The Show Must Go On

How the Arvada Center fulfilled its mission with the guidance of their board of directors despite a global pandemic

By Leslie Simon


When the spread of COVID-19 forced the Arvada Center to temporarily close our doors and cancel all theatrical programming last year, things at first seemed dire. How would we survive without all of the earned revenue from those ticketed events? We experimented with virtual theatre that did a great job of keeping our quarantined audiences engaged while also employing local artists at a time when gigs were drying up. The money it brought in, however, didn’t come close to what full houses of audiences watching musical theatre typically brings in.

Arvada Center Board Chair Ken Fellman

A beacon of light shone through the darkness as the Arvada Center Board of Directors looked at how they could ensure the future of our organization – a daunting task when things were changing so rapidly. “The top priority at the end of the day was to survive,” said Board Chair Ken Fellman. “How do we look at all the things the pandemic was throwing at us, and try to figure out what we need to do with these issues that are ever-evolving? Every week or two it seemed like something would change. That required us to make some short-term decisions like closing the facility down, and dealing with the immediate impacts of that while also looking at the long-term. No matter what we were dealing with, it all tied back to ‘what do we need to do to put us in the best position so that when the pandemic is over, we still have a thriving and vibrant Arvada Center?’”

As we watched other theatres in the region shut their doors and furlough staff, we felt fortunate for not only the support of our board, but the large size of our building and our multidisciplinary nature. While live theatre may have been on hold, our Education department was working in overdrive transitioning to virtual classes and Galleries found safe ways to continue producing planned exhibitions.

“We really wanted to focus on our mission. It’s important to restate what the mission is - The Arvada Center celebrates and elevates the human condition with engaging arts, humanities, education and entertainment that expand the cultural landscape for everyone who visits us,” said Fellman. “There were a number of meetings with the board working with staff where we would say ‘we don’t have all the data we need to make these really difficult decisions, but in three more weeks we might have the information we need.’ We would revisit things, and then when we would have more information, it would change in a different way! How do we focus on our mission in this incredibly changing landscape where a decision you make today may not be the decision that you would make two weeks from now?”

A lot of words quickly became part of the new vernacular during the pandemic- unprecedented, pivot, and most of all, nimble. The ability to stay nimble and not get stuck in the mindset of “this is how we have always done it” allowed us to not only come up with innovative ways of presenting our typical programming, but also to produce brand new programs that would not bring in as much ticket sales as our usual in-person events. As they worked out different financial models, the board knew that they could not just make decisions based on money.

“We looked at several models and had some people recommend to us that we may want to think about just shutting down for some period of time. In fact, we could have increased the likelihood that we would guarantee some level of protection for a sound financial future by shutting down. But that would have ignored the mission!” said Fellman. “If we are not celebrating and elevating the human condition through arts and humanities, then why are we here? So the challenge became how to find some balance. How do we identify an acceptable level of risk if we plan to do a certain kind of program? What if it falls short? Do we hire these people to come back and start work before the actors’ union gives their final approval? If we wait any longer, we won’t have enough time to build sets and have rehearsals. We were constantly trying to find that balance and acceptable level of risk, because we insisted that we have to keep producing arts, humanities, education and entertainment to pursue our mission. But we didn’t want to do it in an irresponsible way that put the Center at greater risk, so that was why we continued to look at ways to make things work because it’s who we are. It’s our institutional DNA.”

With their careful planning and decisions made, the Arvada Center became the first theatre in the region to get permission from the Actors’ Equity Association to produce indoor, in-person theatre, and we opened Small Mouth Sounds on April 30. Our first musical since the pandemic hit, Million Dollar Quartet, will be opening May 28 in our Outdoor Amphitheatre instead of our Main Stage Theatre like it was originally planned, so that we can have larger audiences while still practicing safe social distancing. Despite local restrictions loosening, the Actors’ Equity Association has tight rules to keep actors safe, so masks and distancing are still required for this production under their rules.

The set for Million Dollar Quartet, scenic design by Brian Mallgrave. Photo by Andrew Frace.

This rock ‘n’ roll musical comes at a perfect time when people are yearning to get out of the house for engagement and connection. If it comes with music from Elvis and Johnny Cash, then all the better! “It’s all about the joy of experiencing the arts and humanities, and getting to share those experiences with others,” said Fellman. “At our core, we are social beings. I have no doubt as time goes on that our patrons are going to come back to the Center in the same or greater numbers than we had before because what we offer is so important for the human condition, and people are itching to get back to sharing these wonderful experiences together again.”

With the recent announcement of the Arvada Center’s next theatre season that anticipates a full season with full audience capacities, it’s beginning to feel like the light at the end of the tunnel is closer than ever. “One of the many things we learned during the pandemic is how critically important these arts experiences are to all of us. There’s a whole lot of things we have lost out on because of the pandemic, and the arts and humanities are right at the top of my personal list of things we have missed,” Fellman concluded. “The pandemic has really shown us how important the arts are by the way that we have missed them, and by how excited we all are that they are finally starting back up again.”

To feel the feeling you forgot, come experience live theatre at the Arvada Center by purchasing a ticket to Small Mouth Sounds or Million Dollar Quartet.

BUY TICKETS

Home,Reignite the Arts,Donate Now,Donate Now,Corporate Giving,Art Circle,2024-2025 Theatre Season,Renew,Visit Us,View All Events,Roland Bernier: In Other Words,Word Play,Animal Farm,Big Band Royalty,Lola Montejo: After Another After,Floyd D. Tunson: Ascent,Anthony Garcia Sr: Pigment,A Tribute to the Boston Pops,The CJRO presents A Night of Sizzling Soul with Larry Braggs,Pink Martini featuring China Forbes,Carlou D,Pamela Webb: Hand + Hammer,Lauri Lynnxe Murphy: Seeing the Trees For the Forest,Pink Progression: Collaborations,Imprint: Print Educators of Colorado,528.0: Regional Juried Printmaking Exhibition,Wood.Works,Carley Warren: Three Pieces,Viral Influence: Art in the Time of Coronavirus,Brady Smith: (Don’t be embarrassed by) Your Trouble with Living,Melody Epperson: 100 Years + 1,Blurring The Line,Dawes,Melissa Etheridge,Narkita Gold: Black In Denver,Australian Pink Floyd,José González,Art of the State 2022,Into The Woods,Elle King,Madeleine Peyroux In Concert,One Sheet,The River Bride,The History of African American Music Part 3,Disney’s Beauty and the Beast,Colorado Abstract +10: A Survey,Gary Staab: Second Nature,Flora: Scientific Botanical Illustrations of Colorado Plants,Charlotte's Web,Art + Science,Jeffco Schools Foundation High School Art Exhibition,Wendy Kowynia: Following the Thread,Spring Pottery Sale,Teacher Appreciation Concert,Damn Yankees,Bueno: Mark Bueno,Mary Poppins,Denver Gay Men's Chorus: Divas, Icons and Justice Warriors,The Book Club Play,Guitar Stars and Friends,The Denver Brass: In Pursuit of Leisure,Swing, Swing, Swing: Benny and Beyond ,Spamalot,A Night at the Movies with the Colorado Symphony,Toad the Wet Sprocket and Cracker,Ramón Bonilla: The boundary lines have fallen in pleasant places for me.,Keb' Mo',Boz Scaggs,Lucero,The Ladies of Soul,Ben Folds,Drawn: From The Source,Day of African Culture,Cleo Parker Robinson Dance presents Living the Lush Life,Face Vocal Band,George Thorogood and the Destroyers,Indigo Girls,Big Draw Colorado,Collective Soul,A Tribute to Chick Corea with Eric Gunnison,Exhibition Unveiling,Honoring Dance Legends: Great teachers and choreographers of the 20th century,An Evening with Holocaust Survivor Sara Moses,Rockley Instrument Sale,The Laramie Project Talkbacks with Judy and Dennis Shepard,Allyship & Advocacy in Action: Supporting the LGBTQAI+ Community,Emilio Lobato: A Mi Manera A 40-Year Survey,Latitude 37° Art of Southern Colorado,Beautiful - The Carole King Musical,The Laramie Project,Colcha Embroidery of the San Luis Valley,Hazel Miller and the Collective: Christmas with Soul,Cinderella Dinner and a Show,Fine Art Market,Holiday Pottery Sale,Our Town,Big Band Royalty: Nothin’ But the Blues,Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella Sensory Friendly Performance,Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella ASL Interpreted Performances ,Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella,iZCALLi: La Posada feat. ArtistiCO Dance Company,Artist Proof: Print Process at Oehme Graphics,Exhibition Tour and Artist Talk with Sue Oehme,Sue Oehme Inclusions,Big Ink,53rd Annual Jeffco Schools Foundation High School Art Exhibition,Print Jam,Latin Sounds From Legendary Artists,A Year With Frog and Toad,Matt Christie: Between Then and Now,Robin Cole: Genesis,Arvada Center Spring Brunch,Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812,Noises Off,Dining Partners,Amplify,Theatre,Upcoming Shows,2024-2025 Theatre Season,Renew,Performances for Students,Auditions,Galleries,Current Exhibitions,Gallery Events,Upcoming Exhibitions,Art Sales,Art Submissions,Sculpture Field,History Museum,Archive,Education,View All Classes,Summer Camps,Full Day,Summer Camp Performances,FAQ,Spring Break Camps,Classes for Kids,Classes for Adults,Ceramics,Front Range Youth Symphony,Dance Classes,Links and Forms,Arts Day,Arts Day Outreach,Ageless Adults,Scholarships,Yesterado,Yesterado,Field Trips and Outreach,ECE Field Trips,K-5 Field Trips,Middle and High School Field Trips,Outreach Programs,Preschool Partnership Program,Music and Dance,Colorado Jazz Repertory Orchestra,Summer Concerts,Humanities,Private Event Rentals,Caterers,Vendors,Straight Talk Series ,Straight Talk with Philip Sneed,COVID’s toll on Colorado theatre: 224 productions and counting ,Straight Talk with Lynne Collins,Straight Talk with Rod Lansberry,Straight Talk with Phamaly, Buntport, Colorado Shakes and Rocky Mountain Rep,Straight Talk with Creede Rep, Town Hall, Candlelight and Theatre Company of Lafayette,Straight Talk with Aurora Fox, BDT Stage, Cherry Creek Theatre and Misfits,Straight Talk with Su Teatro, Vintage, Backstage and Counterweight,Straight Talk with Local Theater Company, Theater 29, The Source and Equinox,Straight Talk with the Denver Center, Jesters Dinner Theatre, Glenwood Vaudeville Revue and Germinal Stage-Denver,Actors' union issues safety guidelines for re-opening,Straight Talk with square product, Forge Light, Springs Ensemble Theatre and Coal Creek Theatre of Louisville,Straight Talk with the Fine Arts Center, Miners Alley Playhouse, Dangerous Theatre and Lone Tree Arts Center ,Straight Talk with Lake Dillon Theatre Company, Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company and Northglenn Arts,Straight Talk with The Catamounts, Bas Bleu and Thingamajig,Straight Talk with Curious Theatre Company,Straight Talk with OpenStage, Firehouse and Adams Mystery Playhouse,Straight Talk with Platte Valley Players and Theatreworks,Straight Talk with Parker Arts, Stories on Stage and Thunder River ,Staight Talk 2 with Philip Sneed: This much is uncertain,Arvada Center News,Getting to Know The Big Tuna,Getting to Know: Keith Ewer and his Hammered Dulcimer,Understanding Farce in Theatre,Pivoting With,Pivoting with The Black Actors Guild,Pivoting with ... Emily Van Fleet and Nathan Jones,Pivoting With ... Tammy Franklin and the Curtain Playhouse,Pivoting With Nick Sugar and the Town Hall Arts Center,Pivoting With Helen Murray and the Aurora Fox,Pivoting with Edith Weiss and Christy Montour Larson,Pivoting With Scott RC Levy and the Fine Arts Center Theatre Company,Pivoting with Todd Debrecini for Halloween,Pivoting with Ashley Campbell,Pivoting with Meghan Anderson Doyle,Pivoting with Jenna Moll Reyes,Pivoting with Erik Fellenstein,Pivoting with Ray Bailey ,Pivoting with Tara Falk,Community News,Inside the Arvada Center,All About Printmaking Techniques,Humans of the Arvada Center: Meet Collin Parson ,Christina Noel-Adcock,"Bright Star" cast unveils video as message of hope,Humans of the Arvada Center: Meet Christine Moore,Humans of the Arvada Center: Steven Cogswell,Humans of the Arvada Center: Ashi K. Smythe,City of Arvada to install new sculpture in Hoskinson Park,Humans of the Arvada Center Jessie Page,Humans of the Arvada Center Cal Meakins,Humans of the Arvada Center: Adam Stolte,Supreme Court workplace ruling hits home for Lisa Leafgreen,'Time for talk is over': Arvada Center launch 'Amplify' series to raise black male voices,Humans of the Arvada Center Jon Olson ,Humans of the Arvada Center: Abygail Rosales,Revealing The Dialogue,Amplify Epiode 3 launches, series expanding to include black women,Photo Blog: Sweeney Todd Rehearsals,Humans of the Arvada Center: Gabriel Morales,Cleo Parker Robinson dances back in the box with Arvada Center,Amplify turns the mic over to local Black women ,Beth Malone bringing 'joy bomb' to Arvada Center oon September 4,Humans of the Arvada Center: Meet Emily King,Amplify Women Episode 2,Special Book Honors Special Dance Teacher,amplify-series-comes-to-powerful-conclusion,Take a stroll through 'Sculpture in the Field',Lessons from a summer of outdoor theatre in the time of COVID ,Humans of the Arvada Center: John Hamilton,Doreen Montalvo in Denver: Compassion and grit,Betty Hart's presidential promise: Build a bigger tent,Humans of the Arvada Center: Brenna Clendaniel and Sophia Koop,On being Black in Denver and all the colors that it brings,2020 True West Awards: Buntpivot ,2020 True West Awards: Lily Bradford,2020 True West Awards: The Scenesters,2020 True West Awards: Podcastic,2020 True West Awards: Phamaly takes 'Honk' to Japan,2020 True West Awards: Christine Moore,2020 True West Awards: Alive Inside,2020 True West Awards: Michael Ensminger,True West Awards: They Wrote the Book,True West Awards: Rent-A-Pals,True West Awards: Of Spacious Skies,True West Awards: Christopher Page-Sanders,2020 True West Awards: Suffer the little children,2020 True West Awards: Spirit of Giving,2020 True West Awards: Secret Gardeners,2020 True West Awards: Denis Berkfeldt,2020 True West Awards: Amplify,2020 True West Awards: Reclaiming One Star,2020 True West Awards: William Hahn and Jessica Robblee,2020 True West Awards: Lisa Wagner Erickson,20 for 20,Meet the Frasers,Lucy Roucis' final act is a gutpunch,Reunite the Arts Collin Parson,Jodie Steeves and Nancy Terry,Reunite the Arts Lisa Leafgreen,Remembering John Gratkins,Reunite the Arts: From our CEO,Danielle Johnson Q&A,Reunite the Arts Lynne Collins,The Show Must Go On,Diana and Mike Kinsey,Get to Know Kazu Oba,Meet Suzanna Champion,The Gear of Million Dollar Quartet,FRYS and the Symphony,Get to Know Carlou D,Stories From the Studio,Hispanic Heritage Month: Meet Lares Feliciano,21 for 21,An interview with Geoffrey Kent: The Liar,An interview with Jada Suzanne Dixon: Stick Fly,An interview with Jessica Robblee: Animal Farm,Fast Facts About Kinky Boots,Costume Department Boots Up,Rod A Lansberry Announces Retirement from Arvada Center,Lynne Collins Named Artistic Director of Arvada Center Theatre,Getting to Know José González,Getting to Know Joan Osborne and Madeleine Peyroux,The Many Sounds of Carlou D,Setting the mood: Into the Woods Set Designer Brian Mallgrave,Into the Woods Directors Note,The River Bride Director's Note,What is Magical Realism?,Hispanic Heritage Month: Meet Ana María Hernando,Meet Ceramics Artist Luanne Burke,From student to teacher: Hadley’s story,Tackling the Beast,Things to Know About Our Town,Creating the Look of Our Town: A Q and A with Set Designer Brian Mallgrave,Whatever Lola Wants - A Deep Dive into the Damn Yankees Signature Song,Selling Your Soul - A Pop Culture Favorite,The Book Club Play Reads,Metatheatre Elements in Our Town - When a Play Knows It's a Play,90s Throwback Vibe with Arvada Center 2023 Summer Concert Series,Colorado Jazz Repertory Orchestra at the Arvada Center,Opening Acts of the Arvada Center 2023 Summer Concert Series,Getting to know Baaba Maal,Big Draw Highlights,The Music of Keb' Mo,Getting to Know Lucero,The People at the Indigo Girls ,Listen to the hits of Carole King with this playlist,Carole King: The Writer Behind The Music,Songs inspired by Matthew Shepard,Summer Internship at The Arvada Center,Arvada Center journeys to Southern Colorado : A Photo Diary,Arvada Center and Colorado Chapter of Free Mom Hugs share the love,Costume Inspiration for Cinderella with Costume Designer Madison Booth,Getting to Know: iZCALLi and ArtistiCO,The Many Faces of Cinderella,Arvada Center awarded Social Impact Theatre Grant from Biller Family Foundation,The music that influenced the music of Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812,Volunteer,About Us,Ticketing Policies,Authorized Ticketing,Group Tickets,Ticket Discounts,Contact Us,Accessibility,Health and Safety,Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access,Careers,Tours,Adopt an Actor 2023,Adopt An Artwork,Temp,Land Acknowledgement,What To Expect at the Theatre,One Sheet Music,Gift Certificates,LGBT Resources,Privacy Policy,Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet Seat Map,Gala,Gala Sponsors,Errors,404,Natasha and Pierre Synopsis,Concessions,Summer Preorders