A Note from The Lincoln Center Director, Jack A. Rogers

Why is it that when you are preoccupied with something, every song you hear seems to speak to it? I turn on the radio, and it’s one of my British Invasion favorites, The Kinks.

…So tired, tired of waiting, tired of waiting for yoooouuuuu…

The last year has been an exercise in waiting, one that has been so difficult for all of us. Somehow the months amble ever forward as the days seem to creep along interminably.  It is an exercise in waiting that may have tried even the Buddha’s patience. I know that I, and many of the staff here at The Lincoln Center, live for the shared experiences we have all had to forego to keep each other safe. That doesn’t mean that we are not hard at work. The Lincoln Center is open for business and has had the pleasure of hosting several events over the last few months. In fact, if you need a place to host a socially-distanced meeting or other affair of some kind, we can absolutely do it for you! More importantly, we can do it both legally and safely. 

In the last year, The Lincoln Center team has learned a lot about things we often took for granted: live streaming and webcasting, navigating public health orders, and air exchange rates—just to name a few. (You know, all of the reasons one gets into show business.) I am proud to say that our research into these areas shows us to be the safest indoor event facility in Northern Colorado. We have been able to film the Fort Collins Symphony on five different occasions, and as I type this, we are preparing for our sixth. Maestro Wes Kenney believes that we may have webcast the only July 4th symphonic celebration in the nation this year! We have learned that each individual room in The Lincoln Center completes a full air exchange with outside air every ten minutes. As the nation ramps up its vaccination program, we look forward to the day when crowds can once again gather to share the magic that is only unlocked when we come together to share an experience. Until then, let’s see what’s on the radio. Oh great! Tom Petty!

…The waiting is the hardest part, everyday you see one more card, you take it on faith, you take it on heart, the waiting is the hardest part…

This does seem like the hardest part. The good news is that there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel. Our colleagues in Australia and New Zealand are already hosting festivals, and the Australian productions of Hamilton, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and Come From Away have just reopened. The British government has stated that large-scale music events could operate at 100% capacity by June 21. Even closer to home, Westword recently reported that Red Rocks could possibly operate at 80% capacity by July. We just all need to do our part, mask up to protect our communities, and get vaccinated as soon as we can.

We have heard from many of you who are excited to return and trust me when I tell you that we are even more excited to welcome you back. We are moving forward with the plans for a 21–22 season. We are so excited to share all of the wonderful art we will be bringing to Fort Collins. Right now, we are still working with our partners in the industry to navigate the choppy waters of our collective response to this crisis as to how and when we can put performances on sale. I expect that late in the spring or early this summer you will see our season announcement and get your first chance to either renew or purchase a new subscription and get the best seats in the house.

After the Dark Ages of the bubonic plague came the glory of the Renaissance. After the Spanish Influenza epidemic, the Harlem Renaissance revitalized American culture. I have no doubt that the art that is unleashed in the wake of this pandemic will be transcendent. Perhaps more importantly, my team and I cannot wait to share it with you. So, keep an eye out for our 21–22 season announcement, and for some other exciting things we have planned this summer. In the meantime, I will just be over here listening to this Carly Simon record. 

We can never know about the days to come, but we think about them anyway. And I wonder if I’m really with you now or just chasin’ after some finer day…Anticipation, anticipation…

We will see you soon my friends, and oh what magic I anticipate!

Jack A. Rogers
Director, The Lincoln Center