[House Hearing, 110 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
THE REAUTHORIZATION OF THE JOHN F. KENNEDY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING
ARTS
=======================================================================
(110-74)
HEARING
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, PUBLIC BUILDINGS, AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON
TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED TENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
SEPTEMBER 27, 2007
__________
Printed for the use of the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
----------
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COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE
JAMES L. OBERSTAR, Minnesota, Chairman
NICK J. RAHALL, II, West Virginia, JOHN L. MICA, Florida
Vice Chair DON YOUNG, Alaska
PETER A. DeFAZIO, Oregon THOMAS E. PETRI, Wisconsin
JERRY F. COSTELLO, Illinois HOWARD COBLE, North Carolina
ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON, District of JOHN J. DUNCAN, Jr., Tennessee
Columbia WAYNE T. GILCHREST, Maryland
JERROLD NADLER, New York VERNON J. EHLERS, Michigan
CORRINE BROWN, Florida STEVEN C. LaTOURETTE, Ohio
BOB FILNER, California RICHARD H. BAKER, Louisiana
EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas FRANK A. LoBIONDO, New Jersey
GENE TAYLOR, Mississippi JERRY MORAN, Kansas
ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS, Maryland GARY G. MILLER, California
ELLEN O. TAUSCHER, California ROBIN HAYES, North Carolina
LEONARD L. BOSWELL, Iowa HENRY E. BROWN, Jr., South
TIM HOLDEN, Pennsylvania Carolina
BRIAN BAIRD, Washington TIMOTHY V. JOHNSON, Illinois
RICK LARSEN, Washington TODD RUSSELL PLATTS, Pennsylvania
MICHAEL E. CAPUANO, Massachusetts SAM GRAVES, Missouri
JULIA CARSON, Indiana BILL SHUSTER, Pennsylvania
TIMOTHY H. BISHOP, New York JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas
MICHAEL H. MICHAUD, Maine SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West
BRIAN HIGGINS, New York Virginia
RUSS CARNAHAN, Missouri JIM GERLACH, Pennsylvania
JOHN T. SALAZAR, Colorado MARIO DIAZ-BALART, Florida
GRACE F. NAPOLITANO, California CHARLES W. DENT, Pennsylvania
DANIEL LIPINSKI, Illinois TED POE, Texas
DORIS O. MATSUI, California DAVID G. REICHERT, Washington
NICK LAMPSON, Texas CONNIE MACK, Florida
ZACHARY T. SPACE, Ohio JOHN R. `RANDY' KUHL, Jr., New
MAZIE K. HIRONO, Hawaii York
BRUCE L. BRALEY, Iowa LYNN A WESTMORELAND, Georgia
JASON ALTMIRE, Pennsylvania CHARLES W. BOUSTANY, Jr.,
TIMOTHY J. WALZ, Minnesota Louisiana
HEATH SHULER, North Carolina JEAN SCHMIDT, Ohio
MICHAEL A. ACURI, New York CANDICE S. MILLER, Michigan
HARRY E. MITCHELL, Arizona THELMA D. DRAKE, Virginia
CHRISTOPHER P. CARNEY, Pennsylvania MARY FALLIN, Oklahoma
JOHN J. HALL, New York VERN BUCHANAN, Florida
STEVE KAGEN, Wisconsin
STEVE COHEN, Tennessee
JERRY McNERNEY, California
LAURA A. RICHARDSON, California
(ii)
Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency
Management
ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON, District of Columbia, Chairwoman
MICHAEL H. MICHAUD, Maine SAM GRAVES, Missouri
JASON ALTMIRE, Pennsylvania BILL SHUSTER, Pennsylvania
MICHAEL A. ARCURI, New York SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West
CHRISTOPHER P. CARNEY, Virginia
Pennsylvania, Vice Chair CHARLES W. DENT, Pennsylvania
TIMOTHY J. WALZ, Minnesota JOHN R. `RANDY' KUHL, Jr., New
STEVE COHEN, Tennessee York
JAMES L. OBERSTAR, Minnesota JOHN L. MICA, Florida
(Ex Officio) (Ex Officio)
(iii)
CONTENTS
Page
Summary of Subject Matter........................................ vi
TESTIMONY
Kaiser, Michael M., President, John F. Kennedy Center for the
Performing Arts................................................ 2
PREPARED STATEMENTS SUBMITTED BY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
Altmire, Hon. Jason, of Pennsylvania............................. 17
Carney, Hon. Christopher P., of Pennsylvania..................... 18
Cohen, Hon. Steve, of Tennessee.................................. 20
Norton, Hon. Eleanor Holmes, of the District of Columbia......... 21
Oberstar, Hon. James L., of Minnesota............................ 22
PREPARED STATEMENTS SUBMITTED BY WITNESSES
Kaiser, Michael M................................................ 23
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
THE JOHN F. KENNEDY CENTER REAUTHORIZATION
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Thursday, September 27, 2007
House of Representatives,
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and
Emergency Management,
Washington, DC.
The Subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 10:08 a.m., in
Room 2167, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Eleanor Holmes
Norton [Chair of the Subcommittee] presiding.
Present: Representatives Norton, Cohen and Graves.
Ms. Norton. I am pleased to extend a warm welcome to
Michael Kaiser, President of the John F. Kennedy Center for the
Performing Arts, a world-recognized preeminent performing arts
institution and iconic landmark here in the District of
Columbia, our Nation's Capital. Mr. Kaiser has presided over
the Center's transformation both in architecture and in
programming. The building's 1.5 million square feet on 17 acres
has been upgraded, refigured, and transformed to more easily
and graciously accommodate the Center's 2 million annual
visitors and patrons.
Mr. Kaiser has given committed and personal attention not
only to the Center's programmatic side, but also to the more
mundane bricks and mortar that make up the Presidential
memorial, which we must remember is what the Kennedy Center is.
Mr. Kaiser has not lost sight of the important symbolism of
this building as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy, and
we are grateful for his vigilance.
Today we will begin the process of reauthorizing
appropriations for the Center for a period of 5 years. The
appropriations will support the capital needs as well as the
operations and maintenance of the building. Operation costs
include utilities, fire protection and systems, ADA
requirements, heating, ventilation, cooling and plumbing.
Capital requirements are centered around renovation of the
larger spaces, such as the Grand Foyer, the entire roof, and
the reconfiguring of the plaza at the front of the building,
something that we have long sought. Traffic flow and pedestrian
access were improved by adding a grand staircase and a new
vehicular circulation pattern.
We are pleased to hear from the president of the Center,
and I especially want to hear how the Center is becoming more
energy efficient, one of the priorities of our Subcommittee.
Mr. Kaiser, welcome.
Mr. Kaiser. Thank you very much.
Ms. Norton. I want to hear next from our Ranking Member,
Mr. Graves.
Mr. Graves. Thank you, Madam Chairman, for holding today's
hearing on the reauthorization of the John F. Kennedy Center
for the Performing Arts.
Let me also thank our witness, Mr. Kaiser from the Kennedy
Center, for being here today. We invited you here to talk about
the current condition of the facilities and the future needs of
the Kennedy Center.
The Kennedy Center has millions of visitors every year who
come to enjoy the world-class performances in its theaters and
public spaces. Maintaining a facility that welcomes visitors
and performers has proven a difficult task, and today we seek
to ensure the upkeep and modernization of the Kennedy Center.
The popularity of this institution has contributed to the
wear and tear on the facilities. In the 36 years since the
Kennedy Center first opened, it stores millions of visitors who
have enjoyed performances in the nine theaters and various
public spaces of the Center.
The authorization request submitted by the Kennedy Center
includes plans to upgrade fire safety systems and stairwells,
increase accessibility, and upgrade and maintain basic building
features. Major projects also include the replacement of the
Curtain Wall and panels of exterior marble that have been
discolored or damaged. Renovations that would bring the Concert
Hall up to standard for a national orchestra are also planned.
By maintaining the facility and proactively making repairs,
the Center will be able to prevent major problems in the
future. Long-term projects include the renovation of the
theater lab and the terrace theater with improved
accessibility, and update the theatrical systems. The Theater
Lab will be made more useful and the infrastructure issues will
be addressed. These two theaters would be updated towards the
end of the 5-year authorization period.
While the Kennedy Center has had its fair share of
construction management problems in the past, I am pleased to
see that it has instituted a number of reforms recommended by
this Committee and brought its more recent projects to
completion on time and on budget.
So I look forward to this hearing. I look forward to
hearing from our witness about the procedures in place to use
public and private funds, for capital asset acquisition and
maintenance, and to ensure the fiscal responsibility to
maintain.
Thank you again, Madam Chair, for holding this hearing, and
I look forward to it.
Ms. Norton. Thank you, Mr. Graves.
Now we will hear from our witness, President Kaiser.
STATEMENT OF MICHAEL M. KAISER, PRESIDENT, JOHN F. KENNEDY
CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
Mr. Kaiser. Thank you very much, Madam Chairman. It is a
great pleasure to be here today, and I am grateful for the
tremendous support of this Subcommittee over my 6-1/2 years as
president of the Kennedy Center. Indeed the Kennedy Center has
received several authorizations through your Subcommittee since
1995. Over the last 12 years, the institution has made enormous
progress in making necessary capital repairs to the entire
memorial and improvement in its operations and maintenance.
Our current authorization bill expires on September 30,
2007 and the Center is asking the Subcommittee's consideration
for a proposed 5-year reauthorization spanning fiscal years
2008 to 2012. I will describe the Center's plan for this time
span shortly. But for the benefit of all Subcommittee Members,
I would like to take a minute to describe briefly the breadth
of the Center's activities and outreach across the country and
across the world.
The Kennedy Center is both our national cultural center and
a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy. I emphasize the
world "living" since there is a vitality to the memorial and
the institution that far exceeds anything that could have been
envisioned when the Center was chartered by Congress in 1958
under President Dwight D. Eisenhower as the national cultural
center.
Each year, the Kennedy Center reaches over 2 million people
with more than 2,000 performances in all performing arts
disciplines. Every season, our focus is on developing
programming that achieves national and international acclaim as
is befitting our role as a national cultural center.
But our performing arts activities are not limited to the
Washington, D.C. Area. We are committed to touring productions
to all 50 states to make them available to all Americans. The
National Symphony Orchestra, a vital part of the Kennedy Center
for 20 years, is fulfilling this mandate by expanding its
national touring activities. The Kennedy Center Theater for
Young Audiences on Tour program brings the best of family and
children's theater to 107 cities in 31 States and serves over a
quarter million people each year. The Center is committed to
making arts accessible to everyone and presents free
performances every day of the year on our Millennium stage.
These performances are also available free to every American
via live Internet broadcast.
The Kennedy Center also is committed to arts education and
has created one of the most extensive arts education programs
in the world. We have committed $125 million over 5 years in
this effort and serve 11 million people nationwide annually. We
now train 25,000 teachers annually to bring the arts into the
classroom at all levels. Our Distance Learning Initiative,
which touches more than 1 million teachers and students each
year, enables classrooms to experience world-class performances
and to engage in discussions with artists at the Kennedy
Center. Our Partners in Education program mentors relationships
between arts organizations and their community school systems
with 105 organization teams and school systems in 46 States and
the District of Columbia.
The Kennedy Center also provides training to talented young
Americans who aspire to careers in dance, music, conducting and
set design. Our American College Theater Festival identifies
the next generation of actors, designers and playwrights, with
20,000 students from over 900 colleges participating.
The Kennedy Center has instituted two programs which we
hope will change the landscape of the arts in America. The
Institute for Arts Management, which prepares arts managers for
jobs running major institutions throughout the world, and the
Capacity Building Program for Culturally Specific Arts
Organizations, which trains managers of African American,
Latino, Asian American and Native American arts organizations.
We have also instituted international arts management programs
in Mexico, China, Pakistan and the 22 Arab nations.
The extensive programming and education activities that the
Center presents and provides are supported through private
contributions of almost $50 million annually, not counting
other government grants or endowment earnings which total an
additional $20 million each ear. In addition, the Center earns
approximately $65 million each year from ticket sales, parking
fees, food service, space rental and our gift shops.
In support of our artistic and educational programming, the
Center takes seriously its responsibility to keep the building,
a Federal asset, in the best condition possible. The Kennedy
Center building consists of 1.5 million square feet of usable
floor space on 17 acres of land. The building contains nine
theaters, two public restaurant facilities, nine special event
rooms, five public galleries, halls and foyers, and
approximately 50,000 square feet of administrative offices.
Let me assure you that the Kennedy Center will continue to
operate a safe, secure, and well-maintained building for all of
its patrons and visitors and provide preventive maintenance as
well as routine and emergency repairs and replacement of
building systems. To this end, the Center received a Federal
appropriation of approximately $30 million this year. The
direct Federal funding provided the Kennedy Center is used for
both the operations and maintenance and for capital repair and
restoration of the Presidential monument. Direct Federal
funding may not be used for programming expenses. The operating
and maintenance account is for the maintenance, repair, and
security of the entire facility and grounds. This includes
utilities, fire protection and sprinkler systems, elevators and
handicap lift systems, and a myriad of electrical, mechanical,
heating, ventilation, air conditioning, plumbing and sanitary
water systems.
In addition to the maintenance and operation of these
systems, this account also funds small renovations and the
administration of 20,000 feet of offsite warehouse space. The
security department provides 24-hour protection every day of
the year, emergency response, key and access control, alarm
system, monitoring, dignitary protection and crowd management.
In addition to these personnel services, the department
maintains a variety of security and safety systems, such as
electronic security, vehicular barriers and fire alarm and fire
suppression systems.
The Center is always looking for opportunities to make the
memorial more energy efficient. One example of our progress is
the completion of an energy savings performance contract which
has resulted in substantial energy savings. We believe this
reauthorization proposal will accommodate anticipated cost
escalation as well as critical minor repair projects and
increases relating to employee salaries and benefits, utilities
and contracted services, including security, housekeeping, and
ground services and equipment maintenance. The Center's capital
repair and restoration account addresses the larger renovations
to the infrastructure of the memorial.
During the past 9 years, much has been accomplished. In
1997, the Center reopened its renovated state-of-the-art fully
accessible Concert Hall. In 2003, the opera house was also
completely renovated to address fire and life safety issues and
accessibility. In 2006, we opened our new family theater that
offers a completely modern accessible venue for youth and
family productions. And currently the Eisenhower Theater is
undergoing its first full renovation since it opened in 1971
with improvements to life safety, building systems and
accessibility. The Grand Foyer has received a complete
overhaul. The Center has installed a new fire alarm management
system and public address system for the entire building.
Rehabilitation and modernization of the Center's elevators
is in progress, with 10 completed to date. The Center conducted
a comprehensive survey to identify all asbestos-containing
materials in the building and has implemented an ongoing
inspection and maintenance program, including substantial
abatement activity. The entire roof and roof terrace were
replaced and new safety railings were installed. Likewise, the
marble deck on the plaza level was removed and replaced with
new granite paving.
Perhaps our largest capital improvement has been to the
site and grounds. The new circulation provides free-flow
traffic movement to the garage, additional garage entrances and
exits, and direct access to the Potomac Expressway from the
Kennedy Center site.
Pedestrian access was improved by replacing the steep ramp
with a monumental stairway and a fully accessible walkway. The
site was also completely relandscaped and new lighting of the
building and the grounds were installed. To heighten security,
an electronic security system, including closed-circuit
cameras, has been installed throughout the building and
grounds. Vehicular bollards were installed at the entrance to
the service tunnel. The entire key and access control system
was upgraded. A new security operation Center was installed.
To prepare for this reauthorization proposal, the Center
completed a full update of its comprehensive building plan with
the latest information of the facility's condition and need for
improvement. A team of architectural and engineering
consultants surveyed the entire building and recommended
upgrades based on the current needs and conditions, provided
cost estimates and organized the improvements into a new
implementation plan. This plan reflects the Center's continued
priorities of access, of accessibility and life safety, as well
as facility infrastructure.
The completion of life-safety efforts identified in
previous plans, such as installation of sprinklers in the roof
terrace level and the renovation of the Eisenhower Theater,
take precedence in the near future.
Over the authorization period, the Center's capital repair
implementation plan includes installation of sprinkler systems
and replacement of fire doors on the roof terrace level, as
well as minor architectural upgrades such as carpet
replacement, wall and ceiling finishes and new lighting;
renovation of miscellaneous toilet rooms throughout the
building to address accessibility issues and to update fixtures
and finishes; improvements to exit stairwells, including
upgrades to stair treads, handrails, lighting, signage,
ventilation, finishes and doors, and upgrades to door hardware
such as handles and openers to meet accessibility requirements.
In the longer term, as the life safety and accessibility
work throughout the facility is completed, the focus will shift
to facility infrastructure improvements. These projects will
include replacement of the Curtain Walls, which involves
replacing all of the large floor-to-ceiling windows and the
gaskets in the Grand Foyer, Roof Terrace, Hall of States and
Hall of Nations; repairs to the exterior marble where panels
have become broken or discolored and joints have deteriorated;
renovations to areas in the south block underneath the Concert
Hall which were not addressed during the larger Concert Hall
renovation. In addition, this project will address some
environmental issues, instrument storage locations on the stage
and in the upper levels of the auditorium. Significant work on
aging mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems will also be
instituted.
The Kennedy Center's building systems primarily include
original equipment. And although maintained and serviced
regularly to ensure proper function, these elements not
previously in the theater renovation projects are reaching the
end of normative service life and are showing signs of failure
and deterioration. This reauthorization proposal will allow the
Center to embark on a systematic rehabilitation campaign.
Mechanical system upgrades will include repair, refurbishment
or replacement of heating and cooling equipment such as
boilers, air-handling units, humidifiers, pumps, valves and
piping. Plumbing systems will also receive major upgrades. The
electrical systems will receive a complete overhaul, including
replacement of aging electrical wiring, panels and devices. The
emergency power transfer switches will be replaced and safety
and protective devices will be tested and upgraded as
necessary. Upgrades also will be made to technical state
systems, including various cyclical replacements, audio-visual
systems and rigging components. These projects, though not
obvious to the public, are critical to the continued safe and
efficient operation of the Center.
Two additional projects affecting public spaces will be
initiated toward the end of this 5-year period. The renovation
of the Theater lab and the Terrace Theater. The Theater Lab, a
flexible black box theater space, will be renovated to create
permanent walls, address sound transmission problems and
upgrade finishes and building infrastructure. The Terrace
Theater, over 30 years old, will receive improvements in
accessibility, seating, finishes, patron circulation and
building and theatrical system infrastructure.
Accessible seating is currently only available in the rear
of the theater. While this is not a violation of accessibility
laws, it does not conform with our standards of service to
people with disabilities. It would be ideal to provide
additional disperse seating.
I should note that project design will start during this 5-
year period, but the bulk of the expense, including
construction expense, will fall in 2013 and a subsequent
authorization. These projects to be completed over the next 5
years and many other long-range projects and planning
constitute an aggressive plan designed to keep the Center
operating in a way befitting a Presidential memorial.
Let me finish by expressing gratitude for this opportunity
to update you on the many activities of the Kennedy Center. I
thank the Subcommittee for its continued support of the Center
and it is my hope that your Subcommittee and Congress will
receive this proposal favorably.
I am pleased to answer any questions. Thank you very much.
Ms. Norton. Thank you, Mr. Kaiser.
Before I proceed to questions, I should ask Mr. Kuhl if he
has any opening statement to make.
Mr. Kuhl. Thank you, Madam Chairman. I don't have any
opening statement, but thank you for the opportunity. I was
just curious if the Chairwoman was going to organize a
Subcommittee trip to the Kennedy Center so we could review
personally the proposed project.
Ms. Norton. And do you have a performance in mind, Mr.
Kuhl?
Mr. Kuhl. No performances other than Mr. Kaiser.
Ms. Norton. I am sure Mr. Kaiser would be pleased to do
just that.
Mr. Kaiser. We would be thrilled to invite all of you to
the Center at an appropriate time for you.
Mr. Kuhl. Great. Just contact your office.
Mr. Kaiser. Absolutely.
Mr. Kuhl. Okay. Thanks, Madam Chairman.
Ms. Norton. Of course.
Mr. Kaiser, as you will recall, we had a hearing and had
both you and the director of the Smithsonian here because we
are looking at both the core differences--one is centrally
funded by the Federal Government and, of course, the Kennedy
Center is not. What is your annual fund raising goal?
Mr. Kaiser. Our annual fundraising goal is approximately
$50 million. In addition, we raise about $20 million from other
government grants and from our endowment funding. So it is a
total of $70 million of unearned income.
Ms. Norton. What is your own policy regarding board
membership? Obviously you have a large board. Many of them are
from the private sector, I am pleased to, report because that
is where the money is, and therefore many of them are involved
in businesses of all kinds.
How do you avoid some of the problems that the Smithsonian
had, not so much with its board but with conflicts of interest?
Mr. Kaiser. Well, as you know, Madam Chairman, our board is
appointed both by the President of the United States and by the
leadership of Congress. But we ask all of our board members to
sign a conflict-of-interest statement. And on this conflict-of-
interest statement, they have to reveal if they have any
business dealings or other dealings or ownership of any of the
major vendors who service the Kennedy Center. So far there has
been absolutely no conflict of interest. But we do make, each
year, each of our board members sign, and, I should say, also
the senior staff.
Ms. Norton. Do you have a recusal process in case something
is----
Mr. Kaiser. Yes. So far we have not had to use that recusal
process, but we would obviously have to recuse any board member
from any decision involving a vendor where there was a conflict
of interest.
Ms. Norton. Well, far from being critical of the way in
which the Kennedy Center operates, my own view--and I have a
bill that is going to be introduced shortly--is that the
Smithsonian itself cannot operate differently from other major
arts institutions with strong attachments to the private
sector. That kind of attachment obligates people not only to
sit on boards and smile, but to do what they can to bring
resources to the institution. And that appears to be happening
with the Kennedy Center. You have a large board, I understand.
About 60 people or so.
Mr. Kaiser. Correct.
Ms. Norton. Is the size of the board related to the
resource need of the Center, or why is the board so large?
Mr. Kaiser. The board, I think, is large because there are
36 members appointed by the President and then there are 14
Members of Congress. And I think to maintain some level of
balance, I think that was the reason why the board was created.
Ms. Norton. Do you find that size a good size for the
board?
Mr. Kaiser. We find it very acceptable to us. To be frank,
we work very hard to maintain a personal relationship with each
member of the board and to make sure that each member of the
board feels involved and can get involved in specific projects,
rather than leaving all of the communication to happen at board
meetings.
Ms. Norton. How frequently has the Kennedy Center used the
services of the IG for the Smithsonian of which you are a part,
of course? For example, typically Federal agencies ask for
opinions ahead of time with respect to large contracts to make
sure that there are no issues that Congress would call them to
account on or the like. Is that something that the Kennedy
Center does?
Mr. Kaiser. No. In fact, at one point in time, we were
discussing using the IG for part of our audit process, our
capital projects audit process. But the Smithsonian was not in
a position to staff up that activity. And through discussions
with the staff of this Subcommittee and with the Appropriations
Subcommittee, we decided it was best for us to hire outside
experts to audit our capital and our operations areas rather
than to rely upon the Smithsonian IG. We simply could not work
quickly enough through the IG's office.
Ms. Norton. That is important information for us to have.
And I certainly commend you for making sure that you were
covered at least by outside auditors. The difficulty there is,
of course, that there is no equivalent to the IG anywhere in
the country and therefore Congress is dependent upon
independent IGs. I just think the Committee will have to talk
with other Subcommittees about how to make sure you have access
if and when needed to those services. What is the naming policy
of the Kennedy Center?
Mr. Kaiser. The Kennedy Center is a Presidential memorial
first and foremost, as you mentioned in your opening comments.
Therefore, we do not have any naming of any spaces at the
Kennedy Center, with one exception, and that is the Eisenhower
Theater is named after President Eisenhower, since it was under
his administration that the concept of a National Cultural
Center was first approved by Congress. But no spaces in the
Kennedy Center are named.
Ms. Norton. So I take it that if someone approached you
with a large amount of money--because naming--I don't blame
people, they give a great deal of money--and said I want to
name this or that part of the Kennedy Center, you would feel
obligated to come to the Congress on that matter?
Mr. Kaiser. We would feel obligated to say no, Madam
Chairman. What we do is we direct our major donors, and we are
fortunate to have major donors, to the underwriting of specific
programs as opposed to the sponsorship of specific spaces at
the Kennedy Center.
Ms. Norton. And I do believe because it is a Presidential
memorial, you will be able to find large donors who understand
that there are other ways to let the public know that they have
contributed, besides having their name imprinted on a
Presidential memorial. That is hubris plus, I suppose.
Mr. Kaiser. Yes. We are very grateful that we have been
able to double our private fundraising over the last 6 years.
So clearly there are enough opportunities for funders to find
naming--in programming, as I said, rather than in spaces.
Ms. Norton. Have you done that mostly with ticket sales, or
how have you done it?
Mr. Kaiser. No. That doubling is of pure private
fundraising.
Ms. Norton. Well, how have you done that?
Mr. Kaiser. I could go through a long dissertation on how
we do fundraising. It is a little bit like----
Ms. Norton. How a fund-raiser do private fundraising
without naming is of interest.
Mr. Kaiser. Again, for larger donors, we focus on their
supporting large individual programs. For example, we have
individuals who sponsor our theater program or who sponsor our
ballet program without asking them to name a space. These are
annual grants rather than long-term capital grants.
And then we have been able to get endowment grants from
people who, again, would like to take a long-term position of
supporting some of our areas. For example, we have one major
donor, the largest donor of the Center, has given us an
endowment to pay for the music director's salary of the Kennedy
Center, to endow that salary level. So we work very hard to
find ways to meet the needs of our donors, but we do not name
spaces and we will not.
Ms. Norton. Do you share--are you pretty apart from the
Smithsonian or what----
Mr. Kaiser. We are separate----
Ms. Norton. I know you are separate. I am trying to find
what kind of cross-fertilization there is between you and the
Smithsonian.
Mr. Kaiser. There is much discussion amongst many of my
staff members with many staff members of the Smithsonian at the
programming level. Our general counsel speak together, our
chief financial officers speak together. So there is a
tremendous amount of sharing at the staff level of information,
and in a variety of departments, and we call upon their advice
and guidance many times.
Ms. Norton. Mr. Kaiser, I think that they need some sharing
on your fundraising ability and how to do it in their own
theater. They have a much larger set of cultural institutions
to work with, and the Committee is very concerned that they
have been constrained as a government institution is, but have
not been nearly as creative in finding new funds.
I have some more questions, but I am going to turn to
others first. First, of course, to the Ranking Member, Mr.
Graves. Does any other Member of the Committee have a question?
Yes, Mr. Cohen.
Mr. Cohen. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. I just have
a--just kind of going through your statement here, which I
appreciate, Mr. Kaiser. You mentioned in your statement that
you are committed to touring productions in all 50 States, and
that the Center Theater for Young Audience, Kennedy Center,
goes to 107 cities and 31 States. Do you know if you have taken
any programs to Tennessee, to Memphis or to Nashville?
Mr. Kaiser. Absolutely. In fact we brought the National
Symphony to Tennessee just 2 years ago.
Mr. Cohen. Where in Tennessee?
Mr. Kaiser. I can get you a complete list. We did 150
different performances and lecture demonstrations and master
classes----
Mr. Cohen. I am only interested in Tennessee. Really, in
Memphis.
Mr. Kaiser. In Tennessee----
Mr. Cohen. How about Memphis.
Mr. Kaiser. I would have to get that information, sir. I am
sorry I don't have that information with me. But I am happy to
give you a complete report of everything we do in your State.
Mr. Cohen. Thank you. I would like to have that. And also I
would like to have seen the Kennedy Center. Years ago I went to
the Kennedy Center and went around some and was really awed by
the beauty of it and magnificence. And then on Monday night, I
went to the Magic 102.7 concert and Patti LaBelle was
fantastic, and my friend Isaac Hayes was spectacular, and James
Ingram was great. And we were in one of the halls there. I
guess it was the--not the Opera Hall, but the concert--it was
the Opera House. It was the smaller one to the left.
Mr. Kaiser. That is the Concert Hall.
Mr. Cohen. We were in that one. I wanted to see the Opera
House. I thought it would be kind of interesting to see it, and
I walked down and I told the security guard I was a Member of
Congress and I would like to see the Opera House. And he told
me it was closed, I couldn't see it. So I didn't get a chance
to see it.
There was a gentleman there named Major Harris and he was
real nice. And he said, of course you can see it. But I went
back in to watch Isaac's performance and then I went backstage
to talk to Isaac. And then when I came out, Major Harris was
off and the other security guard was on. And he was, like, the
joke about I am the guy that controls the butter. Yeah. So it
would have been nice to see the Kennedy Center.
Mr. Kaiser. We would love to take you on a tour. I will
take you personally if you will come with me. We do, of course,
maintain a great deal of security, as you can appreciate that
security of the building is of paramount importance to us in
this environment.
Mr. Cohen. I understand that. But I am--you know, I am not
one of those guys that do bad things.
Mr. Kaiser. I am sure that is true.
Mr. Cohen. Yeah. Thank you. Madam Chair asked about naming
and you said--is there anything in your bylaws or charter
about--or anything Congresshas passed about naming theaters?
Mr. Kaiser. You know, I honestly don't know if it is in
anything Congress has passed. We just take it as given that we
have no ability to name any space in the Center.
Mr. Cohen. Of course, the Congress has that ability.
Mr. Kaiser. But we don't have an ability to take a private
contribution and name a space to thank the donor for that
contribution. We just take that as given and so it is just
never considered.
Mr. Cohen. I think that is a wonderful policy because I
think that would be gauche, to just be craven to money, which
so many groups have to be. But a government group doesn't have
to be craven to money, unless it be Congress.
Mr. Kaiser. We appreciate that we are first and foremost a
Presidential memorial, and we do not think it would be fitting
for a Presidential memorial to be naming spaces.
Mr. Cohen. What do you think if the Presidential memorial
named the--and let me see where I had it here--the American
Film Institute building or one of the building--or the Theater
Lab and named it in honor of Ronald Reagan? Wouldn't that be a
good idea, one of the most famous actors ever--theater person,
motion picture deal President who did a great job with all of
those programs there honoring folks? I mean, when he honored
people at the Kennedy Center, it was really something. The
honorees knew him and they dug it, and I think they called him
"Dutch" or whatever they called him, and they rode off into the
sunset together. Wouldn't that be cool?
Mr. Kaiser. I feel like that is not in my pay level. I
would leave that to Congress to decide what they want to name
at the Kennedy Center.
Mr. Cohen. That is something we should consider, a good
bipartisan thing. And I may put it in. Which do you think would
be the--I know it is above your pay level, but let us just--
right now, which of those is more a theater that would be
appropriate for Ronald Reagan.
Mr. Kaiser. Again, I would hate to speculate in this
hearing. I would prefer to leave that to my board.
Mr. Cohen. Well, you are speaking to your board. Yeah.
Which would be more appropriate as a movie theater place where
they show movies more likely, or film?
Mr. Kaiser. In fact, the American Film Institute, which did
have a theater at the Kennedy Center, they removed that theater
and built their own facility in Silver Spring. That would be a
great thing to name for Ronald Reagan.
Mr. Cohen. We are going to put that in and I hope that
Madam Chair would join me in naming the American Film Institute
Theater there for Ronald Reagan, and we could be bipartisan on
that. And I think it would be most appropriate.
I don't think there was a President since John Kennedy that
had such an appreciation for the arts, of film, of talents like
that. I mean, certainly that was their crowd.
And then it might be appropriate to name something like the
Opera House for Jacquelyn Kennedy Onassis. That wouldn't be
something that you would think would be untowards in such a
house. She was really the source of John Kennedy's appreciation
for the arts.
Mr. Kaiser. Absolutely.
Mr. Cohen. Behind every great man is what?
Mr. Kaiser. A great woman.
Mr. Cohen. You got it. You got it. Your pay scale is higher
than you think. Are you married?
Mr. Kaiser. No, I am not, sir.
Mr. Cohen. Well, I thought that was a good answer. I
thought your wife--I'm not married either, but that is a good
husband answer. But we know it. But I think those are both
things we could do. And I don't know if they should come out of
this Committee, but certainly Ronald Reagan on the American
Film Institute, and, at the same time, we might do the Opera
House for Jacquelyn Kennedy. Jacquelyn Kennedy would be most
appropriate to be remembered there. And I think there really
should be a commissioning of a bust of her to be in the same
building as John Kennedy. I think it would do a lot for the
Kennedy Center, and I think when people think of the arts, they
really think of Jacquelyn Kennedy.
And I will look forward to coming over and taking a tour.
It would be nice to kill two birds with one stone because our
time is valuable and I appreciate it. But really to be honest,
it was not only security, it was kind of the attitude.
Mr. Kaiser. Well, I apologize for that.
Mr. Cohen. You didn't know about it. It was not your fault.
It was a private security guard. That is sometimes a problem
you have when you do this rent-out stuff, this privatization
scene. You get people that don't have respect for necessarily
the institution and/or the authorizing entity that employs them
indirectly, but only for their direct supervisor. And they
don't have that institutional feeling. And if you get me the
list of folks that you all do your--where you do things in
Memphis and Tennessee, I would certainly appreciate it.
Mr. Kaiser. We will be happy to do that, sir.
Mr. Cohen. Thank you, Mr. Kaiser. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Ms. Norton. And just for the record, the history of naming
of the Eisenhower Theater had nothing to do with--it was during
a time when Democrats were in power. It was a great tribute to
the President, but nobody was trying to do something political.
The National Cultural Center had been formed under President
Eisenhower and that was the first National Cultural Center. So
it was felt by the Congress that it was appropriate to have a
theater named for President Eisenhower.
I think the American people have respected the fact that
this is a Presidential memorial and that this is a slain
President, and that is all you have to say. And we just--I
don't want to get into naming anything, frankly, because most
things are named after people who are dead. I would rather just
go forward and deal with the Kennedy Center, which is very
alive and bubbling I must say. And I have some questions about
that.
I am about to introduce a bill, after a great deal of
discussion with the National Park Service and the Smithsonian,
to move the Mall toward being a living mall. This stretch of
land out there, it is all I can call it; if it were in any
other great city, some use would have been made of it; there
would be little places where you could eat. Instead of a fast
food place, particularly--because it is surrounded by cultural
institutions, some of that culture would have been brought to
the outside. I mean, there are all kinds of things that one can
think of just because of where it is located.
Well, I am pleased to see that you have brought the Kennedy
Center and its performances outside. They are important because
it can seem a place that is foreboding. Maybe I can't afford to
go there, maybe that is really for Presidential events or
cultural events of that kind. It is very good that you have
done that. I would like to see, for example, notions like
something is coming. It may be a musical event to the Kennedy
Center, it may be a play.
Here is Eleanor Holmes Norton talking off the top of her
head. So I will have to talk to the grand master on this.
Whether or not, for example, a short scene from a play, people
were told is going to be out on the Mall. It takes 15 minutes
and you will get a taste of a cultural institution--by the way,
you might take some people who want to come who would not
otherwise come, not to mention musical events. Even if a small
number of people--I don't know why there aren't jazz quartets
or string quartets out there at lunchtime so people can bring
their own lunch. I wonder if you think--quite apart from the
quite ambitious programs you have brought out on to the Mall, I
wonder if you think that there is room to bring a taste of what
is in the Kennedy Center out on the Mall were such a program to
be initiated by the Smithsonian.
Mr. Kaiser. Surely, I think that would be doable. From our
experience working outdoors--and as you mentioned, we do a good
deal outdoors now. In this environment, music works much more
easily outside than the spoken word. So I would want to advise
that one do musical events as opposed to plays. And what I
would suggest that it be music that is of the louder variety
rather than of the quieter variety, because you just don't hear
it as well outdoors.
Ms. Norton. Let me ask you about--I am also on the Homeland
Security Committee, and everyone with respect to any
institution in Washington has to perhaps think more deeply
about that than if located elsewhere. Let me ask you specifics
about how you would treat an event happening while something is
in progress at the Smithsonian. Suppose you had notification of
an event of some kind.
Mr. Kaiser. Well, we have----
Ms. Norton. That is related to terrorism. Maybe we don't
know whether it is, but that is what we have, is notice of some
kind of event and you have got people in the Kennedy Center,
how would you----
Mr. Kaiser. There are several answers to that. Firstly, all
of our ushers are trained in emergency evacuation procedures so
that we are experienced in evacuating the Center in the case of
that need. We have an emergency response team of senior staff
who are responsible, who are on essentially a network and
responsible for handling emergency responses in given areas of
the building. And then we have our security staff who manages
all of this activity.
One of the reasons I mentioned that we put in a whole new
loud speaker system, it gives us an ability throughout the
building to talk to everyone in the building, which we didn't
have prior to 9/11. So we have made great strides in the last 6
years in trying to address these very issues.
Ms. Norton. I think it is a very difficult issue for
someone in your position to even contemplate. I don't
anticipate it. I know that when Tractor Man appeared, what we
saw was a mass self-evacuation. And I don't think that we on
Homeland Security, the District of Columbia, or national
security officials have done enough to encourage people to stay
in place.
I think that if anybody went running out of the Kennedy
Center at a time when there was an event, that he would be in
probably greater danger than if not. Now, it is hard for me to
think of an event, other than the building coming down on fire,
for example, or if it was an event that was citywide, where you
would be in better shape trying to get out of your garage or
trying simply to get out of your location. But I don't think
that with all we know about evacuation, that is obviously the
first thing that anyone focuses on, because the first thing you
have got to think about is a fire in your own place. I am not
sure, given the number of institutions all centered in downtown
Washington, whether or not we have thought deeply enough about
the immediate response to an event, whether that event is a
bomb or some kind of a biological or nuclear event.
Mr. Kaiser. If I could, Madam Chair, let me just add to my
comments that the reason I talk about evacuation is that our
biggest fear has to do with events taking place in our garage.
As you know, our garage is underneath the building. So getting
out of the building is a priority in a great many of the
scenarios that one can draw. But I should say that we had
completed a set of procedures for various types of incidents.
So we have formal policies for various types of incidents,
including a stay-in-place policy. So I don't want to say that
all of our drills and all of our discussion has to do with
leaving, but my biggest concern has to do with something that
might happen underneath the facility.
Ms. Norton. With respect to fire safety, if there were a
fire or gases of some kind, I would have similar concerns about
everybody rushing to their cars. How does one deal with some
kind of electrical fire or other--or other event generated
within the Center itself, since most people I guess have
arrived by car.
Mr. Kaiser. When we complete our life-safety program on the
Roof Terrace, which we will do over the next 2 years, then the
entire building will be sprinklered and will have a life-safety
system in place so that we can deal with an event in one area
versus another area.
Ms. Norton. Now, the entire building is not sprinkled yet?
Mr. Kaiser. We are embarking this coming fiscal year that
starts Monday on the last piece, which is the Roof Terrace
level. That would have been completed this coming year as
opposed to initially this coming year, except for the
continuing resolution that limited the capital funding
available to us. So we will complete the Eisenhower life-safety
project in the next 12 months and the Roof Terrace project in
the next 24 months. And then we will be complete.
Ms. Norton. This would be a matter of the first priority, I
would hope.
Mr. Kaiser. It is absolutely our first priority, which is
why it is the first thing. Once the continuing resolution is
over, we are right on it.
Ms. Norton. I have one final question and that is the
Kennedy Center one evening after--Washington is still in some
ways the one-horse town it was when I decided after high school
that I really had to see what the real world was like on the
way to school. It was a small-time southern town, had no
culture. Indeed what culture there was when I was a kid, was
segregated. It was a segregated town. Of course, it didn't have
any culture for the white folks either. It was a town that was
without culture.
The fact is it has got fine restaurants, it has got a great
deal of culture, its theater is first rate. However, after one
goes to the theater--and I go to the--one of my favorite
pastimes is going to a wonderful little theater here. Unlike
New York, finding a place to eat is almost impossible. That is
really a sign of a town that has not arrived. People, of,
course work hard in Washington, so most just go to, you know,
and have a nice dinner ahead of time, and you do that in New
York and some people do. But there are always a zillion places
to go. It is a big city. It is a different city. There is a
Roof Terrace--first of all, I didn't even--somebody had to tell
me we think something--you can still get served there. I went
and I could. And I found it was quite delightful. But I don't
know how anybody would have known it was there. I didn't see it
advertised even on the premises much for being open for dinner.
I had no sense that they were used to receiving guests after
the theater right there in the Kennedy Center.
I don't understand how it supports itself if it doesn't in
fact tout its availability, particularly in a section of the
city where there is noplace else to eat. You have got to make
me understand the thinking behind the restaurant that I found I
went to like a blind woman following, the bread crumbs. You
will find your way to a place to eat, even in the Kennedy
Center.
Mr. Kaiser. We do advertise on the screens in the Hall Of
Nations and Hall of States about the availability. It is on our
Web site and it is in all the mailings that we do, and our
mailings go out to about 300,000 people. But what we have
found--and it could be just inadequate advertising--but we have
found that most people in Washington after a show ends at 10:00
at night or let's say at 10:30, they want to go home versus
going out to eat.
Ms. Norton. I implore you, Mr. Kaiser, to assume that there
would be--you can't assume it unless--if it doesn't work, it
doesn't work. And it was open. But the people who--and it is
true that many people come from the suburbs and maybe they have
to get home. But I can't believe that with 3 million people
living here and in the suburbs, there would not be a clientele
to go there If there was something on the premises you could go
to. You are already parked, you didn't have to go downtown and
find yet another place to park.
Mr. Kaiser. We will endeavor to do a better job of
marketing the availability of the restaurant after
performances.
Ms. Norton. How late is that restaurant open?
Mr. Kaiser. It is usually open until after the last curtain
and then enough time for people to come up and order, and then
whenever they complete their meal.
Ms. Norton. I do want to tell you if, in fact, there is any
notice as one comes to the Kennedy Center on either side where
the theaters are located, I have never seen them. So I would
only ask that there be better notice and maybe an easel that
might say after dinner, try----
Mr. Kaiser. We will do a better job.
Ms. Norton. Is that supported entirely by--as every other
restaurant would be?
Mr. Kaiser. The restaurants are franchises. We have a
franchiser who we have a contract with. And we receive a
portion of their proceeds. They are actually responsible for
their own marketing, although we do a great deal of marketing
for them.
Ms. Norton. If you have a tete-a-tete, given your own
prowess at fundraising, with them about their marketing just a
little better, there might be some of us who are starved
because we work late. That is typical of people in the Federal
Government, and it is an unmet clientele that--or potential
clientele that is looking for food.
Mr. Kaiser. I will work on it. I promise.
Ms. Norton. Mr. Graves? Thank you very much, Mr. Kaiser.
Mr. Kaiser. Thank you, Madam Chair.
[Whereupon, at 11:00 a.m., the Subcommittee was adjourned.]
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