Overture Center set to begin phase II

by Rachel Remley

News Reporter

Students will be saying goodbye to two popular downtown eateries, the Madison Masala and Radical Rye, as phase II of the Overture Center gets underway.

The implementation of phase II of the center will include the demolition of the existing museum, as well as the Madison Masala and the Radical Rye restaurants in the beginning of April.

Radical Rye employee Matt Noble described the changes the Overture Center plan will be making as a trade-off.

“A lot of the charm of Madison has disappeared,” he said.

However, Overture Center President Bob D’Angelo said the original lease the two restaurant owners signed was limited in the first place. The Overture Center owns the building and has leased the space to the Masala and the Radical Rye on a month-to-month basis.

“[The owners] knew the time was short-term when they signed it,” he said. “They were there longer than anyone expected them to.”

In place of the restaurants, a staircase overlooking State Street will be built that will lead up to the second floor art galleries and a rooftop café.

In a meeting regarding phase II of the Overture Center and Madison Museum of Contemporary Art reconstruction Wednesday, president of the Overture Development Corporation George Austin spoke of the plans for this spring. D’Angelo also provided comments on the effects the new center will have on the community.

Austin said the overall construction will have a very urban feel to it.

“I think it will be adding to the livability of our community in a different way,” he said.

The reconstructed Overture Center will include three studio theaters along with a main theater, which will seat 2,250 people. The tentative completion date is set for spring of 2006. D’Angelo explained that the larger facility will be able to host larger productions, such as major symphonies other music concerts.

Some concern has been raised about whether or not smaller shows held at the center will draw in the same crowds they used to with the introduction of larger productions. D’Angleo said he does not think this will be a problem.

“I don’t think it will have a negative impact on turnout.”

With other entertainment venues in the downtown area, such as the Orpheum and the Kohl Center, questions have been raised as to whether or not the Overture Center will affect their ticket sales. D’Angelo said the Overture Center will not attract the same type of crowd as the Orpheum.

“[The Orpheum] is predominantly showing movies to generally a younger crowd than we get,” he said, adding that the competition between the two will depend on the show. He said the Overture Center tends to host fewer pop shows and more arts shows, such as operas.

D’Angelo does not see any of the other entertainment venues as competition since the number of people that come to a show is based more on what is offered at the venue, and less on the dollar amount.

“We’re competing for people’s time,” he said.