Dan's Papers - July 4, 2008 - 10 Years at WHBPAC

On August 5, 2005, Emmylou Harris, the multiple-Grammy Award winner whose musical career has spanned genres and decades, stopped singing long enough to turn to her rapt listeners and gently beseech them to care for their "rare bird."

It wasn't just another signature heartfelt lyric - the renowned songstress was referring to the warm, intimate space of the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center, which, in an era of large, impersonal, corporation-owned-and-operated concert venues, is as rare as they come. Harris had been so moved while singing that she felt compelled to share the moment with her audience.

"Attending a show here is a special experience," said Claire Bisceglia, Executive Director of the WHBPAC. "The hall is so embracing. It's like being in a private living room - artists can actually see the audience, and guests can have eye contact with an artist, even when they're sitting in the last row."

Harris' request echoed the sentiment shared by thousands of local community members and concert-goers who, over the past 10 years, have rallied and raised millions of dollars so that the former United Artists movie theater could survive and thrive as a performing arts center. The transformation began in May 1997, when a not-for-profit community group led by investor Len Conway and retailer Lon Sabella bought the rundown theater for $300,000. In less than a year, the group raised 60 percent of the $2.8 million needed to turn the space into a state-of-the-art facility.

"Back then the village had some issues," said Bisceglia. "They wanted to be more of a family community, and they thought the theater could be a rallying point for the arts and local economy."

Anyone who's walked Westhampton's buzzing, bustling Main Street on a Saturday night in the middle of the summer knows village members were right, but the WHBPAC encountered significant challenges during its early days. The financial assistance from local community members and business people was astounding, but the board still had to borrow a total of $1.8 million from North Fork Bank when the theater reopened in 1998. Booking talent also proved to be problematic, as the brand-new, 425-seat theater was competing against the likes of Madison Square Garden and Carnegie Hall.

"We would make phone calls and people would ask, 'Where are you?'" said Bisceglia. "It took years to earn respect from booking agencies and talent. But it's a pretty small club once you're in it, and people talk to each other. Word got out about our care and professionalism, and soon artists used to playing for 30,000 people were adding us to their tour."

Ten years later, the debt's all paid and some of the biggest names in music - from classical to jazz to alternative - and entertainment are taking to the WHBPAC's small stage. The Neville Brothers and Boz Scaggs perform this weekend, and throughout the summer Kathleen Battle (July 19), Donna Summer (July 27), K.T. Tunstall (August 3), Herbie Hancock (August 17) and many more will break from stadium-sized tradition to interact with fans in a way they can't anywhere else. And the fun's not just for adults; seven weekly day camps, including theater, ballet and Shakespeare, will entertain and engage children of all ages. These performances and camps comprise the summer portion of a year-round schedule that includes MainStage productions, ongoing children's arts education, a film series, lectures and special events.

To celebrate their success - and ensure even greater future success, in the form of quality programming for all ages and, eventually, a performing arts academy - the Center's now focusing on expansion. They've acquired property and two buildings directly behind the theater, which they purchased with help from generous donors and fundraising, and which were completely renovated by local contractors, electricians, plumbers and landscapers - all of whom offered their services, free of charge.

"You know how they say it takes a village? Well, it does," said Bisceglia. "Everyone on our staff wears many hats. We have an enormously dedicated Board of Directors, a women's council that extends our reach even further into the community, 80 volunteers and, of course, the community-at-large."

And every little bit helps. While the Center's come far in 10 years and has hosted more than 325,000 guests, every new year brings the same challenge: raising the $1.2 million required to keep the doors open. Even if the Center sells every single ticket to every single performance throughout the year, those profits only cover half of its operating costs. Which means fundraising, private donations and continued community effort will always be essential.

Of course, in the case of the Center, shared effort means shared reward - for Westhampton Beach, the East End (Southampton's only 15 minutes away) and beyond.

"I stand in the lobby and watch people arrive. They come from the area, from Nassau County, even as far as Connecticut and Pennsylvania," said Bisceglia. "And I call it 'Noah's Ark' - they come in, two by two, in good moods and happy to be seeing a show. But when they leave, they're all talking and laughing together as a group. Every night, we create a community."

Tom Poole, WHBPAC board member and 10th Anniversary chairman, added, "It's an honor to help celebrate the 'little gem's' 10th anniversary. I am so happy and thankful that our friends of the theater, both old and new, have stepped forward to lend their time, talent and wealth to help move the theater forward for many, many more years."

Emmylou Harris needn't worry. Her "rare bird" is in very good hands.

Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center, 76 Main Street, Westhampton Beach, 631-288-1500, www.whbpac.org.