Redlands Bowl: The Impact

REDLANDS >> Redlands, California is home to many cultural and historic sites that characterize the vintage nature of the town, but perhaps none embody the love of the arts as much as the "Little Jewel" more commonly known as the Redlands Bowl. Founded in 1924 and built in 1931, the Redlands Bowl structure has a part of Proverbs 29:18 engraved across the frieze above the stage and reads "Without vision a people perish." This verse was the mantra of Grace Stewart Mullen, the woman who began it all. Her dream was to bring her love of music to the Redlands community, and with the help of co-founders Caroline Pike and Florence Beeler, she did just that. Over the decades, the Redlands Bowl has hosted performing arts of all kinds, including symphonies, musicals, the annual Summer Music Festival and the annual Redlands Shakespeare Festival.  Despite the high quality performances offered, the Redlands Bowl has maintained Mullen's original desire to remain free to the public, which is made possible by the Redlands Community Music Association endowment fund and earnings of the RCMA. Beyond performances, the Redlands Bowl has also established a variety of outreach programs for schools, including educational opportunities for young artists and scholarships.  "Since the RCMA's founding, over 8 million people have enjoyed a broad array of programs including symphonies, ballets, operas and culturally-diverse music and dance performances," the Redlands Bowl website said. In 1923, Mullen decided to start pursuing her goal of bringing the performing arts to Redlands by establishing the Redlands Bowl Summer Music Festival (RCMA). Mullen did not do it alone, however. Pike and her husband John came into the picture and founded the Associates of the Redlands Bowl in 1950, with the sole purpose of raising funds for the RCMA Board and the community it serviced. With the additional help of Beeler, who lived the longest to see Mullen’s dream realized, the RCMA and Associates of the Redlands Bowl grew to be the organizations they are today, who desire to continue bringing the performing arts to the Redlands community and surrounding communities, free of cost, and helping young artists realize their dreams through scholarships and grants. Added to the mix is also the Grace Stewart Mullen Society, established by the RCMA, which is comprised of members who are passionate about keeping the dream alive through donations and endowments. According to their website, the goal is to “ensure that world class performing arts programming continues, without admission charge, from this generation to the next.” As part of its mission, the Redlands Bowl also desires to help young artists on their feet to join the performing world. Some of the programs offered through the organizations are the Children’s Summer Festival Workshops, Music in the Schools Programs and the Young Artists Auditions. The Young Artists Auditions, according to the website, help “encourage young talent and help progress the careers of emerging classical musicians.” Pike was responsible for getting the program started in 1952, and the program is currently on its 65th year of running. Artists of up to 30 years of age can participate in the program, though there is a junior and senior group that people are put into. Voice, piano and instrumental auditions are offered, and classical music only is allowed. Registrants must send in an application first, then attend a series of auditions. The final round is open to the public, and winners receive a monetary award. More information on the process of applying and registration requirements are available on the Redlands Bowl website. The Redlands Bowl Summer Music Festival, presented by the RCMA, is not just limited to young adult programs, however. A large part of the Redlands Bowl includes the performances that are held every summer as part of the festival. In fact, the festival itself has been running for 93 years, ever since Mullen began the first season in 1924. During the summer, performers come to the Redlands Bowl and entertain thousands on Tuesdays and Fridays at 8:15 p.m. In the past, entertainment such as the San Bernardino Symphony, Presidio Bass, vocalist Johnny Boyd and bluegrass band Run Boy Run have helped keep the love of the arts alive in Redlands. Broadway musicals like Mary Poppins have also graced the stage of the Redlands Bowl, providing a wide variety of performances for audience members to enjoy. In 2013, the city of Redlands celebrated its 125th birthday and the Redlands Bowl its 90th anniversary. One of the performers that summer was William Hagen, who exemplified Mullen’s dream as a young violinist performing at the Redlands Bowl at the age of 20. At the time, he was enrolled at the Colburn School of Performing Arts in Los Angeles and had performed at other venues, but that was his first night at the Bowl. “I’ve performed for really big audiences, but I don’t think I’ve ever done anything like this before,” Hagen said in an article with City News Group. “This is really, really awesome. I had a great time! I love the city. I love the Bowl.” In the same article, five-year Associates of the Redlands Bowl member Marie Bunke said joint fundraising efforts from the RCMA and ARB attributed to the Bowl’s continued success year after year. Every year, the two organizations host a benefit gala with a different theme each time to help garner support for the cause. “Many of the women are from Redlands so we have people that love the tradition and want to continue it on with their families,” Bunke said to City News Group. “It’s people that really love Redlands, love families and love music.” Continued efforts from the organizations and from volunteers around the community help to keep Mullen’s ultimate goal alive: keeping admission free for the public so that all can enjoy. Hagen is not the only talented performer that has set foot on the Redlands Bowl stage, though. At the end of the Festival’s run in 2013, Russian-born pianist Yana Reznik wowed the crowd with a few musical arrangements by Sergei Rachmaninoff, and the Redlands Symphony Orchestra celebrated Dr. Wayne R. Bohrnstedt, who used to be a dean at the University of Redlands and was the director of the School of Music. “The sound coming from the orchestra brought me back to movie nostalgia when certain scenes begin to build intense emotion,” said audience member Kevin Lee in an article with City News Group. “It’s great.” That night, the orchestra played Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture while fireworks lit up the sky to close out the 2013 Redlands Bowl Summer Music Festival. The latest Redlands Bowl Summer Music Festival celebrated in the same pattern, this time featuring Alexander Agate, also 20 years old, who lulled the crowd with a piano concerto piece that reflected the nine years Agate had spent practicing his art. Agate, rightly deemed a prodigy as he was accepted to Moorpark Community College for a two-year program at the age of 13, received a standing ovation after his performance. “I love classical music, but I didn’t realize the piano had so much range anyone can be boisterous, but he was so melodic, it was very enchanting,” said audience member Jennifer Whiteman to City News Group after the event. Frank Paul Fetta conducted the San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra to play Antonin Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 as the fireworks blazed overhead, signaling the end of another great summer season at the Redlands Bowl. Other performances from last summer include “An Evening with A.J. Croce” and Rhythmic Circus. Performers from previous years included TAIKOPROJECT, a group of taiko drummers based in Los Angeles who are “dedicated to preserving and disseminating American taiko drumming through educational activities and public performances,” according to their YouTube channel. Though the 2016 concert schedule has yet to be released, the RCMA announced in November 2015 that “Oklahoma!” the Broadway show would be coming to the 2016 Redlands Bowl Summer Music Festival, directed and produced by Nathan Prince and produced by Steve Simons. “We are thrilled to have Nathan Prince and Steve Simons as are producer/directors of this year’s musical. They are seasoned professionals who have worked on many Bowl productions in past years. Each has a love and reverence for the Bowl which will shine through in the production of Oklahoma!,” said RCMA Executive Director Beverly Noerr in a press release. Though the Redlands Bowl is nearly 100 years of age, few will argue that it has not aged gracefully. Through years of dedicated service from the Redlands Community Music Association, the Associates of the Redlands Bowl, the Grace Stewart Mullen Society and countless of volunteers from around the community, the Redlands Bowl has continued to provide the city of Redlands with high quality performances, educational opportunities and more. If you are interested in helping out with the mission of the “Little Jewel,” you can visit their website and become a donor. Donations can be sent over the phone or via email, and if you are unable to support financially, the Redlands Bowl always welcomes those willing to volunteer their time and efforts, as well. As Redlands archivist Nathan Gonzales once aptly phrased it, “The Redlands Bowl is the people’s bowl.” This article brought to you by Miller Associates Real Estate -- serving the Inland Empire for 39+ years; (909)888-9000.