BUT DOESN'T EVERY DONUT HAVE A HOLE?

posted by James Reel

    Speaking of the Tucson Weekly (see below), my contribution this week is a surprisingly uncynical look at the upcoming Tucson Symphony season, placed in the national context.

    At the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, the situation is not so dismal, although it's sufficiently tense that music director George Hanson told me a couple of months ago that his intention when programming the 2006-2007 season was to concoct something that's "economically responsible and draws an audience." That formula usually leads to a stinkbomb of moldy oldies, but Hanson has tried to put together a fairly diverse season, even though it relies heavily on audience pleasers that don't require a lot of extra musicians, rental fees or increased rehearsal.
    "This is probably as tight and efficient a season as any we've produced," Hanson said. "Dollars to donuts, we're getting a lot of donuts."