Why does SPAC even exist?

First hats off to local icon Louise Goldstein who is quoted in a TU story today calling the move by SPAC to cut the ballet to one a “disgusting outrage" that trampled on the memory of Balanchine. HERE.
This person wrote on my blog
Anonymous said...
John, I hope you come to the meeting armed with some well thought out ideas to come up with a strategy to save the New York City Ballet’s summer residency. On the other hand you can go and film the meeting, edit the film and put up bits that will make people who were at the meeting think you might have been somewhere else. Quit complaining about White for a minute and contribute something positive to the situation. See you Monday night.

Well yes I do have an idea thank you for asking.

SPAC in its formal request for tax exempt status as a nonprofit lists its mission statement as
Mission Statement
Saratoga Performing Arts Center's mission is to cultivate, promote, foster, sponsor and develop among its members and the community at large, appreciation, understanding, and love of the performing arts.

I say it’s failed in that mission and now operates as a self-serving employment agency for a few over the hill political hacks. I think it’s time you dissolve SPAC and embrace the Jones beach model of a parks and live nation direct collaboration. The new center would be renamed the Balanchine Performing Arts Center or BPAC and it’s overhead would drop by millions. The new contract between parks and Live nation would guarantee in stone the jazz festival the NYCB and the Philadelphia orchestra. Since Parks has experience with the Jones Beach joint collaboration the transition would be seamless.

Really when you look at the three day Phish concert starting today who is the winner and who the loser.

Well Phish wins of course they are already mega rich and more power too them.

Live Nation a for profit company will make even more cash and that is the American way so I don’t hold that against them.

Downtown hotels, bars and restaurants will make boatloads of cash and they need that influx of cash to carry them through our cold winters so more power to them.

SPAC President Marcia White and the corrupt SPAC board who get to give away free Phish tickets to family and their cronies and that sucks.

So who loses you ask?

Well the city who pays for police overtime.

Parks that pays for outside security and the massive clean-up.

Saratoga Hospital that has to clean up the victims of the alcohol and drug fueled carnage.

But most of all the very institution of SPAC loses. See because of the long term contract the SPAC board and 300k SPAC President Marcia White signed with live nation they get nothing not a dime. All profits from the show, the concessions and parking go to live nation and if that’s not a crime it should be.

All around us the Arts are flourishing. The Albany symphony that plays in the Troy Music Hall, the Palace and the beautiful Zankel at Skidmore College. They routinely bring in soloists such as Joshua Bell.

The Glens Falls symphony that will feature Sarah Chang as a guest soloist this fall. The very women Marcia White, SPAC president introduced to a packed house as a “a great vocalist”. FYO she is a violinist.

Proctors in Schenectady continues to grow to a year round venue that does all its programming in house by a director that makes half what Marcia White does.

And Finally the great Tanglewood that is celebrating its 75th Anniversary Season. SPAC hates comparisons to Tanglewood because of their success.

In the end the blame for SPAC’s failures lie not at the feet of the public but the failure lies on White’s doorstep. I wouldn’t give one dime to SPAC with her in charge. The money just goes to pay her bloated salary and pay the mortgage on her Mcmansion.

John Tighe