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The Arts in "The Aughts," Part 1
Published: 12/30/2009 3:50 PM
Last Modified: 12/30/2009 3:50 PM

The Tulsa World devoted much of this past Sunday's edition to listing the milestones of the past 10 years in news, sports, business, technology and popular entertainment – all the very important stuff.

One subject that ended up being left out was a look back at the major events in the local arts during the decade that's come to be called "The Aughts."

We'll use this space to attempt to rectify this, although we have a feeling we're going to end up leaving something important out…:

2000
The "Beginning of the End" of the Tulsa Philharmonic, as music director Kenneth Jean does not renew his contract. His final concert with the orchestra is the Symphony No. 9 by Mahler – as haunting a musical farewell as has ever been written.

2001
After nearly two decades as the Oklahoma Sinfonia and the house orchestra at the Brady Theater, the orchestra founded and run by G. Barry Epperley becomes the Signature Symphony and takes up residence at the Performing Arts Center for Education at Tulsa Community College.

The Sept. 11 attacks rearrange the lives of every U.S. citizen. Days after the attack, the Tulsa Philharmonic perform Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6, the "Pathetique," a work in which the emotions roil about, from melancholy to manic, from delight to despair, in ways seemed to mirror the conflicting, contradictory feelings of many Americans in those dark and troubling.

2002
Tulsa Ballet makes a "grand jete" to the Old World, being the only U.S. company asked to participate in the month-long Sintra Festival of Music and Dance in Portugal. It is the first international performances by the company; later on in the decade, Tulsa Ballet will perform in Eastern Europe and South Korea.

Trinity Episcopal Church is the setting for the "Rolling Requiem," as Tulsa choruses organized by David Rollo perform the Mozart Requiem beginning at 8:46 a.m., Sept. 11, 2002, part of a world-wide commemoration.

The day after performing in a Sept. 11 memorial concert, the Tulsa Philharmonic announces it is "temporarily ceasing operations."

Tulsa Ballet presents its final performances of "The Nutcracker" staged by the company's founders, Roman Jasinski and Moscelyne Larkin. The production has been a Tulsa tradition for 33 years.


2003
In January, the Tulsa Philharmonic announces it is canceling its season, citing a $1 million deficit. The orchestra never officially goes out of business, but the announcement means the end of the often-troubled 54-year-old orchestra.

Marcia Manhart, who oversaw the Philbrook Museum of Art for 30 years as executive director, retires.

Tulsa Ballet debuts its new "Nutcracker," choreographed by artistic director Marcello Angelini and featuring lavish costumes and sets created and realized by some of Europe's top theatrical designers.

2004
American Theater Company received a $25,000 donation from actor Paul Newman, sending the Tulsa group "every good wish for continued success in your endeavors." The gift arrived one month after I directed Mr. Newman toward the exit of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. We are quite confident these two events are not related.

Living Arts of Tulsa receives a $60,000 grant from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, recognizing the organization's efforts to "foster innovative artistic expression and the creative process by encouraging and supporting…work of a challenging and often experimental nature."

Gilcrease Museum puts a great deal of what had been its rarely seen collection of artifacts on display in the newly opened, multi-media Kravis Discovery Center.



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ARTS

James D. Watts Jr. has lived in Oklahoma for most his life, even though he still has people saying to him, "Don't sound like you're from around these parts." A University of Oklahoma Phi Beta Kappa graduate, Watts has received the Governor Arts Award, Harwelden Award and the National Conference of Christians and Jews Beth Macklin Award for his writing. Before coming to the Tulsa World, Watts worked for the Tulsa Tribune.

Contact him at (918) 581-8478.

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