257 replies to this topic

[burt]

Relative to the above dream, I wouldn't want to rob Charleston of its Spoletto Festival, but with facilities as described above, Richmond could establish 2 or 3 equally attractive performing arts festivals.  Maybe one each in spring, summer and fall to present big name and local performers in music, dance and drama.  Norfolk, to its credit, has a wonderful spring festival.

At least there is one reality in all this dreaming.  The Carpenter Center is closed and work is beginning on it and the remaining Thalhimer building adjacent on Grace street.  At last, with a 49-foot depth, Richmond will have a stage large enough to handle the biggest shows such as THE LION KING, PHANTOM OF THE OPERA and others that have by-passed the city because of stage limitations.  (It's perceived by many that the Landmark stage is gigantic, and while that is true in procenium opening, its depth is only about 35 feet.)

[burt]

Another note on the performing arts:  I saw the Richmond Ballet in its New York City debut at the Joyce Theatre last month.  Some extremely sharp-eyed professionals in the dance World spoke very highly of the Company, and I was proud of my home town.  

Also last night, I had the pleasure of seeing a reading of a new play by Richmond playwright, Bo Wilson called IN SERVICE OF THE QUEEN.  It was presented by The Algonquin Group at St. Clements here in New York to unanimous praise.  Bo said the Richmond Ensemble Company will stage it in Richmond next Fall.

Richmond, indeed, has a superb arts community.

[wrldcoupe4]

Burt I'd have to say I like all of your ideas and I'm glad you got to see Richmond represented up in NY. I agree that VAPAF should revise its plan for the thalhimer block. If anything, I think the priority should be fixing up what we already have (landmark, carpenter center, national theatre, Hippodrome...etc etc). Then we can worry about this signature center.

[burt]

Didn't I read somewhere that the City is financially assisting Ron Stallings and Tim Reid in renovating the Hippodrome?  I think the plan is to establish a studio within the building for music  recording and post-production film work tied in with New Millinneum Studios.  

Contrary to most beliefs, the present-day Hippodrome is NOT the structure that housed performances by the big names of the 40s.  The building was practically destroyed by fire in the late 40s and what was rebuilt is the present, sterile, barely raked auditorium with practically no stage facilities.

[wrldcoupe4]

Burt...do you know of a timetable for a rejuvenated Hippodrome? I remember seeing some great renderings a while back.

In other news, the First Freedom Center is beginning to come along:

History Uncovered
Plans call for the construction of a $25 million exhibition center

Matthew Philips
Richmond.com
Friday, May 20, 2005

In 1786, the Virginia General Assembly signed into law Thomas Jefferson's Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. Referred to by some historians and scholars as "the most important document in American history," Jefferson's statute was the framework on which the founding fathers based the First Amendment's religion clause, ensuring the protection of every American's right to religious freedom........

...........But 220 years after the fact, the only thing the reputed birthplace of religious freedom has to offer visitors is surface parking for $4 an hour. An unassuming plaque at the corner of 14th and Cary streets at the convergence of Richmond's Shockoe Slip and Shockoe Bottom informs those who take time to notice, and most passersby do not, the importance of the site. Recently the message has been emblazoned across the side of the building which has stood derelict on the site for longer than anyone cares to remember.

It's hardly a worthy monument, but there is an effort afoot to change that. Since 1984, the Council for America's First Freedom has endeavored to bring attention to the site, and recently has stepped up its push to build a $25 million First Freedom Center at the site. Spearheading the effort is Stephen Elliott, who in 2001 left Colonial Williamsburg to become the Council's executive director.

"It was the most exciting project I was aware of in the museum field," said Elliott, who after 28 years at Colonial Williamsburg says he was ready for a change.

Elliott says the idea of building an exhibition center on the Virginia Statute site has been received favorably by the Richmond community.

"People who have been aware of the site and its historical significance have been delighted to see the plan emerge," said Elliott. "As the idea has reached the ears of those not so aware of it before, it has also gotten wonderful support."

The Council has acquired the entirety of the original 18th Century site that was occupied by the Capitol, as well as some adjacent property. In the Spring of 2006, the Council will move into new office space on the first floor of a renovated building on the corner of 14th and Main streets.............

...............As for the exhibition center itself, Elliott envisions a facility which takes advantage of emerging multimedia technologies.

"This won't be an artifact-based exhibition hall, but an interactive one. There will be a lot of exhibit components where you select what you want to look at or you call up the action. There will be tons of video and multimedia elements.

"In terms of content, this is an education center that will tell the history part of the story, but will also connect these ideas to people's lives today. It will enable them to dig down into issues they're wresting with in their own lives to get at the root of the matter."

article

[burt]

No, Coup; haven't heard anything in months about the Hippodrome.  Was hoping that maybe someone in here might know something.

I think the rendering I saw of the Religious Freedom museum is ugly.

[wrldcoupe4]

burt, on May 20 2005, 02:10 PM, said:

No, Coup; haven't heard anything in months about the Hippodrome.  Was hoping that maybe someone in here might know something.

I think the rendering I saw of the Religious Freedom museum is ugly.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yea...I don't know if the current design for the FFC will blend in well to the fabric of Shockoe Slip. It seems very bulky and modern. Maybe their design will be refined??? I vaguely remember hearing something about the Hippodrome. Maybe something about the people renovating it??? I'll have to look around though. I think it would be an awesome place to showcase local and renowned african american talents in the performing arts being that Jackson Ward was historically referred to as the Harlem of the South.

[burt]

As I said, the present-day Hipp is not an awsome place by anybody's stretch of imagination.  Maybe, if what I saw about rejuvenating the building is true, there will be some hope of restoring it to a level of entertainment use.

[burt]

On another subject, if I knew how, I'd post today's column by Mark Holmberg in the RTD.

[eandslee]

burt, on May 22 2005, 08:00 AM, said:

On another subject, if I knew how, I'd post today's column by Mark Holmberg in the RTD.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hey Burt, this is how you post a link to an article on this site:

First, copy the address of the web page of the article (you can just highlight the address in the address field and pres, Ctrl + C and that copies the address).

Then, come to this site and open a reply page (just as you do to reply to someone else's post and type the following (you can use this as a template when you want to put in a link to an article):

Article

When you submit the reply it will look like this:

Article

I hope this helps  

Edited by eandslee, 22 May 2005 - 09:53 AM.

[burt]

I really appreciate your help, Eric, but I'm a very old dog who doesn't learn new tricks easily.  Also, to show how perverse I am, I can access only the RTD pages that do not require LOGIN.  I think their requirements, just recently implemented, are an invasion of privacy and so far I have refused to give in (probably will one of these days!)  When I hit the highlighted ARTICLE that you posted above, up came the Login page.  But I was able to read Mark's column because it was highlighted under a story about Wilder on the TD's free site today.

PS.  I like your avatar promoting RIC.

[eandslee]

burt, on May 22 2005, 09:21 AM, said:

I really appreciate your help, Eric, but I'm a very old dog who doesn't learn new tricks easily.  Also, to show how perverse I am, I can access only the RTD pages that do not require LOGIN.  I think their requirements, just recently implemented, are an invasion of privacy and so far I have refused to give in (probably will one of these days!)  When I hit the highlighted ARTICLE that you posted above, up came the Login page.  But I was able to read Mark's column because it was highlighted under a story about Wilder on the TD's free site today.

PS.  I like your avatar promoting RIC.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks Burt!  For some reason, I'm all into the aviation industry and thought it would fit my personality well, while at the same time promote people to fly in and out of Richmond International.  Anyway, about the RTD thing (signing in)...I noticed that the RTD was doing that about a month or so ago, so I signed in and I haven't had any problems with them at all.  I haven't been solicited, nor have I gotten any extra solicitations from other agencies.  I just figure that they wanted to gather statistics on people to determine where people who are reading the paper online live, their age, etc.  I've just learned to ignore that kind of stuff unless I know for sure that they will abuse the information I give them.  Besides, I didn't give them any vital information; just my name, maybe my age, and where I lived.  No big deal to me.  I think it's worth it to read the ENTIRE paper online.  When you live in Montana, you do what you have to do!  

[burt]

They're getting serious in their discussions about moving the White House of The Confederacy and the adjacent museum.  It is being gobbled up by the VCU Medical Center (MCV), including on-going construction of  a new 16 story tower going up next door.

Sites being scouted include an unidentified one near the Science Museum of Virginia (nee the old Broad Street Station).

Seems to me a logical location would be the Tredegar Iron Works on the Canal.

[wrldcoupe4]

I really hope they dont' move it. Not only will is lose its national historic landmark status, but the building will no longer be on the ground where President Davis surely took strolls. VCU should be working to preserve this, and even better exploit it as an academic tool for the university.

[wrldcoupe4]

rendering for the new expansion of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts via their website

[burt]

Thanks for posting these, coupe.  I can't say it looks beautiful in my eye, but I'm sure the finished product will be appealing.  A noted London architect, but not so noted that I remember his name, designed it.

I also read somewhere that a considerable amount of money is being provided by VDOT (or the State) for street improvements in the area.  Does anybody know what the improvements will entail?

Edited by burt, 15 August 2005 - 01:05 PM.

[burt]

Rick Mather.  That's the name of the London based architect.

[wrldcoupe4]

I heard about it also in one of Ray Macallister's columns.... Maybe for creating a new entrance for the new parking deck?

[urbanvb]

That's a great looking expansion. Richmond is on its way to becoming a very classy city.

[wrldcoupe4]

It already is! It's just that its own residents and outsiders don't realize it yet !!