County coronavirus case increases force change in plans for Modesto’s Gallo Center
While hopes were that Modesto’s Gallo Center for the Arts could reopen with shows in November, that won’t happen.
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has pushed those hopes to March, according to Chief Executive Officer Lynn Dickerson.
The decision came after a meeting she had last week that included Stanislaus County Public Health Officer Dr. Julie Vaishampayan.
“No good news there,” Dickerson said of the meeting.
Shows scheduled from November through February will be postponed, she said, with hopes that they still can salvage part of the 2020-21 season.
Dickerson said she’ll re-evaluate around the first of the year whether they can go on with a slate of shows March through June. The center includes the 444-seat Foster Family Theater and the 1,250-seat Mary Stuart Rogers Theater.
“Our (coronavirus case) numbers are terrible in the county. The only thing (Vaishampayan) said that was encouraging is that she feels very confident that by next summer we can be back in business as normal.”
That’s because Vaishampayan told Dickerson she believes there will be a vaccine available around the end of this year.
“I’m holding out hope we may be back a little sooner than (summer),” Dickerson said.
She’s working with performers’ agents to find new dates for the November-through-February shows that were to feature Everclear, Gabriel Iglesias, Criss Angel, Riverdance 25, Napoleon Dynamite Live, Straight No Chaser and Bonnie Raitt.
Gallo Center looks to other options
In the meantime, the center will test out virtual offerings. The first is expected to be an Aug. 29 comedy show featuring Yakov Smirnoff, Dickerson said.
The show would be family friendly and cost $25 for a household to watch. Proceeds would be split between the Gallo Center and Smirnoff. It would be streamed through his production company.
The virtual show would be “a way to test this concept and see if it resonates with our patrons in our community,” she said.
Details of how to purchase the show will be available at www.galloarts.org.
Currently, the Gallo Center Repertory Company offers virtual radio plays on the Gallo Center and Gallo Rep Facebook pages. Those shows are free.
Dickerson said donations remain at about 60 to 70 percent of normal, helping to keep the systems running at the downtown Modesto venue. “Our die-hard customers are great. Our big donors are continuing to give,” Dickerson said. “Right now we’re so grateful for that. It’s really what’s keeping us alive.”
To raise more money, a jigsaw puzzle featuring pictures of the Gallo Center is available for sale. So far, they’ve sold about 500 of the $30 puzzles, she said, which people can order by calling the box office, 209-338-2100, or going to the website, www.galloarts.org.
Gallo Center resident companies affected
The shutdown through February also has an impact on the Gallo Center’s four resident companies: Modesto Symphony Orchestra, Central West Ballet, Modesto Performing Arts and Opera Modesto.
The Modesto Symphony Orchestra had hoped to return to the stage in November as well, President and CEO Caroline Nickel said in June.
“We were disappointed to hear that (the Gallo Center won’t reopen) but we certainly understand,” Nickel said earlier this week.
“This is going to be a different year,” she said. “We’re looking at things we can do.” For instance, they started a free monthly virtual concert in July and plan to offer another this month.
“Right now, our community needs something uplifting,” Nickel said. MSO wants to do “whatever we can do to enrich our community and be there for them.”
The MSO’s youth program also continues with virtual teaching, she said.
Center shutdown cancels holiday shows
The Gallo Center’s prolonged shutdown means Central West Ballet won’t be able to present its annual “Nutcracker” productions for Christmas.
“For us, we were already kind of using our crystal ball, figuring out what we could do by ourselves, on our own,” said CWB Artistic Director Rene Daveluy.
“The whole continuation of things being shut down is no big surprise,” he added.
Daveluy said they’re looking at possible small events in the CWB studio, as long as they can do so following rules and protocols set by the state and county.
What’s important is that its dancers stay in shape, keep moving and working from their homes, he said. “It’s keeping the teapot warm for us, keeping the dancers training.”
While currently taking some time off, Daveluy said they plan to resume Zoom classes this month for both its academy and company dancers.
Modesto Performing Arts General Director Paul Tischer said in June that he doubted they’d be able to offer “A Christmas Carol” in November, as had been scheduled.
He said at that time he believed “this pandemic is going to go on longer than people think.”
MPA won’t be on stage again until June of 2021, planning to present “A Chorus Line,” Tischer said Wednesday.
“We’re just completely shut down now,” he said. “Hopefully everything will resolve by next summer.”
Opera Modesto’s General Director Roy Stevens said in an email that its next scheduled production is “The Magic Flute” in April, so the prolonged Gallo Center closure won’t impact that production.
“If another extension of the closing occurs,” he added, “that will indeed cause our April production to be postponed.”
