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The Arts in "The Aughts," Part 2
Published: 12/31/2009 5:11 PM
Last Modified: 12/31/2009 5:11 PM

And now, for the last five years….

2005
Ransom Wilson, who co-founded the OK Mozart International Festival in Bartlesville, resigns as artistic director.

Luciano Pavarotti makes Tulsa the first U.S. stop on his "Farewell Tour," playing to a crowd of 9,000 at the Mabee Center. It will end up being one of the last performances ever by the "King of the High Cs."

The Signature Symphony gives the performance of its collective life as part of "Between the City of Yes and the City of No," an evening of music and poetry conceived by legendary Russian writer and longtime Tulsa resident Yevgeny Yevtushenko. The orchestra performs the Symphony No. 13 by Shostakovich, which was inspired by and incorporates Yevtushenko's poem "Babii Yar."

Dr. Frank Letcher unveils his proposal of the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra, a musician-run ensemble, to the task force on the arts assembled by then-Mayor Bill Lafortune in the wake of the demise of the Tulsa Philharmonic. Eleven months later, the orchestra will perform its first concert.

2006
The Price Tower in Bartlesville, the only skyscraper designed by Frank Lloyd Wright ever to be constructed, marks its 50th anniversary.

"The Lion King," the musical version of the popular Disney animated film, breaks all box-office records during its 46-performance run at the Tulsa PAC. It was seen by more than 101,000 people and brought in an estimated $19 million to Tulsa.

Three years after it premiered, and one year after it had been shown on the PBS series "Great Performances," the opera version of "The Little Prince," of which Tulsa Opera was a co-producer, debuts in Tulsa and Norman.

2007
Financial and management woes at the city-owned Gilcrease Museum leads to a plan for the University of Tulsa to take over management of the museum. The agreement is finally approved in early 2008.

Philbrook Museum and the University of Oklahoma are the recipients of the Eugene B. Adkins Collection, considered one of the finest assemblages of Southwestern art and artifacts in private hands. Philbrook plans to make this collection, created by Tulsa native Eugene Adkins, the centerpiece of new downtown facility that should open in 2010.

Tulsa native Tracy Letts' "August: Osage County" finishes an acclaimed, sold-out run at the Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago, and prepares for a trip to Broadway that is nearly derailed by a stagehand strike. However, the play opens to raves, with the playwright's father, Dennis Letts, in the pivotal role of Beverly Weston – just a few weeks before Dennis Letts dies of cancer.

2008
Carol I. Crawford, who ran Tulsa Opera for more than 16 years, resigns. Kostis Protopapas takes over as artistic director.

"August: Osage County" wins every award that it is possible for a theatrical work to win, including the Tony Award for Best Play and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

The Signature Symphony celebrates its 30th anniversary.

2009
Living Arts of Tulsa, the city's major force in cutting edge art, celebrates its 40th anniversary with a move to a new facility on Brady St.

The 25th anniversary season of OK Mozart restores the festival to its former glory, with a star-studded lineup including Broken Arrow native Kristin Chenoweth.

The TATE Awards – the Tulsa Awards for Theatrical Excellence – are established by Tulsa businessman and philanthropist George Kaiser. The first prize of $10,000 goes to the collaboration between Theatre Tulsa and Clark Theatre on "Up the Down Staircase."





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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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