Originally sold as a way to involve community groups and organizations (as well as preserving the old building from being turned into another bar), the Englert's rental fees seem to have virtually eliminated the possibility of smaller organizations from utilizing it.
Here's something juicy from the Englert's web site on August 18, 2000, via archive.org:
What groups do you anticipate will use the Englert?What I'm curious about is the list of the 50 organizations and events in the Iowa City that were asked a few years ago. What groups and events does this entail? That's what I'm searching for these days.
Over fifty local organizations and events have been identified that could conceivably use this kind of facility. This includes community theater groups, choirs, solo performers or combos, bands and orchestras, dance troupes – any performing art. Working with promoters, we expect to attract nationally known performers of diverse local interest. Other uses could include weddings, lectures, radio broadcasts, auctions and fundraisers.
How many performances are there likely to be?
We are anticipating around 130 events annually, not including rehearsals and non-public rentals.
How expensive will tickets be?
It depends on the activity. We expect prices everywhere from free (lectures and music festivals, for example) up to occasional near-Hancher-level pricing for national artists sponsored by commercial promoters.
Who will be able to rent the facility, and at what cost?
Almost anyone will be able to rent the Englert, if they are willing to sign a standard contract and can find an open date. A multi-level fee schedule will be established, with commercial rental and concert revenues subsidizing lower fees for nonprofit community organizations. The Englert should be available at a lower cost than any other comparable venue.
The issue is probably worthy of a followup article by a Press-Citizen or a Daily Idiot reporter if the 50 groups/events can be contacted again and asked if they can afford the Englert's rates.
I don't mind national acts and events coming to the Englert. You've got to pay the bills and bring awareness to the building somehow. However if the Englert was sold to the public and Iowa taxpayers (via the Vision Iowa grant it received) as a community theatre and it's not really acting in that capacity and the local groups can't afford to put on event there, then that needs to be addressed.
Disclosure: I have contributed several times over the years to fundraising and activites for the Englert.
UPDATE: Check out David Hogberg's post on Englert matters from 2002. Sure is fun to look back at how things transpired. I'm tellin' ya, that Vision Iowa money made people do crazy things. Can't wait until they get the
UPDATE II: Holy freakin cost overruns and delays, Batman! From August 2000:
When will it open?
Here’s as good a guess as any: Summer, 2001.
How much money must be raised? By when?
We’re looking at approximately $2 million, the bulk of which must be in-hand or pledged by November 8th, 2000.
Do I have that correct? Original estimates were $2 million, but by the time it opened in December 2004, 3 1/2 years later than originally thought, the total was $5.2 million. That's 160% more than originally planned!
Think about that when liars like David Oman, Ted Townsend, and Robert Ray talk about the phony projected cost of $180 million for the PorkForest.
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