Music Hall member profile: Philip Marcus

Alexis Hahalis: What was your first memory of The Music Hall?
Philip Marcus: Shortly after buying our home we were asked if it could be on The Music Hall Kitchen Tour.  We agreed, though we weren’t even familiar with The Music Hall.  That’s how we ended up meeting people from the organization and quickly realized what a pivotal role it played in the community.

AH: You wear a lot of hats here at The Music Hall, what are the committees that you sit on and what motivates you to be so active here?
PM: I’m on the Board as well as the Major Gifts and Kitchen Tour committees.  Most people do not realize that The Music Hall has only two annual fundraising events; the Event in the fall and our Kitchen Tour in the spring.  Consequently, these are extremely important.  I was asked to join the Kitchen Tour committee shortly after our home was on the tour.  It made sense.  As for Major Gifts committee, that’s how we attract and retain Music Hall members, and without our members, there would be no Music Hall, and without The Music Hall, well, I wouldn’t want to imagine this community without it.  Major gifts committee also encourage members to upgrade their memberships.  This is something people don’t always consider without being asked, so it’s up to us to ask. Members are often not aware of the benefits of upgrading, like the Director’s Club , so it’s nice to be able to share that information with them.

AH: What is your favorite memory at The Music Hall?
PM: One morning, out of curiosity, I went to a School Days Series performance. It reminded me of a side of The Music Hall that many members don’t consider. Dozens of school buses arrived, filling our theater with children from local and not-so-local schools. It was clear from their faces that many of these children had never stepped foot in a theater like this. Their teachers clearly had prepped them for the excursion, teaching them “theater etiquette”. From the expressions on their faces during the show I could tell that they were quite taken with the live performance. In a world of animation and video games, this is indeed a gift. The Music Hall subsidizes this series to make it accessible so many children. Exposure to the arts at this level can’t be part of every school curriculum. I remain very proud that we make it possible for this community, and encourage people to consider this as they consider how and why they support this organization. 

AH: What is your favorite Music Hall series?
PM: The District Restaurant Singer Songwriter series is my favorite. I love the intimacy of The Loft, the programming is diverse and the tickets so affordable that I “take a chance” on talent with which I’m not familiar.

AH: Why do you think people should become a member of The Music Hall?
PM: Well, the bottom line is that The Music Hall can’t operate without its members. If the community wants us to bring in top notch programming, maintain and improve a Grande Dame of an historic theater and make shows economically available to the whole community, it needs to be generous in its support. The Music Hall provides wonderful entertainment, but also provides mutually beneficial collaborations with other organizations, subsidizes performances for groups of limited resources, and “feeds” local business with the large number of people we bring to town. I worry that many people don’t think far beyond programming. 

AH: What is the next event you have tickets for?
PM: I’m looking forward to listening to Chris Trapper on June 3rd at The Loft.  What a great venue for this type of artist.