Charleston Premier Arts

Orchestra, Ballet Theatre and Stage Company join forces for holiday season

This holiday season, get ready to be entertained.

Three of the city's arts organizations are joining forces to bring you the best they have to offer. Working under the name Charleston Premier Arts, the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, Charleston Ballet Theatre and Charleston Stage Company have found that three heads are better than one in planning, marketing and designing an entertainment cityscape for the holidays.

Together, they'll bring you "A Christmas Carol" from Charleston Stage, "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" and the classic "The Nutcracker" from Charleston Ballet and seven performances from the CSO: "Gospel Christmas," "Holiday Strings," "Holiday Brass," "Messiah," "Holiday Pops," "Messiah Sing-a-long" and "Armed Forces Salute."

"This is the second year the symphony, the ballet and Charleston Stage have tried to work together to reach out to the public, particularly around the holiday time and around all the different performances we're doing and let people in Charleston know all the things that are going on," said Ted Legasey, president of the board of the CSO. "We've found that working together benefited each of us last year. All of the organizations had much better attendance at their performances than previous years. The whole was greater than the sum of the parts."

Much of this was possible through a grant from the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation. Since many arts organizations have small staffs, the combined grant and staffs helped each increase their efforts. More ideas emerged and a greater holiday season was planned than any single organization could have done by itself.

"Our thought is by working together, maybe we can do something with this collaboration to allow us collectively to achieve things we couldn't individually," said Legasey.

After the exploratory collaboration last fall, the three groups know what they want to do this year and in the long run.

Right now, Charleston Premier Arts includes only the three largest arts organizations. Eventually, they would like to see it encompass many more. They hope the benefits they are experiencing will trickle down to smaller organizations and throughout the region.

In the current economy, they say, cooperation is more important than ever.

"Groups across the spectrum began cutting back, laying off or, in a few cases, closing up shop," said Jill Eathorne Bahr, resident choreographer at CBT. "At that moment, the downturn appeared different from others we have experienced in our lifetime. It seems deeper and more widespread, affecting every aspect of our economy.

"The upside, if one could call it that, is more interest in shared services, new marketing techniques and a tighter focus on core mission. The three largest arts organizations began working in tandem last October, getting some bang from collaborative thought processing as well as hand-holding and support. After a quick jump-start last fall, some basic knowledge from lessons learned last year and again consultants coming into town to speak with the three groups, we have decided to elaborate more on a long-range plan. And it's the beginning of what we hope will be a long-lasting collaboration."

By pooling efforts, the three hope to maintain an already tight budget, use resources wisely and reach a broader audience.

"Charleston Premier Arts represents over 150 professional musicians, dancers, actors and singers supported behind the scenes by scores and scores of costume, scenic, lighting designers, as well as other backstage technical staff," said Julian Wiles, executive director of Charleston Stage. "This veritable army of performers creates some of the year's most moving and spectacular productions playing to well over 50,000 arts patrons."

"Charleston has an incredibly rich, varied and vibrant arts community," he continued. "There is literally something for everyone this holiday season, and the Charleston Premier Arts collaboration allows our community to sample all there is to offer, and by visiting Charlestonpremierarts.com, find a one-stop shop that showcases all the holiday offerings of the three organizations."

While Charleston Stage, CBT and the CSO are enjoying the advantages of a shared endeavor, they are not the only ones. This collaboration is deepening the already multilayered appeal of the city.

"The lively arts scene is in an enormously important ingredient in the cultural fabric of Charleston," said Legasey. "When people decide where they're going to retire, companies decide where to relocate, individuals decide where to move, they look at a variety of elements. What role does an exciting, vibrant arts scene really play in a community?

"The benefits that Charleston derives from having a lively arts scene makes it more appealing to come here. It's the restaurants, the people, the architecture, the weather, it's the arts -- all of these things stirred together in this wonderful stew that makes Charleston a wonderful place to be."

And what better time to partake in the merriment and the arts than during the holidays, with affordable prices, accessible venues and family atmospheres.

"Together, the productions of Charleston Premier Arts organizations celebrate the magic of the holidays, the hope and cheer that this festive season brings," said Wiles."

That doesn't just apply to the current lineup, either. These organizations will continue to explore ways to work together and keep the momentum of the holiday spirit going all year long.

"I know, with jobs and homes and dreams of better lives being lost by the millions, art and culture seem like a luxury. But I would argue that they're an essential aspect of being happy and civilized," said Eathorne Bahr.

"I would argue that thinking culture is a frill, a disposable ornament for a comfortable life, has helped get us into the mess we're in. The arts teach us morality, humanity, the range of identity, the importance of beauty and ideas and qualities you can't quantify. Unlike 'American Idol,' they teach us that there are qualities that matter more than fame. They teach us all this through miraculously pleasurable experiences that at their best are akin to spiritual revelation, and even in lesser occurrences are a source of delight and understanding."

Upcoming shows

For a complete list of shows, check each organization’s Web site.

Charleston Symphony Orchestra

“Gospel Christmas,” 7 p.m. Dec. 5 at the Gaillard Auditorium. All tickets $30, reserved seating.

“Holiday Strings,” 4 p.m. Dec. 6 at St. John the Beloved in Summerville. $15 general admission seating; $5 students/children. Call 723-7528

Charleston Stage Company

“A Christmas Carol” at the College of Charleston Sottile Theatre. Tickets are $15-$35. $6 student rush tickets may only be purchased by college students one hour before every Mainstage performance at the College of Charleston Sottile Theatre. Call 577-7183.

Charleston Ballet Theatre

“How The Grinch Stole Christmas” final two performances are 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday at the Black Box Theatre, 477 King St. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children. Call 723-7334.