One of the best, most entertaining shows today is Amazon Prime's "Mozart in the Jungle."
It's about a fictitious New York Symphony that's just replaced its old school conductor with a new, younger, charismatic and (to some in the symphony family) "crazy" conductor named Rodrigo. It's a look behind the scenes and into the arts and entertainment world.
A world that many don't know, don't care about but too often cast away and criticize. I'm no classical music buff, but I've worked with arts groups long enough and served on arts boards to know that like anything there's a beautiful amount of ego, creativity, legacy, money and rules that guide and dictate the moves and sounds of the performances, marketing and management. It can be, as they say, great theater.
So, "Mozart in the Jungle" is the exact reason why today's news from the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra announcing that music director Edo de Waart will step down is so very interesting. The MSO will begin the process to hire a new conductor while de Waart will become its conductor laureate in September 2017.
Wow, this could be life imitating TV (streaming video) art. Is it Rodrigo time, Milwaukee!?
Nothing against Maestro de Waart who has led the orchestra since the 2009-10 season and has raised the artistic profile of the MSO with his leadership. Yet, this change atop the MSO is so similar to the first episode of "Mozart in the Jungle" that I had to mention it.
I've suggested to a MSO board member that the symphony screen "Mozart in the Jungle" to its subscribers and the community. Embrace it, use it and have fun with this show that's having fun at the expense of the symphonies of today.
de Waart will continue to appear annually with the MSO from the 2017.18 season onward, but a new conductor and ideas could be a way to breathe revitalized life into the symphony.
Don't get me wrong, I love the MSO and de Waart seems like a cool guy. But, symphonies need to evolve, innovate and change with the times. Just like media companies, auto companies, and well like we all do.
I know, "Mozart in the Jungle" isn't real but music is fun and for whatever reason classical music gets a bad rap. It shouldn't. But maybe communities and symphonies should have more fun with it.
And, maybe just maybe Milwaukee's "Mozart in the Jungle" moment has arrived.
A life-long and passionate community leader and Milwaukeean, Jeff Sherman is a co-founder of OnMilwaukee.
He grew up in Wauwatosa and graduated from Marquette University, as a Warrior. He holds an MBA from Cardinal Stritch University, and is the founding president of Young Professionals of Milwaukee (YPM)/Fuel Milwaukee.
Early in his career, Sherman was one of youngest members of the Greater Milwaukee Committee, and currently is involved in numerous civic and community groups - including board positions at The Wisconsin Center District, Wisconsin Club and Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. He's honored to have been named to The Business Journal's "30 under 30" and Milwaukee Magazine's "35 under 35" lists.
He owns a condo in Downtown and lives in greater Milwaukee with his wife Stephanie, his son, Jake, and daughter Pierce. He's a political, music, sports and news junkie and thinks, for what it's worth, that all new movies should be released in theaters, on demand, online and on DVD simultaneously.
He also thinks you should read OnMilwaukee each and every day.
