Staff Spotlight: Marketing Manager Lynn Hardy on Her Study ABroadway Experience
As representatives of a multicultural gathering place in northeast Wisconsin, the staff at your Fox Cities Performing Arts Center continually looks for ways to improve and grow in an ever-changing live theater atmosphere. With this in mind, Marketing Manager Lynn Hardy applied and was accepted to join Broadway League’s newest class for its second-ever Study ABroadway Program.
The Study ABroadway Program connects staff from various performing arts centers around the country to learn from one another by example and in-person observation. In Lynn’s case, this experience centered around a notable focal point: the Broadway touring debut of Hell’s Kitchen in Cleveland, Ohio, in October.
“It was very interesting to see a performing arts center that operates on a much different local footprint than we do in the Fox Cities,” she explained. “Cleveland has an entire ‘Playhouse Square’ – a large, vibrant area geared solely toward the performing arts. It was incredible to see just how distinct the atmosphere was.”
As she connected with Playhouse Square staff – and her gracious host, Stephanie, in particular – Lynn was able to peek behind the curtain of a world she knows so well, but was now seeing in a new light.
“The performing arts industry, especially the touring side, is just so spread out geographically,” she says. “So to connect with others in the same or similar roles as me was just really eye-opening and instructive. A lot of their practices are in the same vein as what we do, but with wrinkles that I know will be helpful to us in the Fox Cities.”
After two days of field research, it was time for the long-awaited touring debut of Hell’s Kitchen. Lynn soaked in the experience of a production that truly floods the senses, and received invaluable insight on a tour that makes its next stop at your Fox Cities Performing Arts Center in December.
“It’s really a flashback to the ‘90s, so the nostalgia factor is high,” she explains. “But the production, along with the hip-hop dancing and powerhouse vocals, were the real stars for me. And since it’s the music and story of Alicia Keys, who we all know and love, everyone was really grooving in their seats.”
All told, participating in Study ABroadway rewarded Lynn with new perspectives as the needs and challenges of your Fox Cities Performing Arts Center evolve.
“It’s an experience I’m not sure I could have ever had without this program. And thinking about it now, it seems like it was one highlight after another.”
Okay, Lynn – but if you had to pick just one highlight?
“Well, I did stand pretty close to Alicia Keys. She was, like…right there.”