July 30, 2011 in News by Eric
Information from Recent Meeting
During the last general informational meeting, a question was raised regarding specifics of the bylaw vote. We have reproduced this exchange to provide further clarification regarding this important matter.
Robert Savoie, Attorney to Jim Walpole: I just wanted to raise the issue. It was said previously the bylaws change addresses whether the board can sell the theatre. And if I understand it correctly As is, the board cannot sell the theatre at all.
Michael Mitchell, Board Member: That’s our understanding
RS: I just want to clarify, because our understanding, currently, unless the bylaws change, the board cannot sell the theatre unless the members approve it. It’s a subtle difference, I guess.
MM: I don’t think it’s a difference at all. The membership has to approve it. However you want to phrase that.
RS: Sure, but what do we call it if the members vote down the bylaws change. They could still approve a deal to sell the theatre without that bylaws change. It just means if you approve the bylaws change, the board can sell the theatre without a vote of the members at any time.
MM: I think it would have to be another deal to vote on
RS: Right. The board could put together a new deal, which the members could vote on.
Cassie Worley, Board Member: No, if the vote to amend the bylaws is not approved we cannot sell even if somebody else comes up with another plan to sell.
RS: You can’t sell without approval by the members. You could sell it, you just need the approval of the members
CW: No, we can’t sell. Unless the bylaws change.
MM: The bylaws require the approval of the members. It’s really kind of a reasonable circle. It comes out the same way.
RS: My only point is just that, if the bylaws are voted down, and the board puts another deal in front of the members, you can sell with member approval.
CW: No, we cannot sell. And you’re the attorney, and that makes me nervous. No, the answer is no.
RS: Ok, I just wanted to clarify that point. Ok.
July 20, 2011 in News by Eric
Statement From Board On Court Ruling
The Board of Directors of Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carre is pleased with the Court’s ruling dismissing the injunction matter brought by Jim Walpole. With the Court’s ruling, Le Petit can now move forward in its effort to preserve this vital community fixture.
Cassie Worley, Chair of the Board of Governors of Le Petit, stated: “We look forward to continuing our interaction with our members and supporters. The Board is making and continues to make every effort to provide Le Petit’s members with a meaningful voice in the future of the theatre.” Ms. Worley announced that Le Petit plans to hold another informational meeting on Tuesday, July 26th at 6:00 p.m., at the theatre, where it will again present its plan to partner with the Dickie Brennan Restaurant Group. All members, supporters, and interested individuals may attend and ask questions of the Board and of the Brennan representatives at that time.
July 20, 2011 in News by Eric
Civil District Court Rules in Favor of Le Petit
Le Petit Theatre is very pleased to announce the favorable Civil District Court regarding theatre membership.
July 19, 2011 in News by Eric
NOLA Defender: THE DEAL IS THE THING
From NOLA Defender, By Jim Fitzmorris.
I will get right to it: The Dickie Brennan Restaurant Group’s offer to Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carre is the best and only serious deal on the table to save the beleaguered theatrical institution. I am neither spokesman for the board nor the Brennan’s, have no future plans for employment at Le Petit, and like many, am concerned about the artistic quality of what will come after the deal is done. However, as someone who has an insider’s knowledge of how large non-profit institutions function, I believe the Brennan’s offer is not only great for theatre in this town but also a coup for the city itself. It ends the uncertainty about the theatre’s financial future, creates a first class facility where crumbling infrastructure once stood, and sets the table for something remarkable: a nationally renowned institution. The alternatives are a perpetual state of triage, a tragic fire sale, or, more insidiously, a crypto-transformation into a for-profit venture that serves only a small group of unseen investors. Those alternatives are the topic of another conversation, so for today, I will focus on the cards already on the table.
Financially, the Brennan offer is a double infusion: a partial purchase and an upgrade. The first inflow is the purchase itself. 3 million dollars gives the Brennan Group control of 60% of the building, including the majority of the 1960s addition that houses the beloved Teddy’s Corner Children Theatre. They would use their purchase to create a turn-of-the-century restaurant with a direct thematic tie-in to the theatre. A fully stocked bar replaces the old lobby and is accessible to audiences waiting for the show or relaxing at intermission. That bar leads into a main dinning room and above that, kitchen, offices and private rooms inhabit the second floor. The attic would become a shared space for both the eatery and theatre. For Le Petit, this purchase immediately retires the mortgage, pays off all vendor debts, and creates the theatre’s first seven-figure endowment. The purchase returns the building to the organization, allows for various upgrades to the theatrical space, and gives the board the financial capability to begin the process of hiring those who can plan for the theatrical future of the theatre.
The second financial boon comes in the form of renovations and upgrades to the complex. The Dickie Brennan Restaurant Group plans to invest an additional 3 million minimum for the improvement to the facility. Along with transforming the smaller theatre into a fully functional two-story restaurant, the upgrades will include a complete renovation of the complex’s structural envelope that will include, but not be exclusive to, weatherization, structural integrity, and patron comfort. All rotting floors will be repaired, all leaky roofs patched, and numerous faulty pipes and dangerous wiring will be mended. Fire codes, handicapped access, and termite infestation will all be addressed. While many improvements on the theatre side are the responsibility of Le Petit, most of the Brennan upgrades will lift both boats. In a little under a year, a deeply flawed building with more than a few unusable areas will house a completely renovated theatrical center. Furthermore, it will be the home of a continually operating business run by one of the most respected restaurateurs in the nation.
Essentially, in order for the play to be the thing, the money has to be there. We are talking about a deal close to 7 million in overall investment. On a financial basis alone, it is a powerful offer. However, the benefits do not end there. The building will instantly become a part of the Brennan’s family of restaurants. Patrons attending the other establishments will be reminded of and encouraged to attend the shows playing at Le Petit. The theatre’s productions will become a part of the Dickie Brennan Restaurant Group’s promotional apparatus. That arm of its organization has a national presence that can only benefit the theatre. Every person who sits for a meal or a drink at St. Peters will instantly be aware of the theatre and become a potential patron. Despite all the sniping from certain corners about another restaurant in The Quarter, the establishment will bring light and life to a quiet corner. It will increase foot traffic and energize nightlife on that side of Jackson Square. At the most basic level, St. Peters and Chartres will never go dark. Given the recent gloom that has permeated the location, that alone is an upgrade.
It is time to stop pussyfooting around and face some facts about not-for-profit theatre. Those organizations are not run on boffo musical extravaganzas, piecemeal rentals, force-of-personality, or boutique children shows. And they are not run on historical tradition. Ticket revenues make up less than 45% of most non-profit theatrical entities. Individual donations and grants make up another portion of the funding, but the real capital comes from large organizations: government subsidy, corporate sponsorship or a large independent educational program. Sympathetic government administrations and a single benefactor built the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Humana helped transform Actors’ Theatre of Louisville into new play powerhouse, and numerous nationally recognized children’s theatres have created vast self-sustaining educational organizations that serve grades K through 12. Due to cultural considerations, government indifference, and educational failings, those models are not options in New Orleans at this time.
In case you had not noticed, and many New Orleans theatre enthusiasts seem not to, this country is crawling out of the worst economic downturn since The Great Depression. The money simply is not there. And when it is, it is not going to theatre. The local, state and federal governments are tapped out, corporations hold onto nickels like they were dollars, and specialized children shows in small theatres do not an educational program make. In lieu of the aforementioned avenues, the only remaining model was an infusion of cash from a business partner. In Dickie Brennan, Le Petit found an investor who could guarantee there would be no bait-and-switch that would snatch Le Petit’s building for its own purposes. This proposal is neither wait-and-see nor kick-the-can; it is a clear plan of action that accepts the on-the-ground realities. If you actually think there is another model that can work, please take a look at the tragic events at The Intiman Theatre, Borderlands Theatre, and Florida Stage. You will see how theatre is faring outside of Broadway. Ask any of those groups how they would feel about what Dickie Brennan is offering. After that, show me the model of fiscal responsibility that does not involve pocketed mortgages and shadow investors, and I will be willing to listen.
By: Jim Fitzmorris
July 17, 2011 in News by Eric
Errol Laborde: Why the Dickie Brennan’s Proposal is Best for Le Petit Théâtre
Le Petit Théâtre is hardly a topic about which I am neutral. I served on its board for several years, the last few of which were as its chairman. Mercifully, my terms ended shortly before Katrina, but by then the theater had already undergone many tidal waves of crises. I know what it’s like to get a call saying that the insurance check is due but there is no money or that the bankers are angry.
For years the theater has gone from crisis to crisis although the quality of the productions were often excellent (and frequently compared to Broadway) and despite the fact that the building itself being perhaps the finest community theater structure in the nation.
Le Petit’s problems have been similar in origin to those of all community theaters – it has an unmet need for corporate support. No theater can be sustained by ticket sales alone. Owning the building has been both a blessing and a curse for the Le Petit management. The structure is a prized possession yet it is a financial drain, constantly facing the upkeep needs of old buildings.
This is why I see the Dickie Brennan proposal as the salvation, possibly the only hope, for the theater. In anticipation of several questions about the proposal, I offer you these answers:
Q. Isn’t it inappropriate to have part of the theater divided into a restaurant?
A. No, theater and restaurants go together like song and dance. They are part of a night- out experience. There are many examples on Broadway of the two existing side by side, including the famous Sardi’s restaurant which is divided by only a wall from the Helen Hayes theater.
Q. What part of the theater will be taken up by the restaurant?
A. If you are facing the building, the left, the part that now includes a smaller cabaret theater. None of that was part of the original theater but was added on later. The restaurant will use both upstairs and downstairs of that side.
Q. Will the main stage theater still exist?
A. Yes, Le Petit keeps the rest of the building including the main stage and remaining upstairs facilities, plus it will share the downstairs lobby, the courtyard and the upstairs library.
Q. How about performers’ dressing rooms that were in the part that will be sold?
A. There is plenty space in the building to build new dressing rooms.
Q. What is the financial deal?
A. $3 million.
Q. What will this do for the building?
A. It will utilize it to its fullest potential. For example the building has magnificent balconies that are seldom used. The restaurant can take advantage of that.
Q. Will the restaurant run the theater?
A. No, the theater will still be in the hands of the Le Petit board.
Q. What prevents the restaurant from closing and filling its space with t-shirt shops?
A. First, the Brennan family has a solid reputation as restaurateurs so that is not likely to happen. Secondly, the zoning at that location allows for restaurants but not much else. There will also be a covenant preventing any uses at that space other than as a restaurant.
Q. Will the sales relieve Le Petit’s financial burden?
A. Yes, with some extra cash in the bank. Plus, the entity still gets to operate a theater in a landmark building, but with less maintenance burden.
Q. What happens next?
A. Well, the Le Petit board has amended its bylaws to allow for the sale. There will be a meeting of the membership (consisting of season ticket holders) in early August. Conceivably someone within the membership can move to override the board’s action. It would take a two-thirds vote to override. If that is successful than the deal is dead. If it is not overridden than the deal goes through. One estimate is that the conversation could be completed by early next year.
Q. Isn’t parking a major problem for Le Petit?
A. That is a small part of the problem. There have been various deals with nearby parking lots but Quarter parking operators get so much business that there has been little incentive for them to offer discounts. Experiencing a fuller evening in the Quarter could make the cost of parking more palatable. Having a quality restaurant or bar next door would help.
Q. How about the opposition?
A. This is the painful part. I know and like some of the opponents, especially those connected with the LePetit Guild, who have been tireless workers for the theater. They are good people and I do not question at all their sincerity or motives. There are other interests who would no doubt like to capture the building as their own for their own intentions. I also know that there are some people who regard a theater as being like a temple whose sanctity should not be interrupted by commercial enterprise. That attitude just does not square with reality.
Q. What if the proposal comes to fruition?
A. Le Petit has a chance to regain its rightful claim as one of the great community theaters in the country.
Q. And if it fails?
A. There will be a new era of infighting and jockeying. Both the city and theater will suffer.
View the original:
July 16, 2011 in News by Eric
Poppy Tooker: Letter to the Editor
Only in very fortunate American communities can you find enterprising entrepreneurs who couple for-profit business with civic nonprofit philanthropy. Luckily, New Orleans has been blessed with a man who personifies the best of these qualities in Dickie Brennan.
In his quiet, non-self aggrandizing way, Mr. Brennan supports our local food system by scrupulously purchasing from Louisiana farmers and fishers and continuously caring for the architectural gems where he places his restaurant businesses (for example, the historic Werlein building on Canal Street).
Since making the generous offer to, in essence, save the oldest community theater in the United States from the debt burden that caused the cancellation of last season and threatens to end its very existence, in Lord of the Flies fashion, the Le Petit Theatre Guild has chosen to villainize Mr. Brennan, casting him in an undeserved and unflattering light.
The facts behind Mr. Brennan’s offer include eliminating the $700,000 mortgage and the $150,000 currently owed to Le Petit’s vendors; repairing, restoring and providing ongoing maintenance for the building and providing the first ever endowment. Le Petit also would be introduced to a new group of patrons who will be able to dine in a first class restaurant next to a first class theater.
In light of these truths, I have to ask – where’s the real beef?
Poppy Tooker
New Orleans
Via: NOLA.com
July 15, 2011 in News by Eric
Letter From NOMCVB President Stephen Perry
President/CEO of New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau Stephen Perry has come out in support of the partnership between Le Petit Theatre and the Dickie Brennan Restaurant Group. He believes “our sales team could promote the new enhanced and revitalized theatre to thousands of future visitors.” Here is a letter to the editor, as submitted to the Times-Picayune.
Transcript:
Dear Editor:
The pending proposal by the Dickie Brennan Restaurant Group to help save and upgrade our Le Petit Theater is essential for preserving an iconic historical and cultural element of our city, both for locals and for our multibillion dollar tourism industry.
I’ve seen firsthand the extensive damage to the property at Le Petit Theatre and reviewed the financial issues. It is clear that a new approach is needed to allow the theatre not just to survive but to thrive. Under the Brennan’s proposal, Le Petit’s Board receives $1 million towards renovations, which would restore Le Petit’s theatre to its fullest potential, allowing it to become a state-of-the-art community theatre while maintaining an enhanced beauty and historical significance.
The Brennan plan also aligns with the strategic master plan for our cultural tourism industry, launched in 2010, by local hospitality leaders and the Boston Consulting Group. The goal of the master plan is to ramp up all of our cultural product by the city’s 300th anniversary in 2018. Results will be dramatic: $11 billion in direct spending, 33,000 additional jobs with an average salary of $33,000 a year and $700 million in tax revenue. The master plan calls for an aggressive strategy to revitalize core assets, such as the French Quarter and its cultural products.
From the standpoint of marketing New Orleans to potential major associations, corporations and leisure tourists, our sales team could promote the new enhanced and revitalized theatre to thousands of decision-makers and future visitors. Designed as an old New Orleans Manor House, it will not only offer a menu with quality food from a world-renowned restaurateur, the restaurant will also pay homage to Le Petit and its history in a tasteful and classic manner. We strongly believe that we can bring more exposure and revenue to Le Petit from our visitor population as a result.
It is rare for us to see such a mutually advantageous deal for Le Petit Theatre, the private sector and the city of New Orleans. I sincerely hope that the project can move forward, help save one of our most significant cultural and historical assets, while enhancing its marketability and securing its long-term financial future.
J Stephen Perry
President/CEO
New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau
July 14, 2011 in News by Eric
Letter of Support from French Quarter Citizens
On Monday, July 11, 2011 the Board of French Quarter Citizens voted unanimously to endorse the authority and responsibility of Le Petit Board to best preserve Le Petit as a vital influence in the French Quarter’s cultural affairs.
July 13, 2011 in News by Eric
Response from Board Member Leon Contavesprie
Below is an email the board received regarding the possible sale of part of the building. Board member and Secretary Leon Contavesprie responded to the e-mail to clarify some of the confusion surrounding the partnership with the Dickie Brennan Restaurant Group.
Le Petit Theatre is important. Le Petit Theatre is a big deal. Le Petit Theatre means so much, to so many.
Our theatre has so much historical value that just cannot be wasted. I vividly remember when I was a little girl (because I am so grown up now!) sitting in those little plastic chairs in Teddy’s Corner. Many years ago, my Mom used to go to the theatre when she was a little girl to watch her aunt perform. Watching the performers dance and sing and thoroughly enjoy what they were doing is what made me want to be on stage.
I have now performed in many stage productions. I learned so much about the Le Petit history from such amazing and talented people as Vatican Lokey, Janet Shea, Edward Cox and so many others. Taking away even a part of our Le Petit would create a hole in the theatre community.
Our theatre needs all of her current space – where will the dressing rooms be for little girls? Where will the Green Room be? What will happen to the courtyard? If we sell even a portion of our theatre it would be equal to selling my memories along with the memories of everyone who has ever been to this beautiful little theatre.
Le Petit is the foundation of the New Orleans arts community. Please don’t leave me with just my memories (and 1 stage!)
Response:
I cannot thank you enough for your heartfelt and honest email; it is obvious how much you truly love the theatre. I, too, am an actor, and have watched and performed in numerous productions on both LPT stages. I had the exact same feelings as you do when all of this began.
Unfortunately, and this is where it gets both incredibly complicated and difficult, the formula on which the theatre was built is broken, and has been for nearly two decades. When the late, great Stocker Fontelieu retired from “The Little Theatre” (as he called it), he too saw that this incredible institution may face great financial problems in the future. Stocker was like a second grandfather to me. We had weekly visits and he would regale me with the stories of yesteryear at the theatre, but would always tell me that eventually things would have to change at the theatre for it to survive.
I served on the Board of Governors from 1997-2001, and was recently voted back to the board, so I have a kind of long-term outlook on the situation. In late 2010, we discovered disastrous amounts of debt, not including the whopping $700,000 mortgage. Ironically, that mortgage was only (“only” being a relative term) $250,000 when I left the board in 2001. The building is in desperate need of repairs, particularly the Children’s Corner / Muriel’s Cabaret side, and will cost well over $1 million to repair and renovate.
It was in no way an easy decision to consider selling more than half the building; but the reality is a long-term and permanent solution needed to happen in order for Le Petit Theatre the organization to survive. We spent countless hours meeting with non-profit professionals from around the country and here in New Orleans, and ALL of them said the same thing – it is time to sell part of the building. In fact, many told us we should sell the entire building, but that was certainly not an option. Our board is comprised of some of the best business, non-profit, and theatrical minds in the city, including Cleland Powell (President of SPCA, Past Chair of LEH and Greater New Orleans Foundation), Saundra Levy (Executive Director of Jewish Endowment), Darren Bagert (Broadway producer), Bryan Batt (Broadway and television actor), Bruce Hoefer (Chairman of Cafe Reconcile), Cassie Worley (theatre teacher and actor/producer), and several others. I assure you we explored every possible option that was available to us before coming to this decision, and I stand by what I have said since this deal became public – it is the BEST of all worlds. Our new neighbors, the Dickie Brennan Group, will bring in thousands of new guests to LPT, we will have enough cash to ensure continued seasons of terrific productions and the ability to build an endowment (which automatically invites other large donors because they know their money will be spent on something other than day-to-day operations), and national recognition.
As an actor, I know firsthand how palatial Le Petit Theatre is in terms of its size, with its green room and dressing areas. But I have also had the privilege of working in theatres all over the country, several of which were very prominent professional regional theatres. Only one of them was more spacious than what Le Petit will be if the Brennan deal goes through. The stack room, while currently very cluttered and unorganized, will be transformed into two sparkling new lower level dressing rooms. The upstairs will be executive offices and a green room. We are still working on the plans, but I can assure you performers will have ample space for dressing.
As for wing space, we will have exactly the same amount of wing space the theatre had prior to 1962, which was the year when the Children’s Corner, courtyard, main lobby and upstairs part of the building was constructed. As a longtime LPT supporter and volunteer told me, “Le Petit did big musicals for years prior to 1962, and long before there was wing space.” So it can be done.
As for the loss of Muriel’s Cabaret / Children’s Corner – believe me, this is a tough one. But as talented performers like you well know, the magic of theatre comes from the actors, designers, and the material, not the space in which it is performed. While it is very sad to say goodbye, we have the unique opportunity to create a new history while still savoring the glory days of the past. Our community of actors, designers, directors, producers, and technicians will be able to create incredible children’s productions on the mainstage. Can you imagine how exciting it will be for young performers to walk on that wonderful stage and cut their “acting chops” before 365 people under that beautiful proscenium arch?
Children’s Theatre at Le Petit is not disappearing; rather, it is being reinvented on one of the most magnificent stages in the country. I have an enormous respect for the professionals you mentioned – Janet Shea, Vatican Lokey, and Eddie Cox. It was never and never will be my intention to erase them or their work from the history books of children’s theatre at LPT. In fact, some of the most fantastic productions ever on that stage were due to their work. But we’re not closing it; we’re just moving it. Some will always disagree, and I completely understand that. I just ask that you give us a chance to prove how great that building can be.
I sincerely hope that you will join us in a production, be it onstage, backstage or in the audience, when we reopen. The Dickie Brennan Group has so many exciting ventures lined up, and the entire board wants people like you to join us in making this a truly one-of-a-kind venue.
I’ll close with this: I have two nephews, ages 10 and 13. If I thought for one minute this was not the best deal, and “my boys” (as I call them) would not get to see Le Petit Theatre in the best possible way, I never would have voted for it. All I can do is ask that you trust me and the rest of the board that we have made the absolute best decision for the future of Le Petit Theatre.
Again, I sincerely thank you for taking the time to write. If you have any other questions or concerns, please drop me a line.
Yours truly,
Leon Contavesprie
July 7, 2011 in News by Eric
Bryan Batt Talks About Le Petit Theatre Partnership With Dickie Brennan
Actor, author, and New Orleanian Bryan Batt talks about the benefits of the partnership between Le Petit Theatre and the Dickie Brennan Restaurant Group. Bryan sees the plan as a chance to save “the theatre, the magic of the theatre.” Watch his interview on Fox 8 here:
