Boston philanthropist Ted Cutler and his team are planning to turbocharge the city's sleepy summer arts scene with a world-class, 10-day outdoor festival in July that has already won the support of the mayor, the governor and a host of local arts organizations.
"I want to leave this as a gift to the city and the state," said Cutler, 82, a longtime benefactor of his alma mater, Emerson College, and several Hub charities. "Economically, the state and the city will be in a much better position with a big arts festival during a slow part of the summer."
"This is an opportunity to change the culture of the city. It's generational. If you take your child to the ballet or theater, they will take their child," added Cutler, who spent his college days working as a band leader and later booking big music acts in Boston.
Cutler, along with managing director Kevin Carlon, artistic director Sherrie Johnson and senior curator Randy Weiner, wants to highlight Boston's vibrant performing arts community and to make many shows free and accessible by bringing them to outdoor venues such as Boston Common, Copley Plaza or the Esplanade.
"I think it is absolutely extraordinary that Mr. Cutler is funding this," said Harron Ellenson, executive director of the Boston Landmarks Orchestra. "He puts his money where his mouth is and it's wonderful."
This summer's inaugural Outside the Box Festival, which will run from July 12-21, is dedicated to the late Boston Landmarks Orchestra founder Charles Ansbacher, who died in 2010.
"(Ansbacher's) vision was that arts should be part of everyone's lives, that we should try to make art as free as possible — even though artists need to be paid. That's why (Cutler) is dedicating this festival to him," Ellenson said.
The Landmarks Orchestra plans to perform a specially commissioned piece titled "Fiesta Sinfonica" — which features the orchestra playing with a salsa band — at the Hatch Shell during Outside the Box as well as other pieces designed to get the audience up and dancing.
"I think the festival's going to be absolutely wonderful for the city," said Ellenson. "The spinoff effect for all the arts groups in the city will be great."
Julie Hennrikus, executive director of StageSource, said a Boston "fringe" festival has been considered for a long time and the Outside the Box
idea, with its inclusion and local focus, is a "thrilling solution."
Modeled on the huge Edinburgh Festival Fringe and other international gatherings, Outside the Box could become a big Boston draw.
"We expect tens of thousands of people each day over the 10 days," Cutler said. "If we get to our third year — and we will — the entertainers will start to say that they have to play Boston in the summer."
"This festival will bring new audiences to the artists and new artists to the audiences," he added. "I believe this will be something like the city has never seen before."
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