Since its opening ceremony Sept. 18, the Overture Center for the Arts, 201 State St., has been the focus of Madison's creative community. Featuring unprecedented performance and practice space, the Overture dominates an entire city block and cost more than $200 million to construct. The result, it seems, is a success.
\We're selling tickets at a faster rate than ever before,"" said Bob D'Angelo, president and CEO of the Overture Center. ""That's partially because it's a new building and partially because of some of the product that's coming in the future that was never here before.""
This includes productions such as ""The Phantom of the Opera"" and ""The Producers,"" scheduled to perform in 2005.
""When you include those two shows we're more than double last year's ticket sales at this point, probably close to triple,"" D'Angelo said.
The enormous popularity of the venue was expected to stimulate business with the retailers and restaurant owners of the surrounding State Street area. However, this prediction has yet to be fulfilled.
""I have not seen an increase [in business], really, of any kind,"" said Hawk Schenkel, owner Hawk's, 425 State St.
Sandy Torkildson, president of the Greater State Street Business Association, attributed the lack of additional business to the fact that the Overture Center was only opened two months ago.
""It's a little early to tell, this first season,"" Torkildson said. ""Although I have heard a number of bar owners from more upscale bars ... say they really haven't been able to draw that crowd to their businesses yet.""
The Overture's opening celebrated only partial completion of the Center, with final construction expected to end in 2006. The prospect of a restaurant, located on the roof of the Modern Art Museum's segment of the building, further incurred the frustration of the local business owners.
""If they were to build [a restaurant] ... they would compete with places around there. They would be doing the totally opposite thing that they say they are doing for downtown Madison,"" Schenkel said.
Despite these concerns, the Overture Center has proved to be a positive force in Madison, providing the city with a forum for all aspects of the arts.
""There's certainly been a phenomenal response,"" said Mayor Dave Cieslewicz's spokesperson Melanie Conklin. ""It's certainly been the talk of the town.""
