The Reilly factor
In its first 15 months, the Reilly Arts Center is exceeding expectations
You’ll forgive the Reilly Arts Center staff for being a bit giddy about the venue’s upcoming schedule. In the first week of March alone, the roster includes Wynnona, Marc Cohn and comedian Jim Breuer.
That makes two Grammy winners and a "Saturday Night Live" alum making his second trip to a 15-month-old venue.
In January, guitarists Leo Kottke and Keller Williams drew an eclectic mix that created new fans for both the musicians and the venue. This month, there will be orchestra shows, rock concerts and a symphony-serenaded Oscar party.
On Saturday night, the Reilly will host a rockabilly-themed fundraiser anchored by a Buddy Holly tribute act. VIP seating sold out long ago, and remaining tickets are selling well, according to the staff.
Such is the pace these days at the old city auditorium, which opened as the Reilly Arts Center in October 2015 after much discussion, some raised eyebrows and a breathtaking fundraising campaign. The Reilly is busier than its planners — and certainly the city — expected.
"We are absolutely thrilled," Ocala City Manager John Zobler said about the Reilly.
The Ocala City Council in 2015 granted the project $300,000, and the city follows its progress closely. Zobler said the Reilly has raised Ocala's performing arts scene to a new level, which is a big draw to Fortune 500 companies and other businesses looking for expansion opportunities.
As of this writing, there have been 141 events at the Reilly, according to Pamela Calero, executive director of the Reilly and the Ocala Symphony Orchestra. Those events ranged from concerts to corporate rentals. More than 49,000 people have have attended Reilly shows (including events on its outdoor stage).
Not every show has been a sellout. In fact, there have been very few sellouts, and the core staffers — orchestra leaders who knew little about venue management when the doors opened — are still getting a feel for what works in this market and how to navigate the business of filling seats.
But these are good numbers, Calero contends.
After all, when they presented the notion of converting the old auditorium to the Ocala City Council, they estimated there would be 52 events at the new Reilly in the first year. Council members estimated closer to 30, recalled Matthew Wardell, the OSO conductor who led the charge to open the Reilly (Wardell has since become an Ocala City Council member).
Between opening day in October 2015 and July 2016, there were 96 events at the Reilly, according to Calero. Many of those are local building rentals, from corporate events to church services. From October 2015 to October 2016, there were 132 events.
There are now four full-time employees and three part-time, up from three full-time and one part time when the venue opened.
Most shows make money or break even, Wardell and Calero said. And, they add, while the Reilly — a nonprofit — is not rolling in mounds of excess cash, it is in the black. The Reilly cleared about $7,000 in its first fiscal year, they said.
That is significant, as many venues struggle in their first years. Plus, Marion County has more performing arts venues than it did 10 years ago. There are more options for residents to spend their entertainment dollars.
The performing arts market includes the 67-year-old Ocala Civic Theatre, the Orange Blossom Opry in Weirsdale, the 10-year-old Circle Square Cultural Center in On Top of the World and, certainly, the Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center in The Villages, which draws heavily from Marion County.
Has the Reilly affected the other venues?
“We have seen an impact, but it has not been critical,” said Mary Britt, executive director of the Ocala Civic Theatre. “It definitely means we have to stay on top of things.”
OCT has spent a little more on advertising, she said. They also have stepped up their game on social media and group sales, but that has more to do with chasing the non-matinee crowds in general.
Crowds have more to do with the shows than the market, she said.
“We turned away hundreds for ‘Menopause,’” Britt said of the musical they recently hosted with professional actors.
She subscribes to a simple theory: A rising tide floats many boats. “The more (venues) out there, the more people go out,” Britt said.
Across town, the 830-seat Circle Square Cultural Center is having an amazing year. It caters to a largely retired market.
Already this year, CSCC has had three sellouts, said Jo Salyers, general manager for Circle Square Commons and who oversees the Cultural Center. She said the center has been experiencing its best years ever, with nine sellouts in 2015 and six sellouts in 2016.
“We all do different things, different niches,” she said of the local performing arts centers. “As long as we have good entertainment, people are going to take advantage of it.”
Wardell agrees.
The way he sees it, there are 350,000 residents in Marion County. The Reilly has pulled in nearly 50,000 so far. So there is plenty to go around.
In its 15 months, the Reilly has hosted symphony concerts (the Reilly has expanded OSO’s capabilities and audience), Travis Tritt, The Little River Band, Broadway stars, a blues festival, Classic Album Live concerts, “Assisted Living: The Musical,” “The Vagina Monologues,” Good Fellas Comedy shows, “A Twist of Lemmon” (starring Jack Lemmon’s son, Chris), Dance Alive National Ballet, "Artists Lounge Live: Bobby Darin," Phantasmagoria and interactive, offbeat movie shadowcasts from Ocala’s Insomniac Theatre Company.
The pace has prompted Calero and Wardell to laugh and ask, “Where has our life gone?”
But that pace has come with many lessons.
“There has been a lot of trial and error,” Calero said.
When asked about lessons learned, Wardell said, “Not every show needs to be a sellout.”
He cited the “One-Man Star Wars Trilogy” and other shows that drew 100-plus but left many seats unfilled. But they were niche shows that, for those performers, anyway, provided some of their biggest audiences.
Those shows pulled in new people, as well. Getting people into the theater for the first time is a big deal. If they have a good time, they will be back, perhaps with friends.
January’s Leo Kottke and Keller Williams show is a great example.
They were not huge mainstream names. They have loads of fans, but their followers come from different age groups and demographics. Even Williams himself joked about scaring away Kottke’s fans.
Not a lot of tickets sold in advance, which made the Reilly staff nervous.
But that night, 500 people attended. Most stayed for both sets. More importantly to the Reilly folks was who came: a diverse crowd, some with tattoos and dreadlocks and others with cocktail dresses and sport coats. Many were newcomers.
Was it a sellout? No. But, with concession sales, it still made some money, Wardell said. The morning after the show, he called it “the epitome of what we want to do with the Reilly.”
Unique acts with diverse audiences.
“We don’t often see that,” Wardell said. “I think that’s what’s going to make this place successful.”
What: Concert fundraiser for the Reilly Arts Center. The gala includes the Not Fade Away Show, cocktails, a vintage car display and pre-show music by Miranda Madison.
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE Ninth St., Ocala
Tickets: $15-$35 (351-1606 or reillyartscenter.com)
