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To most area audiences, Texas Performing Arts is about Broadway.
This season at Bass Concert Hall, some 250,000 guests will sample from 10 large-scale touring shows from “MJ: The Musical” (Oct. 8-13) to “Moulin Rouge!” (May 13-25).
To others, the University of Texas presenter of performing arts provides access to global arts, from Cirque du Soleil Songblazers (Aug. 14-18) to DakhaBrakha (April 11), as well as recent pop culture in the form of comedy and music concerts.
Another type of show has emerged more prominently during the tenure of Bob Bursey, the group’s artistic and executive director since his arrival during the days just before the onset of the pandemic.
Building on previous efforts, Bursey has deepened UT’s ties with Austin artists and arts producers.
Several groups, such as youth arts experts, Impact Arts, and avant-garde specialists, Fusebox Festival, have blossomed well beyond their previous incarnations through ongoing partnerships with Texas Performing Arts. Other projects, such as finite residencies, have brought together local talents in ways that would not have been possible without UT’s first-rate facilities, managerial know-how and support staff.
All these partnerships and collaborations undergird the core task of enriching the educational culture of the university.
“My sense as a relative newcomer is that there is a lot of opportunity for Austin’s arts organizations to work together to do things that are bigger or more adventurous,” Bursey told the American-Statesman in 2023. “I love that there’s a new generation of arts leaders in Austin who are collaboratively minded. Museums, theaters and music spaces across the country are trying to figure out how to flourish in the post-pandemic world. I think collaborative projects and partnerships are the path forward. It’s how to sustain the arts ecosystem and create incredible experiences.”
I caught up with Bursey over the summer and asked him to elaborate on this viewpoint.
Increasing the ‘scope and scale’ of arts in Austin
American Statesman: How do you choose the Austin artistic partners for Texas Performing Arts?
Bob Bursey: We look for partnerships that can have the biggest impact. And where we are uniquely able to make a difference.
What are the great things happening in our community that could be even better? What’s going to register beyond Austin? Can we do something amazing together that wouldn’t otherwise be possible?
I look at it as expanding what a large arts organization can be.
Historically, arts centers like ours were created to bring in the best artists from around the world. They didn’t pay too much attention to what was happening locally. It wasn’t seen as part of the mission. Then you add in the university element, which in general hasn’t always had strong connections to what’s happening in the community.
We’ve shown that we can aim higher every season with the caliber of artists and number of productions we bring in as well as be an essential part of the local arts community.
Ours is the largest arts organization in the city. I view it as our responsibility to use our scope and scale to elevate the arts in Austin by making a difference at the local, national, and international levels.
Fusebox: ‘Nothing like it in the country right now’
You’ve engaged in a long-term strategic partnership with Ron Berry and Fusebox Festival, the Austin group that has long presented progressive acts from around the world. How did that come about? How is it going?
We began collaborating with Fusebox during the pandemic.
I wanted to continue to provide opportunities for artists to create and Ron and Fusebox had great relationships with some of the most interesting artists in the city. So we worked together to commission new projects and host creative residencies at a time when there wasn’t much opportunity for Austin artists to work. Those projects have gone on to have successful tours.
Ron and the team at Fusebox wanted to shift their acclaimed festival to a biennial and have a year-round presence in the community. We share a lot of common interests in artists who are breaking boundaries. We’re in our second year of a presenting a series of adventurous projects from around the world. The response has been great.
Fusebox is known throughout the performing arts world and is a homegrown Austin institution. There’s almost nothing like it around the country now.
We’ve done the opposite of what’s happened recently in other cities, where larger institutions have cut off their partnerships with cutting-edge festivals. We wanted to set an example of how we can help sustain and grow what’s great and unique about the arts in Austin.
Impact Arts: ‘New possibilities for students in our community’
Another ongoing partnership is with Ginger Morris and Impact Arts, which encompasses Summer Stock Austin, the Heller and Jimmy Awards, and other training and engagement programs for high school and college artists. Why is that a good fit for Texas Performing Arts?
Education is at the core of Texas Performing Arts. Being part of the state’s flagship university means that we look for opportunities to learn from and get engaged with every artist or production we present. And we’re always working to create new possibilities for our students in our community.
We saw a great opportunity with the Heller Awards to create national impact. Because we bring Broadway to Austin, we were able to connect our local high school music theater awards to the national Jimmy Awards put on by the Broadway League. In our first year, our Austin nominee Langston Lee won as best actor, which really proved the point that we have extraordinary talent in Austin.
The educational focus is something that makes us different from other places you can see a show in town. We’re thinking about who the audience will be 20 years from now. Who is going to write the next great play? Who are the future leaders of the arts in this country? Working with Ginger and Impact Arts creates opportunities for the best high school age theater students in our community. And what they can do is just incredible.
National and international artists who live right here in Austin
You’ve set up residencies for outstanding Austin artists, such as Carrie Rodriguez, Deborah Hay and so forth, that include public performances. How does that dovetail with the mission of Texas Performing Arts?
We have artists of national and international significance living and working here in Austin. We look for where we can help them do something bigger.
We have a great track record over the past few years of helping Austin artists create new projects that go on to be seen around the country. Virginia Grise, Lisa B. Thompson, Deborah Hay and the new project in development with Carrie Rodriguez all put Austin on the creative map through their work.
We want to support that as much as we want to get the best artists from around the country to Austin.
Pulling together other Austin arts resources
You have partnered with institutions on and off campus. I’m thinking specifically of the teamwork with the performing arts collection at the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center. Tell us about that and other productive partnerships.
I love being part of something that couldn’t have happened without teamwork. Last fall, we, Fusebox and the Contemporary Austin collaborated to present Raven Chacon’s “Tremble Staves”at Laguna Gloria. It involved UT musicians and local artists. It was extraordinary to see in that incredible location as the sun set on the banks of the river.
This fall, we’re partnering with Conspirare for the first time to present their Grammy Award-winning “Considering Matthew Shephard.” That’s a very moving show that has been performed by choirs around the world. After so much acclaim they wanted to bring it home to Austin and of course we wanted to be part of making that happen.
I’m also excited by new partnerships like our collaboration with ATX Chamber Music & Jazz. Together we’re bringing jazz master Branford Marsalis to Austin for a week this fall. He’ll work with students for a week and then give a concert with UT’s phenomenal jazz orchestra, then play two intimate concerts with his band.
Making local impact a priority
Bob, what does all this mean to you?
We have had a lot of support to make these partnerships happen. We are incredibly fortunate to have a dynamic leadership board that has given us the resources to step up on the national stage. Our board members provide great connections to what’s happening locally and nationally.
I love it when I learn about an organization, artist or project that wasn’t on my radar. Our board members have been great about being that connective layer and supporting these partnerships.
When I look at what’s different for us now compared to, say, 10 years ago, the formation of our leadership board fills a huge piece that was missing in terms of community input and connection. The leadership at UT now is also more community-minded and making local impact a priority.
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