New Lancaster Festival director talks about future changes

LANCASTER – Those attending the Lancaster Festival this summer will probably see no major changes. But that doesn't mean changes aren't eventually coming.

New Lancaster Festival Executive Director Joe Piccolo said he wants to look at this year's edition before deciding on any future changes. But he's already working on changing the perception that the festival is just a summer event. Instead, Piccolo wants it to become more of a brand, with various monthly events.

"I want to make sure we're not just known as a two-week party, if you will," he said. "I want people to know that we are a year-round arts organization that is open for business. The way we do that, I think, is collaborating with other organizations in the community."

Festival executive committee president Benjy Uhl said the board has a committee looking at the long-term future of the event and will start meeting this month.

"It will look at planning some of the things we'd like to have, some policies that may be changed and some opportunities for the festival," he said.

This year's festival will run from July 23 to Aug. 1.

Better promotion

"I want us to have a much greater reach," Piccolo said. "I want to make sure that the majority of the people within the region know about our festival. We have to have that. Because I'm finding that even people, many of which live in Lancaster, aren't aware of the festival or what it has to offer. We need to make sure we change that."

Piccolo, who replaced former executive director Lou Ross, said the festival needs a greater reach not only locally, but statewide.

"We really don't do much advertising in Cincinnati and Cleveland," he said. "And I think there's a large potential there for people that are passing through, that are going to Hocking Hills, to stop by and see our great city."

Piccolo said in the past that marketing may have been geared more toward print advertising. But he said it's important to focus on both digital and print.

"We need to take a good look at that, as far as how we are reaching people," Piccolo said. "Even on our web page, I would say that there's improvements that could be made to make it more user friendly."

He wants to eventually have a phone app dedicated to the festival, maybe as soon as next year. But for now, Piccolo said the festival website will resize itself to fit better on mobile platforms.

One change that has already occurred is with the festival's logo of a paint brush and treble clef with the words "Lancaster Festival." It now includes the tag line of "A celebration of music and the arts."

"That way, people who are not familiar with the Lancaster Festival will know that we're not just, say a three-day market," Piccolo said. "We are as it says, a celebration of music and the arts."

He said such small details are critical to explain the festival to those not familiar with it.

"That's how you reach a greater audience, by making it accessible to those types of people and invite them into our world," Piccolo said.

Musically speaking

Those who enjoy dancing will no doubt enjoy the new dance floor that will debut at the festival this year. When looking at the Wendel Concert Stage, it will be to the left and have a direct sight line to the performers.

Another change is the wild card night which may feature any genre of music.

"When we look at these acts, some will fit comfortably into our big Saturday spots," Piccolo said. "Some fit into our tribute night, and that's great. Others fit into our Friday singer-songwriter night. But there's others that don't fit anywhere. And I want to make sure that if we feel that a particular group would do well in Lancaster at the festival that we have an opening for them. I think that would allow us much more flexibility when it comes to artistic programming."

Piccolo said he also wants to experiment by booking more up-and-coming musicians, much like this year's Mo Pitney performance.

"How great would it be to have on that first Saturday, on the first half like we are this summer, a slot for someone who we truly believe has a tremendous amount of talent, who will do very well, but who we believe at this point isn't as popular as some of the other groups?" Piccolo said.

Additionally, Piccolo said he would like to return the downtown stage at Broad and Main streets next year and use it to host local acts, among other things.

He is considering moving the opening night performances at St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church elsewhere, but still using the church for other events.

But whatever changes Piccolo may make to the festival, he said the festival orchestra is here to stay.

"For me, the orchestra is what makes this festival unique," he said. "Other festivals have rock groups, country acts, and we have that as well. But the fact that we have our own award-winning festival orchestra, I feel that's the cornerstone of the festival. I feel strongly about that."

With that in mind, Piccolo said he wants to expose the orchestra to more people by having more classical concerts in the surrounding area and not just Lancaster.

He also wants to have more orchestra seats sponsored in order make sure the orchestra remains financially secure.

"In other words, when you look at a typical orchestra roster you will see that maybe the concert mistress or the principal cello has a sponsor," Piccolo said. "This person has sponsored them. I'd like to see if we could do more with that. I would be glad to start by sponsoring the principal double-bassist next time around. I'd be happy to do that."

Uhl said the orchestra is the foundation of the festival.

"Families open their homes to orchestra members when they are here," he said. "I think that shows the love the community has for the orchestra."

But Uhl and Piccolo both said every act will not be made to play with the orchestra. For example, Blues Traveler will not, but Thompson Square and Pitney will.

"This will be Thompson Square and Mo Pitney's first performance with an orchestra and they are very, very excited about it," Uhl said. "That is one of the prime reasons they wanted to come here."

A new stage?

For the long range, Piccolo wants to replace the OUL stage with a more contemporary one. He said that would probably cost about $1 million, but that it could be rented out during the year to recoup some of the cost.

"I've already started sketching and just looking at basic images for say, 2020 and beyond, of a different venue (stage)," Piccolo said. "Same site, just different structure."

He said the current pavilion-type stage is somewhat limiting.

"During concerts and rehearsals there's a lot that needs to go on on that stage," Piccolo said. "And we're limited on space. So I would like to look at eventually expanding that so that we determine our programming, we determine what kind of artists we want and the facilities serve us. Right now, we're limited and somewhat bound by the facility. And for now that's OK.

"But in the future you want to make sure that as we grow we're not programming based on our facility. We want to make sure we're programming what we want and that facility serves us. But this is off in the future."

Piccolo said a new stage would not mean the festival is leaving OUL.

"While the pavilion has a rich history and beautiful photographs and just so much tradition," he said, "eventually, it will date us as an organization."

jbarron@lancastereaglegazette.com

740-681-4340

Twitter: @JeffDBarron

The 2015 Lancaster Festival will run from July 23 to Aug. 1. Country acts Thompson Square and Mo Pitney, along with rockers, Blues Traveler are the musical headliners.

Thompson Square and Mo Pitney will perform at Ohio University Lancaster's Wendel Concert Stage on July 25. Blues Traveler will close the festival on Aug. 1 on the same stage.