Lost Art: Harlingen arts and entertainment centers still picking up the pieces from Dolly

HARLINGEN - Hurricane Dolly's path of destruction hit not only homes and businesses, but also the city's arts and entertainment centers.

The storm is long gone, but the local arts community continues to pick up the pieces.

Two of the city's largest cultural centers, Harlingen Municipal Auditorium and Harlingen Performing Arts Theatre, sustained major damage.

The city's fall concert and theater season now appears in tatters and community groups are left without a venue for everything from dance recitals to children's workshops to graduation ceremonies.

"It has very far-reaching consequences, in terms of loss to the community," said Joel Humphries, director of arts and entertainment for the city of Harlingen.

All 31 events scheduled for the municipal auditorium through the end of the year have been canceled, Humphries said.

The cancellations mean a loss of about $75,000 in ticket sales and more than $30,000 in rental fees from outside parties, he said.

But the damage goes beyond money, Humphries said.

"How do you assign a value on someone who has put so much time and effort into their dance recital?" he said.

HPAT had to cancel three plays, plus five other events booked by outside parties.

"We're struggling. This has impacted our income dramatically," said Shannon Bingham, chairwoman of special development for HPAT.

"This season is what makes our operating income for next season. It's going to be a challenge for us to build up those funds."

For HPAT, the cancellations mean a loss of about $65,000, Bingham said.

To help raise money, theater staffers went into their inventory and gathered a collection of costumes to put up for sale, something they have never done before. Within the next couple of weeks, they intend to start selling used props.

"Lot's of props, lamps and candy canes and deer horns and furniture, you name it," Bingham said. "We've never done that before. Are we doing it out of desperation? Not really. But is it helping the theater? Absolutely."

The July 23 hurricane blew off part of the municipal auditorium's roof, causing extensive water damage to the inside of the building. Damage estimates range from $2.8 million to $3.3 million, Humphries said.

The hurricane also tore off parts of the roof of HPAT, causing about $200,000 in damage, Bingham said.

The city of Harlingen, which owns and operates the municipal auditorium, had to cancel two of the biggest shows of the year: the big-band Harry James Orchestra concert and Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy, the first of the city's Spotlight Series, which brings in national touring companies of Broadway shows.

Also cancelled were the South Texas Chorale's Fall Pops Concert and the Christmas Concert.

The community choir was able to hold the fall pops concert Thursday evening at Marine Military Academy. But the Christmas Concert is a casualty of Dolly, said Dennis Mitchell, chorale board president.

"Dolly scored another hit. Basically, she took out the city's big facility. It means the South Texas Chorale has been forced to cancel the Christmas extravaganza," Mitchell said.

Humphries said he will meet with organizers of the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival, which is usually headquartered at the municipal auditorium, this week to discuss how the facility will be used during this year's festival. The event is scheduled for Nov. 5-9.

Former festival chairwoman and current volunteer Terri Bortness said the organization plans to use the auditorium this year.

Bortness said the seminars could be relocated from the auditorium to another section of the building.

Also, the organization is considering renting tents where the children's programs could be held.

Field trips that use the auditorium as a meeting point for bus pick-up and drop-off will still be located there, Bortness said.

About half of the municipal auditorium's 1,719 seats were ruined as well as the carpeting. The orchestra pit was ruined.

"The auditorium got trashed pretty well by Dolly," Mitchell said. "I went in and looked at it myself and, gee whiz, what a mess. The seats are trashed, the ceiling fell in."

Humphries said the carpeting has been removed and the seats are being taken out now.

The balcony was drenched with about 8 inches of water and the basement behind the orchestra pit accumulated 10 inches of water, Humphries said.

A theatrical vendor will assist the auditorium directors in assessing damage to other equipment, such as the grand drape, lighting system and sound system, and pulley systems, Humphries said. He estimates the combined worth of those items to be about $65,000.

Humphries said the city is hoping to have the auditorium fully functional by mid-January or early February.

At HPAT, water ruined the ceiling and insulation and damaged the stage, dressing rooms, the "green room," the pulley system and seats.

"When we were able to get back into the building four days later, there was still standing water on the stage," Bingham said.

What the theater needs now, beyond funds, are volunteers, she said.

"We need volunteers, handymen, carpenters, painters, electricians, even receptionists and clerical volunteers," she said.

But Bingham and other HPAT board members are optimistic. The theater will be back, they say.

Bingham said the plan is to begin rehearsals in December and open the first play of the season in January.

"While we're down, we're not out," Bingham said. "The season will open with a great play for the community in January and we can assure them that it's going to be a play that they will enjoy and want to come back to."