Lincoln Theater is on Hiatus

Dear Lincoln Theater Family,

Lincoln Theater has begun a necessary transition that I would like to make you aware of.  As of Wednesday, December 14, 2011, the non-profit organization known as “Friends of Lincoln Theater,” a 501(c)(3) set up primarily to build and operate Lincoln Theater, is filing for dissolution. 

Meanwhile, several organizations and concerned citizens have come together to develop a strategy for the theater to continue to operate to the benefit of the community and for the perpetuation of performing arts entertainment and education. As many of you know, the theater facility itself is owned by the State of California. We are currently speaking with the State directly about how best to achieve the goals originally developed when the community raised the $22 million to build our incredible facility more than 6 years ago.  As we all know, this was a very generous gift given to the State of California, but it will only be meaningful as an ongoing concern if it is open and doing good work.

As the person asked to develop Lincoln Theater’s best strategy for long term viability and community mission, I am committed to seeing this process through. The current goal of the donors and the community members I have spoken with is to create a fiscally sustainable plan for Lincoln Theater to thrive. In spite of severe budget cuts, so far, I feel that the Veteran’s Home and the State share that goal and want to allow the theater to reopen and survive. 

I remain confident that with a fresh start and approach, Lincoln Theater will be able to live up to its potential as the leading performing arts venue in the Napa Valley. We are very encouraged by recent conversations with many of the local non-profit organizations looking to expand their use of Lincoln Theater and benefit from its rebirth. Developing deeper alliances with the Napa Valley Youth Symphony, Festival Del Sole, Justin Siena High School, Napa Regional Dance Company, and others will certainly be a large part of our new goals for the theater. Being the home of the Napa Valley Symphony was a founding principle of Lincoln Theater’s donor base and we hope to continue to perpetuate that effort as well.  Expanding a summer theater workshop program, supporting the Youth Symphony’s summer curriculum, and bringing back the Follies will also be important ways of engaging our community and re-inspiring new theater goers and donors.

On the heals of our “sell out” collaboration with Children’s Health Initiative and Puertas Abiertas while co-presenting “Mariachi Vargas”, I am also looking forward to developing programming that attracts our Latino American audiences and co-presenting partnerships.

Developing and establishing a new paradigm for Lincoln Theater will require all of us. In addition to the development of a new organization and a new operating agreement with the State of California, this will also require a much more collaborative spirit with the other performing arts organization in Napa which we have initiated. 

Yes, we are a small valley with three very unique performing arts venues. It may be difficult to fill all three venues regularly based on our population to capacity ratios, but we are also blessed with venues that are very different from each other. All three offer a diverse set of capabilities and none more important than Lincoln Theater. Lincoln Theater is simply the only venue capable of the large scale performances that many of our patrons enjoy. Lincoln Theater is also the only theater committed to giving 120 free seats to veterans for every performance. Lincoln Theater is also the only venue committed to bringing professional ballet, large scale symphonic music, and professional musical theater to our valley regularly. Lincoln Theater is also the only rental venue of its kind capable of accommodating 1,200 people not only for performances but corporate conferences and other meaningful activities that enrich our community…The list goes on!

My personal goal is to help develop a plan that allows Lincoln Theater to reopen and begin a bright new future this spring. 

There is much to do and even more to be grateful for. Thank you to all who helped to build this facility. Thank you to the donors that have kept the doors open. Thank you to our volunteers for years of tireless service. Thank you to the Lincoln Theater staff, who are now getting some much needed time off. And a special thank you to Don & Lonne Carr and Carlee Leftwich for never giving up on the Theater. 

There have been some challenges in our past but also much to be proud of. I am hopeful that we will be most proud of the way in which Lincoln Theater reinvents itself in 2012. 

Happy Holidays!

Aloha,

Michael Madden