By Katie Day, Director of Communications

Have you read the statement “Portland Ovations programs artists and performances in venues all around Greater Portland, matching the right venue that best suits the performance and its audience” in any of our materials lately? At some point you may have found yourself wondering what that actually means. Here are some key items the Ovations’ programming team considers, and some questions that get asked when deciding which venue is the right fit.

•  Size of the building/number of seats – How many people do we expect to attend? If the performance is too big do seats get their view blocked?
• Technical support – Is the stage big enough to fit a large group of performers? Does the performance require lots of sound equipment or is it acoustic?
• Vibe check – Does this artist typically play in small intimate venues in other cities? Should the audience be seated or standing?

This list is just the beginning of making the best match. Questions of equipment rental costs, concessions, ADA standards, and more are also considered. Sometimes tough choices are made and an artist is placed in a venue that is not quite right for them, and we learn from those moments. Sometimes it’s acknowledged that Portland doesn’t have a specific type of venue to program in, like an intimate jazz lounge, and we make the match as best we can to be able to share these artists with Portland audiences. Other times it’s perfection, and the evening proves to be oh-so-magical. Here are some examples of frequented venues in Ovations’ season and the type of performance you see on their stages.

• Merrill Auditorium – Broadway National Tours, Circus
• State Theatre – Energetic concerts, drag performance
• Westbrook Performing Arts Center – Dance, family-friendly programs
• Hannaford Hall – Chamber music

We love Portland’s venues, and all the beautiful performance spaces available for Ovations and others to use year-round. Venues are an important part of the arts ecosystem and we look forward to seeing you in some of them this upcoming season!