Grant Copeland: 0:09

Welcome to the Waterbury talks. I'm your host Grant Copeland, today's conversation is with Frank Tavera. Frank is the CEO of a magical place, the Palace Theater in downtown Waterbury, which has reached regional and national prominence for its beauty and sound quality. In many respects, the Palace is what it is today because of Frank's wild idea, nearly two decades ago. And because of Waterbury's enormous support then and now. Ironically, Frank was never a performer, more a tile guy, nor was he raised in Waterbury. But Tavera explains why the arts in this community are so unique. Welcome to the center stage as the Waterbury talks with Frank Tavera. So I would like to maybe start with some, uh, personal background. Um, so tell me about your upbringing.

Frank Tavera: 1:01

My upbringing, born and raised in Bristol, Connecticut, still there. Um, and actually as I look back, always thought I was going to be there. My family's there, I'm a first generation Italian American. My parents were born, born in the old country. Um, family was incredibly important to us, the connection between. The family, um, was kind of vital to who we were as kids. And so grew up, went to school in Bristol, went to St. Paul Catholic High School went to UConn. Um, came back home, started working for the family business because there was no other choice. We were an Italian family, um, and dad, um, dads started this little family business and he goes, hey, you're going to run it for me. So my, my roots are really kind of entrenched in Bristol. My wife is in from Bristol, my is from Bristol. My in-laws live a block um, oh, down the street from us. So that's pretty much who we were. We a nice close knit, Italian Catholic family. Um, I would say picture perfect in many ways, just because we kind of have that in a kind of ideal thing going on.

Grant Copeland: 2:02

I assume your parents embarking on their own business and coming from that descent were hardworking folks. Tell me about your parents.

Frank Tavera: 2:10

Um, my father was incredibly hardworking. He came to this country at the age of 18 years old. Um, went back and picked up my mom at the age of 28 years old. They both came here. Couldn't speak a lick of English. My grandfather was a Mason. My uncle was a Mason. And guess what? My dad did you a Mason, he was just seemed to be the natural progression. So masonry construction, self-employed kind of self-made man really. Who provided for his family of his wife and four kids on his own. My mother was a classic Italian American housewife. She took care of everything at home, and dad did nothing, but that was kind of what we grew up with. And there was a lot of respect, a lot of love in the house. We knew that my dad was a hard worker. Um, we, unfortunately as kids were required to work with him and slinging bricks at the age of 10 and 12, not fun job for anybody, but that's what we had to do. This is kind of like, Hey, you're working today is Saturday and we go, we'd go help, go help him. But it really kind of ingrained that kind of piece of who we were. And so when the opportunity came in, he had this business called Tavera and Sons. And at that point, my brother John was the only one there should have picked up the S meant sons. And I dude, you're not off the hook yet. Um, um, it was, Hey, we're gonna, we're doing ceramic tile now. We're installing it. We do the installation. I need someone to run this store. And that's how I got sucked in. And it was one of those things where dad said you were going to do it. They provided for us, all of our lives gave us everything we've ever needed. And the timing was kind of at that point where I was just out of school and I took the opportunity. It was pretty exciting. I loved it. I really enjoyed working with the family, it was very cool.

Grant Copeland: 3:45

But you went to the University of Connecticut with different aspirations. What, what was your thought at that time?

Frank Tavera: 3:50

Um, I was a liberal arts major economics degree. I was going into banking. I was going into finance. I was going into insurance. That was the plan. Um, my plan and again, my dad's plan was otherwise, and it was really one of those where the opportunity presented itself. Um, the market in 1985, wasn't great either, high unemployment. And so my dad's like, Hey, we're going to do this. I said, why not take the opportunity? Um, work with the family, get a little bit back. And it was the best learning experience I could have. And in retrospect, um, I don't know whether they would take me to bank or insurance or, and finance cause, um, I'm kind of a little bit more of a entrepreneur. I like the startup aspect of a business. I like kind of building things on my own and fitting within that square peg, not really my style. So I think it was a perfect opportunity life really kind of lent me the right hand at that time. So, um, no regrets. I think I was a smart move, the right move for me.

Grant Copeland: 4:44

Three other siblings. What are they up to these days?

Frank Tavera: 4:47

My oldest brother, Joe still is in the family business. So all of us, at one point, all four of the kids were in the family business at that time was my sister and I, my brother, John who's passed, and my brother, Joe. It was when the business had grown to the point where the economy was taking a turn. My dad says, we're going to go, we're going to cut down to a smaller size store. My sister and I were like, no we're done. We love you all, but we got to go. Um, and so we chose to kind of close the retail side of the business and they chose to maintain the production end of the business. No hard feelings, wasn't disowned. It was a good thing. Um, so we moved forward. I moved forward in my career and my sister did as well. The family business maintained. So it was dad, my brother and my brother, John at that point who continued the kind of tradition and the legacy. Both my brother and my brother and my dad, one of my brothers and my dad had passed my brother, Joe carries a torch. He has a crew of three to five guys, incredibly busy, great successful. It's all worked out at the end.

Grant Copeland: 5:43

Meet your wife, Diedre

Frank Tavera: 5:45

um, funny story is first day, freshman year high school just met her and that was it. There was nothing. Um, beyond that, my brother had gone out with her sister on a date once. She introduced me to her sister. Uh, um, and so I met Dierdra um, freshman year in high school first day said, Hey, nice to meet you. And I kid you not now I will say this on film. I've said to before, from that moment I said, that's the girl I'm going to marry. It was that didn't date her in high school, we remained friends. Didn't date her through most of college. Um, came home one summer during college, got together just because we remained friends and things took a different turn. So in my head, my freshman year, I said, that's the girl I'm going to marry life kind of moved forward and that was the story. It was, um, probably, um, it was in the works in my head at all times. And just fate seemed to deliver. It was, um, a great opportunity. I'd been married for 30 years and have three great kids because of it.

Grant Copeland: 6:40

Is there anything you take from the marriage and bring to how you look at your professional life?

Frank Tavera: 6:47

We are great partners. And I say that sincerely, I know people say, oh, we're partners. We are 50, 50 all the way since day one. Um, we've kind of had been peers. We've worked together. We used to work together, the Bushnell in Hartford. She goes my superior at the Bushnell. She's my superior at home. So it all works out at the end. Um, but she was my, she was the general manager at the Bushnell when I was in Hartford. We didn't report to each other, but she had a higher position than, um, I did have the time. That kind of really kind of helped solidify our relationship. There was, we knew that there was a level of respect for one another. We knew we had to play within certain confines, um, because of the appearance of any kind of impropriety or nepotism, et cetera. Um, so we were able to kind of keep that distance, but kind of mutually support each other. And we do that, we did that in their work environment and we do that at home. And we have truly effectively raised both of our kids equally. We both have an equal hand in the process. Um, and that kind of partnership is where I look for in my work environment. I want someone at work that I can be a partner with. I want someone I work with that can enjoy coming to have a conversation with, um, that we can both be friendly, that we can be smart with each other and move things forward. But at the end of the day, it's a united front. And that really is kind of been my philosophy as I've lived through all the jobs that I've had. I want to work with people. I enjoy. Um, I want to work with people who are good and can help elevate me. And I found that in my wife as well, and we've been working together for 30 years, plus 30 plus years at this point. So, um, we bring, we transform a lot of those, you know, that relationship part into the workplace. Cause that's just who I am as a person.

Grant Copeland: 8:21

Going from to Tavera tile to the Bushnell is a pretty, pretty big sea change. What was the opportunity there? What did you think you were getting yourself into?

Frank Tavera: 8:34

Interestingly enough, I know I learned who I was for the nine years that I was with my family. Um, again, a startup kind of guy. I enjoy, um, a little bit more of a, um, a free-flowing environment. Again, banking and insurance wasn't going to be my thing. Theater was enjoyable. It's just, here's an escape. We, um, are providing entertainment to people. Um, and when I looked at the opportunity, which is truly, um, to sell tickets to Phantom of the Opera via group sales, that was my job. And so I looked at it and I said, okay, what have I learned in my nine years? Okay. Know your customer, right. Be a good, honest salesperson. Know your market, and know your product, pretty simple, common sense things. I carry common sense throughout much of my decision making process. So when I looked at it and kind of jokingly use the alliteration from tile to tickets. All the same thing. Really, it is, it was a quality product with good service that people want to see. And now I think I am a personable enough guy that I can actually deliver that. And for me, the challenge wasn't as much doing the work. It was just becoming familiar with a new line of business. It was becoming familiar with the theater side. What are the demands and who are, who is that client? Um, and how do I fit into a bigger picture? Family business was four of us. The bushel was 45. So what was my role? What was my role and how much, um, can I move forward? Or how much can I take in at a short period of time? So there was some early challenges, um, but I embraced it as just a new opportunity in a way to start up a new business. And that's really what I was doing. I was starting up a group sales department, responsible for selling tickets for Phantom, which didn't exist before. I've done that before tile tickets, same thing.

Grant Copeland: 10:16

You came to the palace in 2002, but that was two years before the theater actually reopened. What was your vision behind coming here? What was the expectation for what the theater could become?

Frank Tavera: 10:28

My vision for what I wanted the vision for coming here was truly to take this gem of a theater, which was in a horrible state of disrepair and bringing it to that level that I knew it could be. The new polished gem of a building, um, that with the right funding in place, which it was. It could be operating as a significant performing arts center in the state of Connecticut. That was my goal. And with my experience that I had in Hartford, I thought I can actually quickly take, um, transitioned my skillset into what I could deliver into this space. The first two years were a challenge, quite honestly. Um, they're, uh, a heavily disputed piece of property. This was loyal. The people in this community are incredibly loyal and they had visions of what they thought that theater was going to be. I'm not from around here. Um, I was from out of town, um, and I was coming in selling to many, a bill of goods that it would be, this can never bring Broadway. This can never bring high end artistry, um, into, um, into our downtown. But I felt it in my heart that I knew that this building could succeed and we'd be able to attract that level of artistry. So my first two years was really community building. It was building, building consensus within the community, me going out to the Elks club and to the church groups and going out there and trying to sell my idea in the vision and trying to gauge consensus and build consensus. So that they knew I was honest, I was sincere and I had the best interest of the theater at heart. It took a lot of work. It was incredibly rewarding. Um, it was incredibly challenging as well, but I think at the end of the day, uh, people realize that my vision was achievable. That I appeared sincere and honest in what I was trying to get accomplished. And it was in the best interest of the space. So for two years it was building consensus, engaging a community, putting together a business plan that currently did not exist. And then building a board of directors who was actually going to be able to support this idea of a business plan. Um, it was fun. It was challenging. I have no regrets at all. And I sit here back 15 years later and say, Okay we did it pretty darn close to what we promised early on.

Grant Copeland: 12:28

You mentioned that the theater is a gem. What makes this so special when you look at this compared to other venues in the state or, or beyond?

Frank Tavera: 12:37

Funny in the state I mean, having seen many of the theaters across the country architecturally, this is built within a different period than most, right? Everybody's theaters in the state of Connecticut are pretty much within a decade of each other. The Bushnell, it's a little bit, um, younger. Uh, the Warner theater is a little bit, um, I think a couple of years older as well, but all in a different design, some are art deco, some are more contemporary. Um, This was classic. And when I looked at it again, maybe it's my European Italian American roots. I looked at the second, this screams this community as well. It has that really warm European kind of old opera house feel. And I looked at that and said, this is a gem that just, you need to Polish this up quickly. And fortunately the funding was in place. You look at theaters in New York, you look at Broadway often enough, they do nothing to restore those theaters. They paint them. They'll bring, they'll bring them back to code, of course, but in New York theaters and Broadway, the attraction is the, the stage presentation. Here we find ourselves with most people coming in because the attraction is a building as well as, um, as a stage presentation. So looking at it from that perspective, the possibility of a building of this being restored to its full capacity. It was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. And there are a number of theaters in the state like ours built in that same era who are suffering from disrepair because there will be no funding to get it done. And it'll never kind of reach this kind of level of success that we've gone through.

Grant Copeland: 14:05

So the palace has 2,600 seats. How do you fill them?

Frank Tavera: 14:10

Well, you don't have to fill them all the time. The goal quite honestly, is never to fill the seats all the time. If you had to put on shows that had to sell out every single time. It would, could be a financial disaster. Our goal was to get 50 to 60% of people within this building. So anywhere between 16, 1700 seats makes for a great house, makes for an, a financially successful engagement as well. You get to 2,600 seats. That's just bonus. But the reality is when you look at a venue like this, when you look at what the intent of this theater was, it was supposed to be a community gathering place. That community gathering place could be for 800 people. It could be for 1200 people, 1800 or 2,600 people. So to sell the house, you need to bring in the arts and entertainment that people want to see. You need to be able to identify within the community, Waterbury, greater Waterbury, is suburban communities. And then up and down the east Route 8 corridor to sit down and say, what is the market looking for? What is of interest to them and what can they not see in other venues across the state? So finding the right artists, engaging the, the right entertainment. That's critical to driving the traffic into the building, but to have to sell the 2,600 seats as a community center. If we put on a show that's only going to sell 600 seats by intent? We've accomplished our mission. We've have 1600 people happy to see something and financially it makes sense. And we've delivered on the promise that this was going to be a cultural center for 600, for 1600 to 2600.

Grant Copeland: 15:35

So what types of performances are you offering here?

Frank Tavera: 15:38

We vary. I mean, the nice part about this building is that it continues to celebrate its historic roots of kind of classic rock and roll. The community loves that. Um, they harken back to the day, then back in the late seventies and eighties, they would be in this building, um, to see whatever artists it could be. Whether again, a Bob Dylan or so. We bring those artists back who are either performing, um, to kind of, um, their retro audience, um, into theaters like this. Or we look at the, kind of the newer contemporary artists as well. We're looking at Broadway. Broadway is an incredible model for theaters, such as ours. This building was built specifically to accommodate Broadway productions. One of the largest stage houses in the state of Connecticut is ours. Unencumbered space in a performing arts center so we can put on a show of any size and caliber. Broadway is an interesting thing because it appeals to such a cross section of people to young and old male and female, regardless of color, race and creed. Um, so it is one of those that are kind of like the American staple form of entertainment. We found huge success with them because that's what brings people in it is from all over, not just our local community, but throughout the state. It also drives donations and support because people want to support venues like ours. So when we look at our programming has to appeal to the broad base of our statewide audience. And whether it is a local dance company performing here, whether we're doing a, um, a classical concert with Itzhak Perlman who performed here, a rock and roll show, a Broadway performance, or an offbeat comedy. Um, those are just a level of entertainment that we've tried to bring so that we can give something to everybody because not everybody wants to see the same thing.

Grant Copeland: 17:16

Many have noted that the Palace Theater almost serves as a hub for arts and culture in the greater Waterbury region. What are some of the other connected organizations or, uh, groups that are also promoting arts and culture in the region?

Frank Tavera: 17:31

This community is incredibly rich with arts and culture. The palace seems to be, you know, the, um, the most recent, um, um, uh, addition to it. Cause we were the brand new kids. We've only been here for 15 years, but when you look at organizations such as seven angels and the quality of production that they bring professional productions, as well as community-based productions, it's a, it's another, um, opportunity for people to see entertainment in whatever form they want. And it gives a variety, which I think is critical. You look at organizations like the Mattatuck Museum who will be coming through an expansion. The quality of artistry that, that, that they have been recently presenting, is amazing. And that too is bringing in people from all over to see their exhibits and their programs as well. The Waterbury symphony does an amazing job putting on their classical concerts and they've stayed focused with it. And there's a number of, um, dances companies in the area, so I think the arts is rich here. I think by working in partnership with them, many of the smaller organizations actually perform here as well. This is their performance home. So the Brass City Ballet performs here, the Woodbury Ballet performs here. Um, when I look at this, we tend to be a kind of vehicle for them as well. So it's a win-win. So we're not only promoting ourselves as a venue, but we're promoting a local arts organizations such as Shakesperience and their presentation. So. It's a great partnership. There's incredibly rich, um, arts and culture opportunities here. And I think it's our job, um, as a largest of the venues to be critical partners with and to kind of work, to expend, extend that brand because that's what will draw people more consistently to our area.

Grant Copeland: 19:03

The theater is also connected to a high school. How did that all come together?

Frank Tavera: 19:08

That was the vision back in the late 1990s, early 2000 to say, okay, how can we utilize this palace theater space? How can we have a, um, a high school that the school desperately needed and combine them? So it very thoughtful plan was to put the arts and the theater together. I mean the, um, the school and the theater together, and this happens to be the school's auditorium. So the building was built the junior high and high school, which I think has an excess of close to 800, 900 students. Um, they don't have a school auditorium. They don't have a performance space of their own that can accommodate all their students and faculty. This was built specifically to be their performance home. They have access to our building, um, through their own entranceway. So it is that this feels like they're part of their campus. It was a wonderful vision to try to incorporate the arts, the education, and really see whether we can foster that relationship. And we've had a partnership with them that has actually seen students perform here on stage people, learning technical skills. We're working in partnership with our stage crew, and now they're on tour doing national productions as well. So it's been, um, a perfect synergy to do that. It's an active process as well because curriculums change countering change, demands, um, of the faculty change as well. But it's been one of those I think has really lent itself very well to the arts magnet school to be, um, to have us as a performance space. And it's one that we continue to foster and continue to grow.

Grant Copeland: 20:34

Tell me about the response that you get either from patrons, or from the performers themselves when they take in or they lead an experience in the theater. What's the sentiment? What's the response?

Frank Tavera: 20:47

The response from the performance is always incredibly positive. Performers live off and feed off of the energy that comes through the room. Um, and so it's amazing to talk to them after the fact to say, my God, the audience was so responsive that, you know, they, we could feel their energy and that only kind of gives them more incentive and more motivation to, um, perform and perform better. The nice part about this facility is that although large, again, 2,600 seats, it is incredibly intimate. You hear everything, you feel everything, and you feel every eye on you. Um, and every sigh and or laugh and or applause, and that's the energy the artist needs to be able to deliver. And so to be able to have them provide that feedback saying, oh my God, the building is gorgeous. Your backstage ear is gorgeous and the audience just ate it up. That's a true testament to the whole package. And I think that's the exciting part. So we get a lot of positive feedback that way you got to keep in mind that these performers are performing everywhere across the country. They're from one bus and truck to the next. And so sometimes they're playing big cities, small cities, the response always varies. And I would tell you nine out of 10 times even more so, the response from the artistry and the management has been, oh my God, that venue just outdid itself. And I think a lot of it has to do with the structure of the space. It really does deliver. From a consumer side of it, um, the exciting part for me is watching the people walk in the building. And watching the new co newcomers come in the first timers, walk into the building with their eyes, open their jaw drops. And they're like, wow, this is off of east main street in Waterbury would have never thought it. And you can pick those people out. And if I had, you know, um, get to take a dollar for every time, a newcomer coming through the building, I would be rich because you could tell them, you can pick them off. It's exciting to see their excitement when they walk. Because it's unanticipated, right? They think they're going to see a show, little, do they know the building's sometimes as much of a show is a show is itself. Um, so it's really exciting to watch that level of energy on the way in it's even better on the way out. When, you know that you've delivered a quality production, that they're happy that they're either singing along or they have a smile on their face. And our ushers who are amazing are greeting them on the way out. And they're like, oh my gosh, thank you so much for having me here. And they're saying, thank you to us. That's an amazing feeling to know that you've delivered that, that they're appreciating it. And you know, that you've bought in you've created a return customer because the experience from beginning to end was, was complete. That's where the rewarding part for me comes in because that's what we're supposed to be doing. Writing entertainment, improving quality of life, giving a little joy. And that's what we do.

Grant Copeland: 23:21

This is a top notch venue, regardless of where you might put it in the country. That's quite an accomplishment. Now what's the long-term vision for the Palace Theater?

Frank Tavera: 23:32

Long-term vision is to continue what we're doing, but doing it better and more, um, I think with even more activity, we have to have a growth plan, right? So when we look at our current market, Waterbury has always been incredibly supportive of the theater. Very fortunate. Our suburbs continue to be supportive of the theater as well. The bigger, the acts come in, the more frequency of artists that we want to put into theater, that means we have to expand our market. Our footprint has to grow. So we have to go a little bit further north, a little bit further south, a little bit further east and west and get people to make Waterbury a recognizable household name that when they think, oh, I want to go see a show, I'm going to check and see what's going on in Waterbury. It's funny cause there's a cart and a horse that goes along with that because we can sell the idea that this building is gorgeous and it is, and that's wonderful and that is the bonus. But the reality is it's the artist that draws the name first. So if you want to see Bob Dylan, you're not going to say, Hey, LAN, we'll go to the palace theater, Bob. Dylan's not there. I'm going to go see something else. I There, you're going to follow the artist. So it's our job to continue to build a relationships with the agents in the industry, prove that we are able to, um, deliver quality programming, um, deliver ticket sales, um, positive experience for the artists so that they want to come back. And the higher, the artists levels increase, then the audience increases as well. And again, as I said before, you get them in here the first time they're coming back. Um, and that's really our long-term plan. Extend our reach, satisfy our current market because we need to continue to do that, but extend our reach, um, on all sides of the border Northwest East, and south to become the premier kind of Western, uh, the premier venue in the Western part of Connecticut where we're the only people, want only one people are thinking of it's a big reach, but it's possible. It's doable with the right programming in place.

Grant Copeland: 25:15

You're noted as bubbly, high energy. Where does all the energy come from?

Frank Tavera: 25:20

I've been like this all my life. I have a positive attitude. I want to surround myself doing something, I not only like, but I'm going to have fun doing. And I actually always will try to find the humor in just about everything. For me it's just, we're we're not saving lives here. We're putting on entertainment. We should be engaging people. We should be bringing some excitement into their lives. That's the reward comes from that. But as far as goes, who I am, I've always been wired as that guy who was like, we have to have fun doing this. Where where we maybe do something we don't enjoy it, but we have to have fun doing it. And that's just always been me and you'll know that in my, um, in my leadership style board meetings as well, I bring myself to the table. This is who I am. We are going to have some fun doing it. We may be dealing with some serious issues, but I take my job incredibly serious. But I'm going to have to laugh through some of this as well. Not as a, um not as a way to avoid, not as a denial, but just because that is the way I kind of cope with things because it's makes life a lot easier. Let's get everyone around the table having a good time working on the same cause, it's fantastic.

Grant Copeland: 26:24

A very notable Waterburian said about you, that you're a perfectionist who elevates the people around you. What's your response to that?

Frank Tavera: 26:33

Absolutely. No, I appreciate that. I think I take this very seriously, all humorous side in enjoying every moment of what I do. This is personal for me. This was my baby, the Palace Theater was from ground zero. Um, I was held responsible for, I was given the keys to, I was a steward of the Palace Theater. I take it very seriously. I was the only one on board for the first two years of this organization, putting together the plan, engaging the staff, working with the board, building the community. I promised something to this community that I knew we could deliver. And it is my responsibility to be involved on the day-to-day as well as the macro side as well. So I, my leadership is one that I think I engage people. I do. I try to, um, encourage people to do the best that they possibly can. I try doing force them to have fun in doing so as well, which is, um, um, constant, but I think it is truly my responsibility in this position to take every opportunity that I have been given, to do the best I can on behalf of the community, which I, um, which I've been fortunate enough to them to represent, to make this the best organization possible. So in my leadership skills, that's what I bring to the table. It's me and my heart on my sleeve in order to deliver this because it's personal now. And I want this to succeed, not only for the community, but I want it to succeed for me. Cause I would, I don't want to be perceived as someone who misrepresented any of that, and that's not who I am. And I try to instill that with my staff and they see that and they respond accordingly. So it's a good thing.

Grant Copeland: 28:07

Let's talk a little bit about the Waterbury region. You've been at the helm at the Palace Theater since May 2002. What's your take on Waterbury now versus what you saw before taking the job?

Frank Tavera: 28:20

I came in with eyes wide open in 2002. I came in very optimistic, um, that has not changed. Um, quite honestly, one of the things that impressed me most about this community in, I hate to use the word, is the sense of community. There is a loyalty a fierce loyalty in this community. Um, that is something that I didn't experience when I was working in Hartford. Um, at the Bushnell, there are people who care about this building. There are people who care about the community. There are people who work on multiple boards and donate of their time and of their resources because they want the best for the community at large. They could have been born and raised here. They could have left here and moved to, um, another community, they still care. And that is one of the things that most impressed me about this community. When I came in 2002 and interestingly enough, none of that has really changed. Some of the faces have changed. Some of the players have changed. Um, but the reality is that sense of pride, that sense of community, that sense of we are going to do the best we can and, um, work for, um, improving our image as well as improving, um, um, what we grew up to know and love, it's still exists. And that is an incredible asset that this community has, um, to be able to go to any meeting, whether it's a chamber meeting, whether, um, you know, a business meeting and know that you're going to know 90% of the people around the table that you've either worked with. And those people are going to be sitting in another boardroom or another event because they care. That's a great feeling and you know that you have coverage, you know, that there's support. Um, and you know that we're cheering for you. And I think that's the most important part of this community, which continues to surprise me as well, because you don't get that everywhere. Some people are just in it for the business. I did my job. I'm out, I'm nine to five I'm home. People are invested and that's a wonderful thing. And that's, what's made this place so successful is because the community cares and they continue to care.

Grant Copeland: 30:09

Well, by nature of where you sit in the community, you're heavily invested in downtown Waterbury in the city of Waterbury. What's your sense of where Waterbury as a city, as a community, as a region is headed?

Frank Tavera: 30:22

I see growth and I see opportunity. I see a bright future for Waterbury when all the stars aligned and there's always some challenges, um in the world that I think everything is moving in that right direction. So to see growth, prosperity, more engagement. Um, and I see us being the beneficiary of much of that as well.

Grant Copeland: 30:42

So as it stands today, even now with all the assets that the city and the region have, why should Waterburians feel proud about themselves?

Frank Tavera: 30:50

Because we do have great assets and the infrastructure, um, that is here, whether it is the buildings, whether it's a solid business and business men and women in this community. I mean, this is a community rich with a deep, deep heritage number one, but it also is, uh, is also has great, great pride. Um, I think people should be celebrating the fact that this community has gone through so much change over the last 50 years. Um, you know, with the change in industry, et cetera, is still here it's um, seeing growth in improvements and that there are people who still care about it. It's not become a ghost town. It's actually less than a ghost town these days, because there are people who live in the neighborhoods that are still here to support the downtown aspect of it. I think that's something that most big cities don't have and most cities don't celebrate. And we're incredibly fortunate that we still have that kind of, um, that sense that nuclear family exists, that's here to provide, um, support guidance, financial resources when inappropriate.

Grant Copeland: 31:49

How can arts and culture serve as a pillar for progress and a market in a region like Waterbury?

Frank Tavera: 31:55

We draw people from outside of the area. We know our mission is to provide quality entertainment to our local community. That's part of it, um, and the surrounding communities as well. But when you look at the size and scope of the entertainment we bring in, and as well as organizations like the Mattatuck and Seven Angels, their job is to entertain the masses. It's always been part of entertaining the masses. So our focus, as I just mentioned, is as we increase our footprint is to really bring others into downtown. I think once people show up to the Mattatuck to the Seven to Seven Angels, to the Palace Theater and have that positive experience. That changes everything. It changes their perspective on what they may have thought um, uh, what the perception was of Waterbury. And I think it's incumbent on us to continue to use those assets as the magnet, to bring people downtown, provide a great quality experience across the board and then get them to return. It's what, you know, the old, if they bring it, if you bring it, they will come. There's a little bit of that mentality. If you bring the Phantom of the Opera and they'll come, we had 10,000 people come into this, see this Phantom of the Opera. Um, they were first-time patrons to the Palace Theater. That's what the values of the arts bring them in here once, show them a good time and they will probably come back. So that's, I think was important because then the city as a whole will benefit as well. Restaurants, the shops, et cetera, they'll see the benefits as well.

Grant Copeland: 33:21

Are there people, organizations that you admire in the Waterbury area?

Frank Tavera: 33:27

The United Way I'm always impressed with. And that is because they have a challenge. Their job is one that they are truly trying to make positive impact in the community at large. Um, I look at the leadership there. I see how sincere they are and what they're trying to get accomplished. Um, how they're engaged in almost every, almost every aspect of the community. Good and bad. Um, and I see the positive impact they're having. And that's one organization that through leadership through impact and through support, I say, you know what, they're doing an incredible job. They should be really proud of what they do. Um, because it reaches so deep because they're touching so many lives, so many lives that need it. Um, but they're also able to rally enough support from those, um, to continue to move that, um, mission and agenda. I think, um, they're an incredibly impressive organization, they should be proud of everything that they accomplish.

Grant Copeland: 34:21

Favorite place to eat in the Waterbury region?

Frank Tavera: 34:23

I'd have to say La Tavola. I gotta say my Italian food La Tavola, Nick Mancini does an amazing job. And it is my favorite place to eat.

Grant Copeland: 34:33

What's a perfect day for Frank Tavera in and around the Waterbury region?

Frank Tavera: 34:38

When I get out of the office? Is that we're asking because when I get out of the office, ideally, okay. Putting in a couple hours into work. Right. So yeah, I have to do my stuff. And in between. Uh, show here at the theater, really kind of having the opportunity to, um, go out, sit back and relax. And there's a couple of little local establishment in the neighborhood. Just sit back with the staff because the staff actually likes to get together and socialize with each other outside of the workplace. And so we kind of enjoy that moments where we're like, okay, we're going to the Thirsty Goat at four o'clock because it's just a nice way to, for us to regroup before we close up the day or before we may have to come back to work and extend, extend the day. It, and that's kind of in an ideal world, I would love to be here doing my part during the day. Love to could escape for a moment and a half. And then being here during the show, watching the excitement in the building and watching the excitement on the way out. It's perfect.

Grant Copeland: 35:34

In nearly two decades of experiencing so many things in the theater. Is there a top moment that really serves as a microcosm for what you tried to accomplish and what's been accomplished and where you're headed?

Frank Tavera: 35:51

It was opening night. Tony Bennett reclaiming his place on our stage in me having promised that two years prior to saying, no, Tony Bennett's coming they're like no he's not comingcoming and I'm like he's coming. Um , and being able to deliver that to a sold-out house and to watch and to see the excitement within the community. I'm like I could have left. And I actually said this to my wife. That show start I'm like, I can go home now. He's there. He's doing it. Everyone's excited. I can go home now. I've done it. Cause that was like the most amazing moment, most fulfilling moment for me, because that was two years in the making and it went off seamlessly. Um, so for that, for me, that was kind of like the, uh, the pinnacle and the moment here in my time.

Grant Copeland: 36:30

Many people who sit in your seat, leading a theater, leading an arts and culture, performing arts center, wanting to be performers themselves. You?

Frank Tavera: 36:40

Nope, never. Now I, in my grammar school, I was forced to like, do like some song and dance thing. Um, and that was you're forced to, because when sister Katrina said you were going to be in the show, you're in the show, you had no choice. Um, never did I want to perform. The stage actually frightens me. I don't enjoy going out on stage. I don't need that energy. I don't need that, um, the, um, the eyes on me, I like doing what I do. I like delivering the product and I like seeing the joy on people's faces. I don't need to be the one, um, putting on a performance, just that that's not me. I, I find myself charming and amusing at times, but I don't need to be a performer. So

Grant Copeland: 37:19

I find it very interesting that the theater was restored quite literally from the ground up full restoration. That to me seems to connote what Waterbury as a community is all about that if you're going to do something, you're going to do it thoroughly and correctly. Can you talk about that in terms of the context of what you see in this community and in the audience that you bring into the theater?

Frank Tavera: 37:44

Wow. That's a good question. Um, with the audience that I'm bringing to the theater,

Grant Copeland: 37:51

You see, you see more, uh, from the Waterbury community than most. Um, w what do you see in terms of the individuals who you are essentially collaborative partners with that you're bringing performances and you're giving them the escapism and the entertainment that they're looking for. Um, it's a, it's a loyal, hard working group of people, um, speak to that.

Frank Tavera: 38:18

So to your point about ground up, absolutely. The interesting part about this building, it was really from the ground up and more importantly, though, the foundation was solid of of this building as is in this community. And so I'd have to make the parallel to the people who are my, our patrons as well. They come from a solid foundation. These are individuals who are entrenched in the community. Um, and as I said before, I take great pride in everything that not only is done in the community, but that we do. Um, so for me, I look at them, they're kind of like the bedrock of who we are. Um, as a, as a, as a, as an organization, they are the people who have kind of established the foundation. Cause they've been here the longest and they're completely entrenched in it. So it's really using them is our foundation to kind of build and grow. I see that as, as a great opportunity because they're also the biggest cheerleaders. They're also the biggest supporters at the end of the day. So, um, I look at them as really being the basis of what this place was, what started back in the, um, today they're are still here, still supportive, and this is only really kind of giving the solid foundation for everything to grow off from there.

Grant Copeland: 39:26

So give me the, the pitch. If I was a prospective investor, prospective business owner, or even prospective theater patron, what's the pitch for Waterbury?

Frank Tavera: 39:37

It's community. I mean, I think, you know, if you want to feel part of something come to Waterbury, and I think that's the most kind of, um, simplest terms, because I think this community does make you feel part of it, whether you're a new business coming to town with your individual coming in, just for one, one time. The treatment you get when you come into this town is such that you're like, okay, I want to be part of that because they make me feel comfortable. And I think that's a, that could be the most obvious pitch, but I think as a true pitch and it's very sincere and that's my answer.

Grant Copeland: 40:12

Actually, I haven't asked you two questions. One of them was, why do you talk so fast?

Frank Tavera: 40:17

Is that a real question?

Grant Copeland: 40:20

No um, the, the other is

Frank Tavera: 40:23

Because I can answer that, I can't actually

Grant Copeland: 40:24

the other is who are your heroes? Who are your inspirations?

Frank Tavera: 40:30

My inspirations, um, my previous boss at the Bushnell, Doug Evans, um, who was the CEO at the time. He was the one who kind of taught me most aspects of this business. Um, and I look at him and see what he has done in his life and his career and how he's kind of always accepted the challenge. He always moved forward with a new opportunity. Um, always made the best of it and was truly one who engaged people in the process. He may have been the boss, but everybody else was a team player, a critical team player. And I look at him as kind of really the example of the person, that's what I need to be. That's what I want to be. Um, and I saw the parallels in both of us saying, okay, that's who I am by nature. Now I seen someone who demonstrated that, and I was able to watch that leadership skill and manage and kind of learn from it. And that's, I think he is probably, you know, my immediate, um, person, I would say he's probably had the most impact on who I am as a business person today, because much of what I'm doing is just kind of following his lead, which is a really solid lead that I kind of admire. Listen to the full series from the Waterbury talks and learn more about Frank Tavera. The Palace Theater Waterbury's rich arts and culture in all of the city offers @thewaterbury.com.