Tulsa Ballet to be "branch" of Oklahoma Ballet

[cynical]

quote:Originally posted by cannon_fodder

Tulsa Community College Signature Symphony performs at the Civic Center Music Hall from time to time.  OKC also has the Oklahoma City Philharmonic.   I was not entirely correct.

When has the Signature Symphony performed in OKC?  The only Tulsa arts organizations that I can recall on that stage is Tulsa Opera a few years ago and Tulsa Ballet last year and the year before.  Tulsa Opera stopped performing there because of a lack of local fundraising.

There has long been an understanding between the orchestras in Tulsa and OKC to not compete in each others' markets.  When the Oklahoma Symphony shut down in the late 1980s, the Tulsa Philharmonic did not try to move in.  When the Tulsa Philharmonic went under in 2002, the Oklahoma City Philharmonic kept a respectful distance, in contrast to the efforts of the Jacksonville, FL, and Charleston, SC. symphonies to establish concert series in Savannah, GA, after the Savannah Symphony folded.  Those efforts, BTW, were unsuccessful.

While the Signature Symphony wasn't necessarily part of the "understandings," I doubt they'd perceive any advantage to performing there.  The community leadership in OKC is VERY careful about competition with their orchestra.

As this episode shows, with the exception of Celebrity Attractions here, performing arts organizations depend entirely on local support.  This means local identity.  There's no question that OKC would have had better dance performances if TBT had been staging their performances, but they'd rather have their own, even at some sacrifice of quality.

[okcpulse]

Many people in OKC supported Ballet Oklahoma by attending their performances.  Sponsorship was an issue, although the Arts Council in Oklahoma City has always been an avid supporter.

Ballet Oklahoma voted against a merger, however.  So do us a favor and trash something else, Tulsa.

[Townsend]

quote:Originally posted by okcpulse
Ballet Oklahoma voted against a merger, however.  So do us a favor and trash something else, Tulsa.

OK, your skyline's nasty.

[TheArtist]

Still not sure what happened here. The TW article states...

""The plan would create a single company that would be jointly based in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. The Tulsa branch...""

I just want to know who to hang for this horrible idea, or the mischaracterization of what was actually the real idea if that was the case.  


In the letter sent to jeffries, Marcello states that it was to be some sort of "Collaboration" helping the other guy,,, yet the TW said that the Tulsa Ballet was to be a Branch of a single company, suggesting another entity was to be formed. A branch is not merely helping, its a piece of something larger.

For some reason, reading between the lines it seems to me that Marcello did indeed have thoughts of the Tulsa Ballet and the Oklahoma Ballet becoming one organization. The extent of that "collaboration" I do not know. But the mention in one article that said something to the effect that the combined company could be one of the top 5 ballet companies in the US... suggests to me that perhaps Marcello saw an opportunity to become a "bigger dog" in the ballet world by being in charge of a larger company. Part of it also could have been about "bad dance" as he describes it and helping out the Oklahoma Ballet... but he either didnt think through the specifics (namely that those loving and generous Tulsans would quickly turn vicious and have his head if he dared change the Tulsa Ballet into something else.) or we are not getting the full story, or the TW mischaracterized what the actual proposal was.

A single company with a Tulsa Branch is not merely a collaboration. Though the TW article does start out mentioning a "collaboration" the "single company with a Tulsa branch" suggests the extent of that collaboration wasnt merely the Tulsa Ballet helping out the Oklahoma ballet, but exactly as it says, The Tulsa Ballet becoming a branch of a single larger organization.

[cannon_fodder]

quote:Originally posted by Townsend

quote:Originally posted by okcpulse
Ballet Oklahoma voted against a merger, however.  So do us a favor and trash something else, Tulsa.

OK, your skyline's nasty.

Come on now, play nice.  Their downtown has developed nicely in recent years.  Give credit where credits due (two way street, I hope).

[Townsend]

quote:Originally posted by cannon_fodder

quote:Originally posted by Townsend

quote:Originally posted by okcpulse
Ballet Oklahoma voted against a merger, however.  So do us a favor and trash something else, Tulsa.

OK, your skyline's nasty.

Come on now, play nice.  Their downtown has developed nicely in recent years.  Give credit where credits due (two way street, I hope).

OK (shuffles feet)

[Townsend]

I had no idea this was still going on.  At least Tulsa ballet money won't be redirected down the turnpike.

http://www.ktul.com/news/stories/0708/537614.html

The board of directors of Ballet Oklahoma has rejected a possible merger with the Tulsa Ballet. The board met yesterday and instead voted overwhelmingly in favor of a proposal to reinvent the Oklahoma City-based organization.

[Oil Capital]

quote:Originally posted by Townsend

I had no idea this was still going on.  At least Tulsa ballet money won't be redirected down the turnpike.

http://www.ktul.com/news/stories/0708/537614.html

The board of directors of Ballet Oklahoma has rejected a possible merger with the Tulsa Ballet. The board met yesterday and instead voted overwhelmingly in favor of a proposal to reinvent the Oklahoma City-based organization.

Ummm, yeah, I guess it's still going on, but only if by "yesterday" you mean July 21, 2008.  ;-)

[TulsaFan-inTexas]

quote:Originally posted by Oil Capital

quote:Originally posted by Townsend

I had no idea this was still going on.  At least Tulsa ballet money won't be redirected down the turnpike.

http://www.ktul.com/news/stories/0708/537614.html

The board of directors of Ballet Oklahoma has rejected a possible merger with the Tulsa Ballet. The board met yesterday and instead voted overwhelmingly in favor of a proposal to reinvent the Oklahoma City-based organization.

Ummm, yeah, I guess it's still going on, but only if by "yesterday" you mean July 21, 2008.  ;-)

My thoughts exactly.. [?]

[Townsend]

quote:Originally posted by TulsaFan-inTexas

quote:Originally posted by Oil Capital

quote:Originally posted by Townsend

I had no idea this was still going on.  At least Tulsa ballet money won't be redirected down the turnpike.

http://www.ktul.com/news/stories/0708/537614.html

The board of directors of Ballet Oklahoma has rejected a possible merger with the Tulsa Ballet. The board met yesterday and instead voted overwhelmingly in favor of a proposal to reinvent the Oklahoma City-based organization.

Ummm, yeah, I guess it's still going on, but only if by "yesterday" you mean July 21, 2008.  ;-)

My thoughts exactly.. [?]

Awww crap, I'm a turd.  I've learned something new today apparently...