PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon Ballet Theatre (OBT) is winding down its 2024 season while celebrating a milestone.
“This is the greatest season we've ever had in our 35-year history,” said OBT Executive Director Shane Jewell.
Jewell said OBT had 92,000 attendees and $4.7 million in ticket sales. That’s a big leap over OBT’s second-best season in 2017, which had 85,000 attendees and $3.7 million in sales.
“It doesn't mean we're out of the woods, we're still re-building and we're certainly thrilled about it,” Jewell said. “There just seems to be a lot of hope and a lot of momentum that something special is happening at the ballet and people want to be a part of it.”
Jewell said since the pandemic, audience tastes have shifted. A little like comfort food, he said they're seeking what's familiar to them. It's why OBT focused this season on the classics, like Swan Lake, Peter Pan, and their annual run of The Nutcracker. They’re following a similar theme for next season. Jewell said they're also seeing more kids and families in the audience.
“There's no one who works in the arts who doesn't have a story about a show they saw when they were a kid that changed their lives,” Jewell said.
OBT Director of Marketing Stephanie Chadwick believes part of their audience infusion stems from a bigger effort to revitalize downtown.
“I believe in Portland 110% and I want to be part of the change, that's one of the reasons why I work at Oregon Ballet Theatre,” Chadwick said. “There's something different about experiencing art as a group, as a community.”
OBT has one more show this season, called Made in Portland. The showcase of contemporary works runs from June 6-9 at the Newmark Theatre on Southwest Broadway. As for OBT's anchor stage at the Keller Auditorium, its future is up in the air. The city is currently deciding whether to rebuild it or build a new theater, either at Portland State University or Lloyd Center. Jewell said OBT is not endorsing any one proposal.
“We’re very much looking forward to a decision being made so we can all move forward together,” Jewell said.