Arts program fosters cultural appreciation

Sandy Thompson

Thursday, Oct. 7, 1999 | 11:27 a.m.

Schedule events

The 24th Vanda Master Series is under way at UNLV. The 1999-2000 series opened Sept. 24 with Michael Feinstein.

The remaining performances are:

For more information on the Introduction to the Arts program, call Jeff Koep at 895-4210.

As a young man Las Vegas businessman Jack Rappaport had met the Beatles and the Monkees. He was on stage with Led Zeppelin and backstage with the Doors.

It was a thrill for the rock music lover.

But even that didn't prepare Rappaport for what he felt when he heard his first symphony two years ago at UNLV's Ham Hall.

"I was in awe," he says.

For years Rappaport's aunt had been trying to get him interested in attending the Vanda Master Series performances at UNLV. Two years ago he finally agreed to escort her to the symphony. From then on he was "hooked."

The 46-year-old former hockey player had never heard a live symphony before. From then on, the sounds of the New York Philharmonic, Zubin Mehta, Itzhak Perlman and the BBC Orchestra enthralled him. Now he wonders why it took him so long to appreciate it.

"I missed out on many years of great performances and performers," Rappaport says.

Not so today. He goes to as many local performances as possible, ranging from the Vanda Master Series to Jazz in the Park, blues productions on Mount Charleston and the Youth Orchestra performances at the Winchester Community Center.

He wants to share his passion with others, especially young people.

Rappaport, a Las Vegas resident since 1965, is president of R&R Commercial Real Estate Services and is active in real estate and civic ventures. He approached UNLV about setting up a program to make it easier for new audiences to enjoy cultural offerings.

Rappaport and Jeff Koep, dean of the College of Fine Arts at UNLV, created the Introduction to the Arts program. It's supported by the Alfred and Marjorie Rappaport Foundation, of which Jack Rappaport is president.

Formed in 1996, the foundation also assists the UNLV College of Health Sciences' nursing program, the Las Vegas Art Museum, the Las Vegas Natural History Museum, the Lied Discovery Museum and the Camerata Youth Orchestra.

The Introduction to the Arts program offers discounted or free admission to a variety of Vanda Master Series events in UNLV's Performing Arts Center.

"We want to get people into the habit of going to the arts," Koep says. "We have to grow this culture. ... If we want the arts to be successful, we must reach out to young people."

Many people, especially young families, can't afford ticket prices of $30 to $80, even though the Vanda Master Series has lowered its prices from last year.

Koep sees the underwriting of tickets as an investment not only in the arts, but in the community at large.

"The arts bring business to Las Vegas," he says.

Koep is tired of Las Vegas being labeled a cultural wasteland. He cites the local symphony, Nevada Ballet Theatre, art exhibits, theater groups and other cultural organizations as evidence to the contrary. There is a wide variety of culture in Las Vegas. It just needs an audience.

The average attendance for the Vanda Master Series is 700 to 800 people. Based on those numbers, the series can't count on ticket sales alone to attract top performers.

The New York Philharmonic, for example, costs between $60,000 and $100,000 to bring here. A dance company costs $50,000. Citibank underwrote the New York Philharmonic's national tour, and picked up one-third of the cost of the Las Vegas performance.

Among the performances scheduled for the Vanda Master Series' 24th season are: the Vienna Choir Boys, Leslie Nielsen performing "Clarence Darrow," Itzhak Perlman, Betty Buckley and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra featuring Wynton Marsalis.

Throughout the years the Vanda Master Series has established itself as one of the premiere cultural offerings in Las Vegas. It was a dream come true for Charles Vanda, who created the Master Series in 1976. It was renamed in his honor after his death in 1988.

According to a book published on the 20th anniversary of the series, Vanda faced a David-Goliath battle to bring culture into a city only known for gambling and showgirls.

Zubin Mehta didn't help change that image.

According to the book, Vanda had arranged for Mehta and the Israeli Symphony to perform at the-then Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts. UNLV's Artemus Ham Hall, where the series later found a home, had not been completed yet.

The story is that before the concert, Mehta went on stage and told the audience, "Ladies and gentlemen, you are about to hear the worst concert you've ever heard in your lives. This is the most disgraceful place we've ever been in. It's abominable."

Of course, the national media picked it up. Vanda was furious, but later cooled down enough to ask Mehta to play Ham Hall. This time, Mehta was impressed with the facility. When Vanda reminded him of the Aladdin concert speech, Mehta seemed surprised. "Did I really say that?" he purportedly said. "I was an arrogant young man, wasn't I?"

The Master Series survived its early years because of Vanda's sheer determination and will.

Vanda had worked for years in radio. He produced, directed and wrote for programs featuring Victor Borge and Abbott and Costello. After World War II, he was the agency producer for "The Jack Benny Show," George Gobel's series and "The Milton Berle Music Hall."

In 1969, at age 67, he moved to Las Vegas, where he was the first owner of Channel 5. At 80, he was UNLV's director of concert hall programming. His passion was the Master Series, which he founded. Among the highlights of the first season was famed violinist Isaac Stern.

UNLV's Koep and people like Rappaport are continuing the tradition of quality performances that Vanda intended. "We must build an awareness of excellence," Koep says.

While the Rappaport Foundation program focuses primarily on students, it's open to all ages and all segments of the community. Community groups such as Catholic Charities and St. Jude's Ranch for Children, as well as senior citizens, benefited from the program.

If there had been a similar program when he was younger, Rappaport says he may not have waited so long to attend a symphony concert.

Rappaport recently was honored by the school district's School-Community Partnership Program for the foundation's efforts to promote cultural awareness among students.

Koep says the program offers exposure to culture that will foster an appreciation to last a lifetime -- and beyond, if it's passed on to the next generation.