Lexington, KY - Horse & Barrel pub, connected to the destination restaurant DeSha's, generally sits with doors closed for business on most Sundays. Now, thanks in part to a program launched by Broadway Live, a fresh, art-inflected hustle and bustle has found its way there.
The Arts Appetizer program allows showgoers an opportunity to glimpse behind the curtain and interact with those who drive the very performances they clamor to see. In turn, this new program delivers an effective platform for community arts to support local business in an innovative way.
While benefiting the local art set, the program likewise contributes to the enterprise of Horse & Barrel. Usually closed on Sundays, the lounge now enjoys auxiliary revenue from the event's patrons. Sheila Kenny, Lexington Center marketing director and one of the central figures behind the program's development, is proud of the dual contribution to the arts and Lexington's business community.
"During Arts Appetizer, Horse & Barrel is jam-packed. The bar is hopping, and the cash register is ringing," she said.
When looking for possible venues, Kenny and Opera House program director Luanne Franklin had zero trepidation regarding who they would contact. Because of a long-running relationship with DeSha's special events manager, Tony Atwood, the choice was effortless.
"We couldn't think of anybody we'd rather partner with," said Franklin. Atwood was eager to grab the reins, and along with co-worker and collaborator Tom Yates, set about adding the proper pizzazz that would allow the events to mirror the atmosphere of specific shows.
"It is always a pleasure to work with the Opera House staff, and we were glad to provide the unique venue that the Horse & Barrel offers," said Atwood, "and we are extremely pleased with the results thus far."
Yates echoed this enthusiasm for the conceptual tasks involved.
"The fun challenge of using food, dÈcor and setting to provide a 'bridge' for audience members who have either just seen the show or are going to the performance while creating an atmosphere that welcomes the cast to Lexington has been particularly enjoyable," he said.
By virtue of hosting the event, Horse & Barrel now has means to gain a new clientele that Atwood believes "might have never come to visit us outside of these events."
Arts Appetizer takes place between the Sunday matinee and evening performances of a Broadway Live production. From four to six members of the show's cast and crew gather inside the Horse & Barrel for a 30-minute discussion and question/answer session between shows and before stage call, allowing the public full engagement with the performers and their team. These festive soirees allow attendees a unique look into the lives of performers and crew while providing insider access to their experiences and perspectives as touring thespians and crew members of a traveling production. Anyone with a ticket for the current production is allowed admittance to the party.
Rather than having the tone of a pressroom, the space is vibrantly decorated according to the concept of a featured show and displays various thematic vignettes that even include production-inspired buffets with elaborate appetizers and desserts. It has even been said that the installment for April's Legally Blonde shows will feature a predominantly pink smorgasbord.
"It's really just like being at a great party," said Kenny, who, along with Franklin, put the program into motion with the intention of giving Broadway Live patrons a "taste of Broadway."
Audiences and production members alike have had positive reactions to the sessions. They not only enlighten audience members but "warm their palettes for what's to come," said Franklin. The interactive nature of the gatherings benefits from a relaxed atmosphere and an open exchange between audience and show performers.
"Our Lexington audiences are certainly not shy," said Kenny with a chuckle. A survey of the crowds finds an encouraging mix of both regulars along with a steadily growing string of noticeable new faces, eager to participate and garner a "glimpse into that magic world of Broadway," as Franklin described it. Atwood affectionately referred to the event as "our own little Inside the Actor's Studio."
The events benefit those who have already attended the performances by giving them an ample chance to dig below the surface, share their thoughts and musings on the show and pick the brains of those performers they had previously admired from the seats. For others, the Arts Appetizer delivers an enchanting preview of what's to come and injects them with a bristling anticipation for the production they are about to attend.
So far, the concept has been a success and has not been plagued by "any growing pains," according to Kenny. Arts Appetizer has found an admirable method for the arts community to give back to their business counterparts in a way that engages the Lexington public. With positive reviews abounding, all those involved in the events can certainly take a bow.