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UT PAC Season Party at Bass Concert Hall
Kathleen Panoff is a firecracker.
Kathleen Panoff, Mindy Graves
Coming to the University of Texas Performing Arts Center from the University of Richmond, the new director seems fearless, energetic and plainspoken. Those qualities aren’t always rewarded at Byzantine UT, but they should help reconnect Austin to the campus as the PAC reinvents itself once again.
Marji Calbert, Juan Pensado
At a reception in the renovated Bass Concert Hall lobby, I spoke with Panoff before the announcement of the 2009-2010 PAC’s season. (For that report — and all arts news — go to Seeing Things.) She seemed to understand the recent history of the seven-venue center, including the go-go ’80s, retrenchment ’90s and redirectional ’00s.
Martha Ernst, Marianne Scudder
Rising music entrepreneur Greg Vendetti was there, mixing with College of Fine Arts Dean Doug Dempster and School of Music Director Glenn Chandler. The Four Seasons Hotel provided the sumptuous spread.
Kristin Brown, Ivy Hayes
Also spoke with current and former department chairmen, such as Bob Schmidt and Ken Hale. (Like other almuni of UT’s No. 1-ranked program in theater history and criticism, I’m anxious that the university hire a historian of retired professor Oscar Brockett’s stature.)
Greg Vendetti, Jane Frederick
Back to the 2009-2010 season, I count more than 100 discrete events — not including multiple performances — on its well-designed calendar of events. (One could spend a third of the year at the center.) That’s amazing, but when you consider the $9 million operation is Austin’s biggest arts group, there are going to be a lot of moving parts.
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