the performers who grace our stage with their talent – is consistent in their praise of our wonderful staff. Our staff consists of: DeGe who keeps things looking clean and bright; Madison, who creates the wonderful graphics and makes sure you are all aware of the exciting programming opportunities here; Steve, Austin and Kaye who manage all the tech for the programs; and Danny, who not only manages the Opera House but is pretty much the go-to guy for anything you need to know or find. In addition to these fine individuals, I am so pleased to have Sheila Markley (my wife) as Development Director. For the present, she shares an office with me. She brings so much positive energy and great ideas to the program.
- Work on the 2016-17 season has begun. Any suggestions? I know it is hard to believe, but we are already busy looking at dates and considering acts for next year’s (2016-17) season. I appreciate the ideas for acts that some of our patrons have already given me. Maybe there is an act we have had in the past you would love to see return. But remember, many factors play a part in getting an act booked – dates, cost, availability, intended audience – and all of these are important considerations in booking an act. If you have ideas or suggestions, please call, email or come in and talk to me. I welcome your feedback.
Sincerely,
Joe Markley, Director
C.L. Hoover Opera House