Business of the Arts: Keeping it Fresh

In a famous set of scenes from “Pretty Woman,” Julia Roberts and Richard Gere don formalwear and board a private jet to an opera house to take in the classic “La Traviata” from lush box seats.

Ozarks Lyric Opera had something different in mind when it decided to stage “The Black Rider: The Casting of the Magic Bullets,” written by rock musician and songwriter Tom Waits and Beat author William S. Burroughs, April 19 and 21.

In a season that also included Beethoven’s sole opera, “Fidelio,” first produced in 1805, maybe there’s room for edgier 20th century fare. And if it’s mounted at The Gillioz Theatre – a venue built for vaudeville and frequented by fans of rock music and comedy shows – that’s just another indication of something different in store.

Something different was exactly what OLO’s leadership had in mind. The company was established in 1979, and brothers Sean Spyres, business and operations director, and Michael Spyres, artistic director, have been at the helm since 2015. The two jumped at the chance to stage “The Black Rider.” It’s a show that has been produced in the United States only two other times.

The opera, which grapples with the theme of addiction, serves up shades of the William Tell legend, with the main character, Wilhelm, having to prove his marksmanship in order to marry a huntsman’s daughter – with predictably tragic results. It’s a story that likely resonated with Burroughs, who in 1951 shot and killed his own common-law wife in an apparent failed attempt to hit a glass balanced on her head.

Waits, who is 74, wrote the music and most lyrics for the show. A songwriter, he is not a hitmaker, but rather is known for his gravelly vocals laid over music inspired by blues, funk, industrial and rock. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011.

OLO’s production is the Midwest debut, and Sean Spyres said ticket sales were brisk, though at press time the show was not sold out.

“This was a dream project,” he said. “Not that we’re going to be less invested in something else, but you’ve got to keep it fresh for yourself. We’re almost a decade into this.”

Sean Spyres and Lindsey Wheatley, OLO’s director of marketing and development, are the opera’s only paid staff members; Michael Spyres, an international opera performer based in Europe, offers his services as an in-kind donation.

Under the Spyres’ leadership, OLO has performed such classic shows as “Marriage of Figaro,” “The Magic Flute,” “Pagliacci” and “Don Giovanni.” Alongside these staples, the brothers have also enjoyed providing shows audiences can’t find anywhere else. One example is last season’s “Sweet Louisa,” an original gothic opera composed by local businesswoman Katie Kring, owner of the bakery Pickwick and Cherry LLC. “The Black Rider” is another.

“In this business model that we’re going for, we will still provide traditional opera reimagined in a certain way, not so much for our budget or even just the limitations that we have in this historic theater, but we’ve done what we wanted to,” Sean Spyres said. “When Michael and I are looking at what we might be capable of doing, that’s really big. It’s like, what do we want to do now?”

OLO has an annual budget of $229,000, according to its 2023 tax filing. Spyres said a single fully staged opera can be expensive to mount, breaking down to $12,000-$15,000 for the orchestra, $12,000-$15,000 for creative and technical personnel, $8,000-$10,000 for additional casting and covers, and $3,000-$4,000 for venue and staging rehearsal space rental. Promotion is an additional expense.

Today’s audiences have less patience for a three-hour opera, according to Spyres, who said tastes are changing. One of OLO’s popular offerings is “Opera Rocks,” a show that features operatic vocal talent performing rock standards.

Spyres said it can be hard to know what audiences want – but finding what that is can be magical.

Home, sweet home
In May 2023, OLO became the first tenant of The Gillioz Center for Arts & Entertainment, which has operated at 325 Park Central East since 1926.

OLO was previously housed at The Creamery Arts Center, which is owned by the city of Springfield and serves as a headquarters for multiple local arts groups.

OLO is the resident opera company of the historic theater, and Gillioz Executive Director Geoff Steele said he’s thrilled to have it in the house.

“OLO for me feels like it’s the most representative of the way arts are growing in this community,” he said.

Steele said OLO offers both consistency and creativity in its programming, and the organization is also a great example of an organization that is willing to partner with other agencies.

“Working with them has just been incredibly productive for my staff,” he said. “We’re having fun.”

Spyres said the energy goes both ways. Not long ago, OLO was doing two or three events per year, but the residency at the Gillioz has allowed the company to expand its offerings to six in the current season.

The partnership expands the audience for both the Gillioz and OLO, Spyres said.

“The Gillioz brings in the crowd to rock shows and to comedy shows, and we bring in a few different folks that don’t normally come to those things,” he said. “Our audience has changed since we’ve been doing more things here. We’ve seen a lot more interaction with first-time, new patrons, and a lot more younger audience members who are just used to this space.”

Steele said he wants to provide diversity of programming in the theater.

“Part of our mission is to be intentional and intelligent and to be good stewards of what we’ve been given – to cultivate an environment for creativity,” he said. “Our diverse programming is one of the primary things that sets the theater apart.”

Another difference is seen in the physical space – the dimensions of the theater itself. The stage measures 37 feet wide and 21 feet tall, and it has a depth of 28 feet – narrow for staging.

The theater was originally what was called a transition house, Steele said; it ushered in silent films while simultaneously ushering out vaudeville, and eventually it became a straight movie house.

Spyres said the shallow stage creates some challenges for staging opera.

“Because it’s so shallow, we’ve only got three drops that we can fly things in, where The Landers Theatre would probably have triple that. You know, it’s just a vaudeville theater, and that’s kind of the approach we go with.

He noted that technology expands the possibilities for staging.

“With projections now, you’re able to do things you couldn’t do before, and people are used to looking at moving images and animations,” he said. “If people are used to staring at their phone or their TV, we can kind of slip the opera in front of it.”

Something for everyone
Adie Williams has been an OLO board member for about a year, and said she enjoys seeing people discover opera. Interviewed in the week leading up to “The Black Rider,” she said she was anticipating a big, diverse crowd.

Williams’ fiance, Steve Ames, who has a part in “The Black Rider,” called the show wildly different and unique.

“The orchestration is very much in the style of Mr. Waits, with interesting and diverse instruments – theremins and didgeridoo, for example – and the show features some outstanding powerhouse performances,” Ames said.

Williams said the board is interested in producing shows that are accessible to a wide range of audience members.

“We want to show people opera is for you – it’s for everyone,” she said. “Forget anything you thought you knew about opera. This is going to be so much fun.”