The ‘Hamilton’ effect: How a Broadway musical may influence debate over Wichita’s future
Can a man who’s been dead more than 200 years influence today’s debate over the fate of the Century II and redevelopment of the east bank of the Arkansas River in Wichita?
He can if his name is “Hamilton.”
Specifically Alexander Hamilton, the subject of the celebrated, Tony-awarded musical based on the life of the first Treasury secretary of the United States, who was gunned down in a duel with Vice President Aaron Burr in 1804.
Inability to land “Hamilton” — the musical — has been cited for years as an example of why Wichita needs a new $187 million performing arts center to replace the blue-domed Century II building that has dominated Wichita’s skyline for the last 51 years.
It picked up steam in the past year while a coalition of city and county government, several quasi-public agencies and business groups composed the Riverfront Legacy Master Plan, a $1.2 billion plan to remake the east river bank between Douglas and Kellogg.
The plan calls for the demolition of Century II and the former Central Library and replacing them with a new performing arts center, convention center, a spacious park over underground parking, businesses and apartment buildings.
But the “we can’t get ‘Hamilton’” rationale dissolved this past week when the American Theatre Guild, the Kansas City group behind the Broadway in Wichita series, announced it would bring “Hamilton” to Wichita in its 2021-2022 series.
Supporters of Century II have collected about 9,000 of the 12,554 signatures they need to force a vote on saving the building and the nearby library building.
But for now, the decisions on the Riverfront plan will rest with the seven members of the Wichita City Council. They’ll officially receive the plan in a March 24 joint meeting with the Sedgwick County Commission.
Here’s what they’re saying now that “Hamilton” is a done deal:
Mayor Brandon Whipple
“The people who used ‘Hamilton’ as a reason for removing Century II, obviously that wasn’t a correct assessment,” Mayor Brandon Whipple said. “I’ve never bought into the argument that to get a new performing arts center, Century II had to be torn down.
“I think we need to have a serious conversation about what the future of Century II is, and I’m not sure if it’s helpful to discredit what its value is by saying stuff like we would never get ‘Hamilton,’ and then we show that we will get ‘Hamilton.’”
As of now, he’s open to keeping Century II.
“There’s still a lot of questions beyond just laying out what the structures are going to look like when we redo the riverfront,” he said. “If we went with, say, a new performing arts center, is there still a space like Century II (that) local performing arts organizations can utilize? I’m not convinced that we can’t have both at this point.
“Until we really start having a discussion about what are the possibilities about keeping Century II as far as its next level, it’s next life, I think that we won’t be walking forward with all the information.”
Cindy Claycomb
City Council member Cindy Claycomb said the biggest effect of having “Hamilton” come to Wichita could be that it gives the council some breathing room as it makes decisions on how to proceed with the development of the east bank.
“At least in my mind, I think that there should be kind of a phased look at this,” she said. “So maybe a performing arts center isn’t the very first thing we do.”
“The bigger question for this community is what do we want our performing arts facility to be. If we want it to be something fantastic and something really new, then I’m not sure that renovating the blue building can make that happen. But if that’s not what we want, then can we renovate the blue-roof building? It’s not my field of expertise, so I would want more information about that.”
She said there may be a more compelling argument to move forward first with a convention center - an area where Century II’s limitations are costing the city business - and then address performing arts later.
“I’ve always said that we can make a business case for a convention center,” she said. “And performing arts, it’s important of course ... there’s a quality of life part to that, there’s a philanthropy part to that. It’s I think more complicated than a business case for a convention center.”
Brandon Johnson
Council member Brandon Johnson, the city’s representative on the Riverfront Master Plan group, says he stands strong with the group’s recommendation that a new performing arts center is needed, although he could peel away from the plan when it comes to tearing down Century II.
“As far as the ongoing conversation goes, I think our whole performing arts community has said we need a new performing arts center,” he said. “So for me, that’s what I’m listening to is the actual users of the facility that year in and year out put on great productions but have struggled with the limitations of Century II. And I think that will continue to support at least phase one of the Riverfront plan which builds a new performing arts center.”
He said he’s glad “Hamilton” is finally coming to Wichita and is hopeful, though not completely convinced, that it will offer the same theatrical experience as other cities.
“With a new performing arts center, we’re almost guaranteed those types of shows coming here because we can build it to the standards where they don’t have to adjust (to fit the stage) and don’t have to unload several trucks on Kennedy Plaza and take it however many hundred feet into the facility,” he said
In a new center, “we’ll have all of that built in in a better way,” he said.
The fate of Century II is a question for another day, he said.
“I think we have to keep in mind . . . we can still do phase one and build a brand new performing arts center while still trying to figure out (another use for) Century II,” he said.
Jeff Blubaugh
Council member Jeff Blubaugh said he does think it changes things, now that “Hamilton” is officially coming to Wichita.
“That was a big argument (for a new performance center), that we’re not bringing ‘Hamilton,’” he said.
His first reaction on hearing the news was “Do we really to build a new auditorium?” he said.
He said he wants more evidence before making a decision.
“I feel like the whole process, we’re putting a solution in front of the problem,” he said. “We should have done a needs matrix to find out where the need really was. Do we need an auditorium and if so, what does it look like?”
The market for live entertainment is fragmented and the city should consider that before putting hundreds of millions of dollars on a new venue.
He said he recently returned from Nashville and that city’s growth isn’t fueled by having one large venue, but by having lots of small ones.
“It’s not like it was 40 years ago where you were going to see Elvis Presley or you were going to see one of the big performers of the time,” he said. “Things have changed, there are too many likes, dislikes and tastes out there.
“I always scratch my head and ask, is there more of an appetite for smaller venues? Are we better off having 20 of those than we are one large (performance center)?”
Bryan Frye
Council member Bryan Frye said “Hamilton” coming to Wichita doesn’t address the underlying problems with Century II.
“That doesn’t change my mind,” he said. “Regardless if it’s “Hamilton” or “Lion King” or “Wicked,” we still have challenges with the facility as it relates to a world-class environment and performance hall for the performers, and the patrons.
“Because we’re getting ‘Hamilton,’ that doesn’t change the facility efficiency. We still have to address that.”
He said the fate of the Riverfront plan will depend on the discussions after it’s officially presented to the council and the commission at the joint meeting.
“There are countless master plans on the shelves (of City Hall),” he said “Some have been ignored and some have been cherry-picked and some have been taken complete. So it remains to be seen what we do next step.”
James Clendenin
When he heard the news “Hamilton” is coming, City Council member James Clendenin said his first reaction was: “Isn’t that interesting that ‘Hamilton’ is finally coming here after all the (talk about) ‘Hamilton’ won’t come here because we’re not modern enough.”
He said that’s unlikely to change many minds, however.
“Most people are where they’re going to be on this,” he said.
As for himself, “I feel like we do need a modern performing arts center and we do need to upgrade our convention center to national standards.”
He supports putting the fate of Century II to a vote, however, he doesn’t support the Save Century II petition, which he says goes too far.
The initiative would require a public vote whenever the city demolishes a building it owns that may have historic significance. It specifically names Century II and the former downtown library, but doesn’t limit the vote to those two buildings.
He supports at least trying to keep Century II and said as the city tinkers with the Riverfront plan, “I do believe we’ll probably get some pretty innovative ideas for how it could be repurposed.”
Becky Tuttle
Council member Becky Tuttle was largely noncommittal on “Hamilton,” the Riverfront plan and the fate of Century II.
“We’re pleased that the American Theatre Guild decided to bring ‘Hamilton’ to Wichita,” she said in an e-mail response to Eagle questions.
“Per the future needs of performing arts in Wichita and Century II, I look forward to continue to have conversations with the community and hear from performing arts groups as we work together to shape plans for the east bank.”
This story was originally published March 9, 2020 at 5:01 AM.
