In a recent article appearing in the Jazz Times, Steven discusses adding a world-class and ethnically diverse jazz program to Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, Indiana.

Sometimes in the performing arts world you have to fill a gap in the musical spectrum from the ground up. That’s the realization I faced when I arrived in Carmel, Indiana as President/CEO of its new $175 million, three-venue Center for the Performing Arts. Two years later, my staff and I showed those gaps can be filled. In this case, we filled it with jazz.
Carmel is a fast-growing city in the heart of the Midwest with a lot going for it. Household income is high, the schools are excellent and population has grown tremendously in the last decade to about 80,000. Carmel is part of the Indianapolis-Carmel Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a population of 1.75 million in 2010, ranked 34th in the United States. Read More

I was honored to be asked by UCSD Provost Steven Adler to participate in the Chapter on Box Office and the sub-chapter called “Redefining the Relationship between Art and Commerce” in the “Oxford Handbook of the American Musical.” At La Jolla Playhouse, we produced some of the most innovative theatre in the country and occasionally, those plays had commercial potential. Working in partnership with producers who understood great art and at the same time wanted to work with La Jolla Playhouse to create these plays, was a special opportunity for us. When successful, the Playhouse gained significant national publicity and royalties. They key for us was to maintain our focus on artistic excellence.

For more information on this handbook, visit the companion web site: www.oup.com/us/oham.

Click here to read excerpts from the handbook or to order it. Click here to read the press release.

For immediate release November 30, 2011
Contact: David Dawson (317) 231-7000 david@executivemedia.com

Steven B. Libman, founder of The Libman Group, a consulting firm for arts management and leadership, has contributed his expertise in professional theater to the newly published Oxford Handbook of The American Musical (Oxford University Press).

The book offers new and cutting-edge essays on the most important and compelling issues and topics in the growing, interdisciplinary fields of musical theater and film-musical studies. For the chapter of the book on the intersection between art and commerce, called “Audiences,” Libman was interviewed by Steven Adler, Professor of Theater and Provost of the Earl Warren College of the University of California, San Diego.

Libman, drawing on his experience as the former managing director of the La Jolla Playhouse, discussed the advantages that producing musicals can have for not-for-profit theaters.

In part, he says, “We are devoted to the musical as a uniquely American art form and therefore, we have a long history with musicals. We produce them primarily because they are artistically very important and, secondarily, because they generate a significant amount of revenue and allow us to grow our subscription base.”

Libman, who was CEO and President of The Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, Indiana, also noted the difficulties musical productions with commercial potential can pose for non-profit theaters because of the great number of added personnel needed and the involvement of outside producers.

The Libman Group brings together noted experts in management, strategic planning, marketing and development to advise performing arts organizations across the United States.

Steven Libman, from the Libman Group, has been engaged to help build strategies for the Indianapolis Children’s Choir. Working with ICC’s Executive Director, Don Steffy, Mr. Libman’s focus has been to assist with organizational development, fundraising, and marketing.

“I am thrilled to be working with The Indianapolis Children’s Choir. This organization is one of the crown jewels of the Central Indiana arts community. No other local arts organization tours the world as often as they do; they are the region’s cultural ambassadors, and I will be working with them on a broad fundraising and marketing plan,” says Libman.

Steffy commented that, “Just in our few initial sessions, Steven has brought focused attention on several key elements both short and long term to aid in the growth and maturity of ICC. I always enjoy working with a colleague such as Steven who brings his broad range of talent and expertise to the table in a careful, concise and useful manner.”

The Jazz Roots program that we brought to the Palladium Center for the Performing Arts continues to receive accolades. This latest article hightlights the growth in Miami’s Arsht’s Center.

Jazz Roots Producer Larry Rosen on Mission to Preserve Art Form
Published by MiamiHerald.com
October 30, 2011

Larry Rosen’s mother and father didn’t want him to go into the music business. “A nice Jewish boy, you’ve got to stay in school,” he says they told him. “You’ve got to be doctor, dentist or lawyer.” Read More

We received a special $1 million grant from the Wallace Foundation to develop new ballets that would drive new audiences and maintain our existing audience base. We focused on jazz music since Pittsburgh is one of the great cities in America with a strong jazz tradition. We settled on three ballets: one featured the music of Stanley Turrentine and Ray Brown..and they performed live. The second piece focused on the song writing of Billy Strayhorn, who wrote most of the songs for Duke Ellington, and the last piece was a tribute to Lena Horn. Each of these artists either grew up in Pittsburgh or lived in Pittsburgh for a long time. The audience loved it! All marketing research demonstrated that the project was a great success.

More information on this study and Steven Libman’s involvement,  please read the articles below.

The Evolution of a Message
Strategies for Expanding Audiences
Creating More New Ballets
Bringing the Music to Dance

On March 26, 2011, The Center for the Performing Arts, in conjunction with Larry Rosen Jazz Roots Series, presented a ground breaking concert. Larry Rosen and I are standing next to (left to right) Nikki Yanofsky, Dianne Reeves and Jane Monheit. The sold out audience loved this concert which featured four time Grammy winner Dianne Reeves, two time Grammy winner Jane Monheit and the young yet extremely talented 16 year old jazz sensation Nikki Yanofsky.

I was so proud to partner with Jazz legend Larry Rosen when we developed the Larry Rosen Jazz Roots series at the Center. Our goal was to present the finest jazz artists from around the world and to ensure that each program had a strong educational component. We partnered with the Carmel Clay School District and the Indianapolis Public School district often. In the end, our jazz program outsold our partners in Dallas and Miami and we launched one of the nation’s finest jazz program. Our tickets sales were phenomenal and the audience response was equally inspirational, with standing ovations after every performance.

I was asked to speak about what it meant to open all three venues at the Center: the 1600 seat concert hall, The Palladium, the 500 seat proscenium theatre, The Tarkington and the 200 seat black box, called “The Studio Theatre”. My team and I were presented with an enormous challenge to get all three venues up and running on schedule, which involved many meetings with architects and designers. In additon we had to staff each venue, work with our seven resident companies, and establish programming for outside artists. In two short years I am very proud to say we succeeded brilliantly and the Center has now become one of the leading performing arts centers for the Mid-West.

Playbill Letter First Season of Palladium Center

  Gala Program Interior
Profile of Steven Libman

Gala Program Letter Opening
of Palladium Center