Benefit concert to help CCPA repair heating pipes

By Lynn A. Wade

Nevada Daily Mail

A benefit concert featuring Tim Wilson and Shanna Johnson will be presented at the Fox Playhouse, Saturday, Nov. 6, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $8, and proceeds will go toward repairing the pipes in the aging hot-water heating system in the building, home of the Community Council on the Performing Arts.

Kim Bessey, CCPA board president, said the organization is growing and expanding its efforts in hosting performing arts presentations to meet the interests of a broader audience, but the financial aspect of keeping the building in good shape for performances is cumbersome.

With cold weather sure to roll in at any moment and the building's heating system badly in need of repair, the board, with the help of a pair of popular local performers, is presenting a benefit country music concert.

"A while back, we decided to go after this huge project, to have a permanent building for the CCPA. That took just tons of money, but with the help of the community we opened the doors," Bessey said.

Since the first production in the new building last year, the CCPA has faced a number of problems similar to those the owners of any older building must overcome.

"Those heating pipes weren't really doing the job last year," Bessey said, "We found that out when the paint we were going to use for a project was frozen." The organization coaxed the system through that season, but this year the plight of the pipes -- which the board estimates will cost about $1,500 -- is pressing.

"This will be a wonderful concert. Tim has such a soulful voice, and Shanna sings beautifully," Bessey said.

She said those who attend can expect a great show, and if all the theater's 200-plus seats are filled, the event would generate enough to pay for the repair needed.

That would be good news indeed for the CCPA, because Bessey said funds from ticket sales for CCPA events typically only pay for the cost of the production itself and goes to royalties paid for the right to perform the piece, set construction and other nuts and bolts of creating stage productions.

In an effort to better serve the community and to fund expenses that come along, there've been some changes in programming. It was clear that the production schedule the CCPA had followed in the past could be expanded, so the board sought out additional shows to appeal to a broader audience.

"It's been a challenge, but we like big challenges. We don't want people asking if something's going on at the Fox. We want them to ask what's going on at the Fox. We want to be seen as an important cog in the community."

That strategy is already meeting with some success.

A recent Bluegrass music event brought in many audience members that had never been inside the Fox Playhouse before.

Also coming up are the Fox Fall Follies, a showcase of local talent, which will be held at The Fox Playhouse on Saturday, Nov. 13, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 14, at 2 p.m.