Chair Chat

A NEWSLETTER FOR FRIENDS OF THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

spring 2006

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www.pacfriends.org

His first home was at the end of Runway 24-Right at LAX, where his father John Zink flew for Trans World Airlines. “I always knew I’d be a pilot,” says Andy. “I never con-sidered anything else.”

PROSCENIUM PROFILE:

Captain Andy & ‘copilot Carolyn’

Today a captain with SkyWest, Andy Zink was 17 when he solo’ed at an Orange County flight school, Sunrise Aviation. He had his pilot’s licence at 18, then went on to U.C. Santa Barbara, graduating in business and economics in 1987. Traveling in Europe he bumped into a UCSB friend, Carolyn Eicher (pic-ture, next page). Then came three years teaching at Sunrise Aviation before Andy was hired as a SkyWest pilot. That was 13 years ago.

PACfacts

SMILE! What a great time this is to be associated with the Friends of the PAC!

Soon we’ll help celebrate 10 years that the Performing Arts Center has served our com-munity. Along with the PAC’s Managing Director Ron Regier, Operations Manager Nancy Cochran and most of the House Managers, many of our volunteers signed on before the original Hard Hat Ball in June, 1996. But – a crucially important

Oooompah!

Basin Street loosens

up Grand Avenue ––

see page 2

Meanwhile, that great friend from UCSB became his wife. Carolyn and Andy have a son, 11, and daughter, 5. Now nearing their 1st anniversary as ushers, Andy and Carolyn are delighted with a flying schedule that allows for fre-quent assignments at the PAC.

Typically Andy checks in with his SkyWest crew at the SLO airport at 6 and is airborne before 7. Daily destina-tions include San Francisco, Los Ange-les, Reno, Portland, Medford, Yuma, Fresno, Redding, San Diego and Palm Springs.

“The best thing is,” Andy says, “I’m home every night. I love being with my family.” Many of his pilot friends have moved on to major airlines (“for the big glory”) but long flights keep them away from their families for days.

“At first I wanted to fly 747’s like my Dad, not turboprops,” Andy said. His SkyWest turboprop flights out of SLO feed into the United Express system and confer United passenger miles.

“But when I was first assigned to San Luis as my domicile (base), I fell in love –– this is the place I want to be.”

Carolyn was born in Nigeria, West

Africa when her parents were profes-sors at Michigan State University in East Lansing. She grew up in Michigan and in St. Paul, Minnesota before attending UCSB. She earned a Master’s in teach-ing at San Francisco State then ran an office for a U.C. Berkeley management training program. She loves to write, and has taken writing classes with children’s books as a goal. In addition to her PAC ushering, Carolyn volunteers with SLO Grown Kids, a nonprofit dedicated to improving school lunches by using locally-grown produce.

. . . continued on page 3

––by Donna Shaw

PACfacts 2

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‘Chair Chat,’ continued

Cindy Mills (9 years): “It was amazing that these great performers were able to give such a wonder-ful concert to benefit the musicians after Katrina. Volunteering as an usher was an enjoyable way to help New Orleans.”

Opinions & Observations . . .QUESTION: What impressed you most about Heart ‘n’ Soul and why?

Don Aronson (12 years): “Housing the bassoonist, John Fairley, made his jazz solo all the more enjoyable. Each time I usher I see people leaving renewed in spirit and this concert was no exception.”

Norma Wightman (12 years): “The concert was so eclectic. Adagio for Strings is a favorite of mine, but to get a New Orleans Dixieland band and a jazz singer as well all in one night was mind boggling.”

Bob Wunderlich (one year): “What impressed me the most was the dif-ferent types of music and how well they blended together in the same program.”

Moira Wunderlich (one year): “The two most memorable features were the ‘Fantasy on the Saints’ and vocalist Banu Gibson. The audience was swept into the lobby smil-ing and applauding at the finale.”Photos by BeJae Blake

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point – we have all been energized by a great new usher crop in ‘05!

Seasoned veteran or newcomer, each of us can be proud to be a part of this great enhancement to the cultural life of the Cen-tral Coast. By maintaining our friendly, professional manner, we are the finishing touches to a magnificent accomplishment.

Now as we see the acoustic improvements being made, watch the installation and tuning of the magnificent new pipe organ, and witness the continuing use of the facilities for national celebrities, local per-formers, youth enrichment programs, and community projects (the Grizzly Academy, for example) we are reminded that we rep-resent all of those who have worked so hard to make these dreams a reality. We ensure the safety and comfort of patrons. We are caretakers of the dream that has been real-ized in our community. As a bonus, we are lucky enough to attend some great perfor-mances.

Be proud, remember we are here to ensure the patrons appreciate and enjoy this great place, make sure you do the same – and don’t forget to SMILE!

Having lost just about everything in Katrina –– harp, tympani, sheet music, and a hall to perform in –– the LPO was invited to perform fundraising concerts in New York’s Avery Fisher Hall, then here in Harman Hall on February 18 to a sold-out house. Patrons were treated to Hector Berlioz’s Roman Carnival Overture, Mozart’s Symphony No. 32, Leonard Bernstein’s Candide Overture, jazz singer Banu Gibson. and more. At intermission and at the end, we all “rambled” to rousing Dixie marching band classics by the Storyville Stompers Brass Band. In that one evening the orchestra brought in an amount described as “significant” by a PAC insider. These websites tell the story of the orchestra’s rebirth: http://www.lpomusic.com (and) http://www.violinist.com/blog/archive.cfm?article=3706

As the gong sounded on the main floor lobby a tall man entered the gallery. When led to his seat behind the Plexiglas barrier he made it clear in a loud voice that he was displeased. Because I was serving as a floor captain that evening, the usher asked me to talk with him. I suggested that he speak with the house manager to see if anything else was available even though it was a sold-out house.

“The show starts in five min-utes,” he roared. “I came to hear the music – all of the music.” He continued to stand beside B1 and engaged the patron in B2 in loud conversation. When we closed the gallery doors, I asked them both to be seated and they complied. Then I stepped into the light lock to speak with the house manager.

“He’ll be down as soon as the intermission starts,” I told Marilyn. “You can’t miss him. He’s wearing one of those old barnstormer hats with the flaps turned up.” Mari-lyn said she would be ready and I hoped Pete would be as well.

I entered the house after the first number and took my seat on the stairs where the Barnstormer could see me. I glanced over my shoul-der to see that he had stretched

Photo by BeJae Blake

A ROUSING EVENING WITH HEART & SOUL TO BENEFIT THE LOUISIANA PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

Ohdidn’t

theyramble !

by BeJae Blake

himself as tall as possible to rest his hands and nose on the top of the barrier. Apparently he could enjoy the concert as long as the barrier wasn’t in front of his eyes and ears.

When the lights went up for intermission, the Barnstormer was the first one out the door. He hesitated at the top of the stairs watching the gallery patrons at the reception in the gallery lobby and decided to join them. Then I lost track of him. Toward the end of intermission I called Marilyn to ask how things went with the Barn-stormer.

“He never showed up,” she said and we were both relieved. “How-ever,” she added, “I talked to the ticket office and learned he was told his seat could be behind the barrier. His answer was I’ll take my chances.”

After intermission he was back in his seat with his flaps up and his nose back on the barrier where he remained motionless throughout the second half of the symphony. I’m glad he was able to come to terms with the barrier and not disturb his neighbors. But, as a

patron he deserved the same courtesy

from the floor captain and usher as every patron, no

matter where he was sitting.

If you, too, have a PAC story to tell you can reach me at: bejaeblake@hotmail.com

––Bob Young

Carolyn hopes to collaborate on a book with her mother Joanne, a noted author whose book “Mother Daughter Sister Bride” was published in 2005 by National Geographic.

A member of her book group, PAC Friend Louise Kraemer, encouraged Car-olyn to sign up for ushering. After a four year wait, she and Andy were trained last June. “We both love it,” said Andy. “We end up seeing shows we might not have bought tickets for.” Carolyn likes to work children’s shows and dance performances, especially Variable Velocity.

“There was a chamber orchestra in the Pavilion with a professor who talked about the music,” recalls Andy. “Never in a million years would I have gone. It was fabulous.”

PROFILE, continued from Page 1

Snapshot from 1987: ridingthe London Underground

eDonna currently chairs

our Steering Committee

The Barnstormer

PACfacts 4

“I just took a typical stationery pad and began writing down each show Erland and I did, so after all these years the list has been carried on to other sheets of paper... “

Well, time flies when you’re having fun, and Jean Dettloff ’s list grew . . . and grew.

As we went to press she had logged a grand total of . . . but let Jean tell it: “we are up to 345 per-formances, since the second night (we were patrons on opening night).”

Erland also figures in most if not all of the entries. Here’s how her list looks:Feb. 23 The Crucible - E & J usherFeb. 25 Cal Poly Wind Orchestra -E & J usher

“We have this list up to date from Day One,” says Jean, “and it’s all just in my quick jotting down, after coming back home from an usher job.What interests me more than all these pages, is simply what nearly ten years of ushering really represents. Then I get carried away, and double that list (as there are two of us), then figure how what it would mean $$$, per “average ticket price” - if we had bought tickets for all those shows.”

Hmmm, let’s see . . . At an average ticket price of $25, times 345, each would have spent $8,625. Tab for both: $17,250. Wow!

MAKING NEW FRIENDS: Ushering at the PAC, two pioneering women discover remarkable career parallels

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Jean’s l-o-n-g list . . .

Teamwork, teamwork, teamwork: All Hands deserved Marilyn Pedroni’s complimentsA Symphony concert earlier this spring presented challenges of various kinds –– but patrons weren’t aware of the terrific behind-the-scenes teamwork described in this next-day letter from House Manager Marilyn to Nancy Cochran:

Thought I would drop you a quick email while last night’s symphony is still fresh on my mind. I believe it was the best symphony ever as far as the PAC performance was concerned, and the credit goes entirely to the outstanding PAC staff that was on duty last night.

In the first place, the front of house techs, Justin and Lindsay, had an exceptionally difficult job to do. They had three ADA seats to put in the Orchestra in addition to the S row seats, plus the removal of all the ADA seats in the dress circle. Plus they had to distribute all the programs (which were tricky last night) and they had to do all of this in 45 minutes so the house could open for the pre-concert lecture in the hall.

By 6:45 pm they had the doors all properly locked or unlocked as needed, the stage box neat and unlocked and ready to go, and the padded chairs in place. They were sweaty but still smiling!

Blair and the tech staff were terrific as well. We had great communication from beginning to end. When there was a last minute ADA switch as the show was ready to start, Jonathon in the Ticket Office and Blair backstage worked with the front of house so well that the seats were installed and the show started without patrons even know-ing there was a hiccup!

And how about our wonderful floor captains and ushers! BeJae in the gallery handled the barnstormer problem with such expertise. She, Kyle, Charlene, Jan, and Bar-bara were on top of the programs, working together with our outstanding usher crew to make sure not a single patron had to wait for a program. (This is always a challenge with the Symphony because of the pre-concert lecture.)

You have done an outstanding job creating and training an usher corp that any per-forming arts center would envy. I just want you to know Pete and I are honored to be part of such a great team.

The second time they met for lunch Rachel Lathrop (left, above) and Verna Gladstone discov-ered they both grew up in Nebraska. Whoa!

Introduced by a floor captain who learned their stories, they’ve compared their work paths for the U.S. State Department: for Rachel, embas-sies and consultates in Japan, Austria, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia. For Verna, similar postings in Paki-stan, West Berlin, Nepal and Vienna.

Right after high school Rachel applied for a secretarial job with the Surgeon General in Wash-ington, D.C. then soon switched to the Foreign Service. Verna was 50 when “a sense of adven-ture” drew her to the same work.

Adventures abounded: a month-long safari in Africa (Rachel), working with journalists from NATO and Warsaw Pact countries and attending Mutual Balanced Force Reduction conferences in Vienna (Verna), conversing with African heads of state (Rachel), and absorbing the culture of each country (both).

Best of all was the camaraderie, they agree. “We both keep in touch with people we served with in the Foreign Service,” Rachel said. She lives in Avila Beach, and her fellow PAC usher and new friend Verna lives in San Luis. “I think it’s really neat that we can get together,” Verna said. Rachel responded, “We have a lot in common!”

Fading album photos: y Rachel in Salzburgy Verna with President George H.W. Bushy Verna (left) with her boss and a friend by theVienna Opera House