Stephen Rountree's Passion for the Arts

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Stephen Rountree's Passion for the Arts
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“The Music Center is a tremendous cultural and educational asset for all Angeleños, young and old,” said Gary L. Toebben, president and chief executive of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce.

“The programs held at the Music Center enhance and inspire creativity, which is one of LA’s most significant assets,” Toebben said. “The Center’s expanding series of programs also brings people Downtown to experience the new vibrancy in residential housing, restaurants and retail. We are fortunate to have this world-class venue in LA.”

People with money also recognize Music Center’s significance. For several years now, additional grants coming from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Parsons Foundation, and other companies and individuals have been substantially donated to the Music Center.

As funds have increased, improvements have been done to make the 40-year old complex more modern and attractive, beginning with the major renovation of Mark Taper Forum, the 745-seat theater that holds newer works and is programmed by Center Theatre Group.

The $30 million project includes a major expansion of the back of house area that has been a crowded jumble of dressing rooms with costume and property storage.

The Taper backstage “has been too small, although the artists like performing there because the audience is so accessible,” Rountree said. Dressing rooms will be added on a second level to be reached by new elevators. New restrooms and a lounge will be constructed for the theater in the parking garage below. The theater is a designated historic site, so the exterior will be unchanged, Rountree said. The Taper will reopen in September.

A second phase major improvement being planned is the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

“The building is 44 years old and needs upgrading. There have been many innovations in technical equipment, lights and sound, since it opened,” Rountree said.

Planning for what is expected to be a substantial project will take five to seven years, Rountree said, estimating that the building will be closed for the 2012-13 season.

He said the renovation will cost more than $100 million, which has yet to be raised. The pavilion will retain its historic 1960s look, but the interior will be ‘freshened up,’ and the acoustics and backstage facilities will be updated.”

“Dorothy Chandler’s vision was to create a cultural center that would always remain relevant to the city,” Rountree said. “The Center is a living, breathing artistic entity that has remained a mirror of Los Angeles’ cultural diversity over its 40-year history, and we continue keeping pace with the city, making great strides in providing culturally-rich programs that speak the universal language of creativity.” (www.asianjournal.com)

(Published July 23, 2008 p.mdwk2 LAMDWK)

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