Cutting ties with Tacoma performing arts visionary causes profound disappointment

We would like to share a little history in light of the city’s recent decision to end its partnership with Tacoma Arts Live, formerly known as the Broadway Center for Performing Arts.

It really wasn’t that long ago (2004) when the Tacoma Fire Department closed down the historic Pantages and Rialto Theaters as fire hazards, too dangerous for occupancy.

At about the same time, the stage hand union was threatening to put up informational picket lines outside the Theater on the Square because of an ongoing labor dispute with the city.

An ambitious effort to raise millions of dollars from the private sector to rebuild and upgrade the Pantages lobby looked problematic at best. Things were truly bleak for Tacoma’s cherished Broadway Center for the Performing Arts. We know, because we were in public office at the time.

Then David Fischer arrived in 2006 to accept the executive directorship of the Center.

David, a transformative and visionary leader, understood that he needed to marshal the Broadway Center Board, under the able leadership of board chair Diane Powers, to join with him in engaging with Tacoma’s city manager at the time, to redefine the relationship with the city in a more effective public-private sector partnership.

A critical change made at that time was for the executive director to cease being a city employee and be directly accountable to the non-profit, community-based Broadway Center Board.

This allowed David and his Board the independence to achieve the unfathomable goal of raising $20 million from public and private sources to totally refurbish America’s finest remaining Pantages Theater.

This extraordinary and award-winning achievement put our city on the map.

Frankly, we had our doubts at the time, but David and his team made it so.

Next David teamed up with Tanya Durand, executive director of the Children’s Museum, to lead an effort to convince Tacoma voters to increase the sales tax to provide funding for the arts, culture, heritage and science.

Although we fully supported the Tacoma Creates campaign, we had our doubts that city voters would increase their taxes for such a cause.

David and Tanya helped put together a broad-based effort that led to what we would characterize as a “pitch perfect” community-based campaign. Tacoma Creates carried with a 72-percent favorable vote, winning every precinct in the city.

We would deem that 2018 Tacoma Creates campaign as one of the most successful in city history.

All of this leads us to be profoundly disappointed in the city’s recent decision to move forward with an RFP (request for proposal) that makes it virtually impossible for Tacoma Arts Live to continue managing our valued Pantages, Rialto and Theater on the Square.

This comes at a time, we should note, when a new and robust fund-raising effort is needed to refurbish the Rialto Theater. In our view, only a respected, community-based nonprofit like Tacoma Arts Live would have the capacity to raise the millions that the Rialto desperately needs.

The Los Angeles for-profit organization likely to win the RFP has an excellent track record for managing venues like the Tacoma Dome and its Convention Center. But it is not, we feel, a better choice for our theater district.

We certainly wish David, his staff and the Tacoma Arts Live Board the very best in their management of the historic Tacoma Armory, the one performance space that will remain in their portfolio.

We know that it will become a premiere venue for programs that reflect Tacoma’s rich diversity.

Bill Baarsma is a former Tacoma mayor (2001-09) and City Council member (1992-99). Connie Ladenburg is a former member of the Pierce County Council (2013-2020), Washington state House (2011-12) and Tacoma City Council (2002-09).

This story was originally published July 2, 2021 at 12:00 PM.