www.HartfordBusiness.com • March 26, 2018 • Hartford Business Journal 3
Newsmakers
EDITORIAL
Greg Bordonaro | Editor, ext. 139, gbordonaro@HartfordBusiness.com
Gregory Seay | News Editor, ext. 144, gseay@HartfordBusiness.com
Matt Pilon | News Editor, ext. 143, mpilon@HartfordBusiness.com
John Stearns | Staff Writer, ext. 145, jstearns@HartfordBusiness.com
Joe Cooper | Web Editor, ext. 127, jcooper@HartfordBusiness.com
Stephanie Meagher | Research Director
Heide Martin | Research Assistant
Steve Laschever | Photographer
BUSINESS
Joe Zwiebel | President and Publisher, ext. 132, jzwiebel@HartfordBusiness.com
Donna Collins | Associate Publisher, ext. 121, dcollins@HartfordBusiness.com
Amy Orsini | Events Manager, ext. 134, aorsini@HartfordBusiness.com
Shannon Vincelette | HBJ Office and Events Coordinator, ext. 122,
svincelette@hartfordbusiness.com
Jaime Rudy | Sales Director, ext. 124, jrudy@HartfordBusiness.com
David Hartley | Sr. Accounts Manager, ext. 130, dhartley@HartfordBusiness.com
Christopher Mazzaia | Sr. Accounts Manager, ext. 128, cmazzaia@HartfordBusiness.com
Kristen P. Nickerson | Sr. Accounts Manager, ext. 133, knickerson@HartfordBusiness.com
Karen Spatafora | Accounts Manager, ext. 131, kspatafora@HartfordBusiness.com
Raki Zwiebel | Credit and Collections Manager
Valerie Clark | Accounting Assistant/Office Manager
Jill Coran | Human Resources Manager
PRODUCTION
Christopher Wallace | Art Director, ext. 147, cwallace@HartfordBusiness.com
Liz Saltzman | Creative Director, ext. 140, lsaltzman@HartfordBusiness.com
Peter Stanton | CEO, pstanton@nebusinessmedia.com
Joseph Zwiebel | President, ext. 132, jzwiebel@HartfordBusiness.com
Mary Rogers | COO/CFO, mrogers@nebusinessmedia.com
SUBSCRIPTIONS:
Annual subscriptions are $84.95. To subscribe, visit HartfordBusiness.com,
email hartfordbusiness@cambeywest.com, or call (845) 267-3008.
ADVERTISING:
For advertising information, please call (860) 236-9998.Please address all correspondence
to: Hartford Business Journal, 15 Lewis Street, Suite 200, Hart ford CT 06103.
NEWS DEPARTMENT:
If you have a news item: Call us at (860) 236-9998, fax us at (860) 570-2493,
or e-mail us at news@HartfordBusiness.com.
Hartford Business Journal accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts
or materials and in general does not return them to the sender.
Hartford Business Journal (ISSN 1083-5245) is published weekly, 49x per year - including
two special issues in November and December — by new England Business Media, LLC,
15 Lewis Street, Suite 200, Hartford, CT 06103. Periodicals postage paid at Hartford, CT
and at additional entry points.
Tel: (860) 236-9998 • Fax (860) 570-2493
Copyright 2018. All rights reserved.
Postmaster:
Please send address changes to:
Hartford Business Journal
P.O. Box 330, Congers, NY 10920-9894
www.copyright.com
HartfordBusiness.com
(860) 236-9998
Game on
"Illegal sports betting
takes place throughout the
state and on the internet, and
legalization would deliver
the appropriate consumer
protections and taxation,
within licensed environments."
Ted Taylor , president of Sportech Venues Inc.,
which operates Connecticut's off-track betting
sites, on his support for sports-betting legalization.
Brett Raphael | Artistic Director/CEO, Connecticut Ballet
By John Stearns
jstearns@HartfordBusiness.com
Brett Raphael, Connecticut Ballet artistic direc-
tor/CEO, doesn't tip-toe around ballet's challenges:
It has to change perceptions and attract younger
audiences, part of the motivation behind a May 11
event for young professionals.
That's when "Friday Night
out at the Ballet" — a 6:30
p.m. pre-show event (free
glass of wine included) with
behind-the-scenes tidbits
of the "Russian Classics"
show that night — aims to
demystify the unique ballets
at The Bushnell.
The Russian ballets are
"Raymonda Variations" and "Petrouchka." A third
show that evening, "Pulse," is a contemporary,
edgy work with techno music and as far from
Russian ballet as you can get, Raphael said.
Do arts like ballet have a perception problem
among young people?
The traditional symphony, opera and ballet per-
forming-arts institutions have a real perception
problem and rightfully so. Those art forms have
largely been a function of white privilege in our
society. It's time to do what shows like "Frozen,"
"Wicked," and "Lion King," have done for younger
audiences: excite them with visuals, engage them
with pertinent content, and keep it affordable.
What's your biggest opportunity trying to at-
tract a younger audience?
Showcase the sheer athleticism of ballet and
extreme commitment to hone our technique
passed down largely from European conserva-
tories and national theaters of the 19th and 20th
centuries. We have fabulous talent to showcase.
What's your biggest challenge trying to attract
a younger audience?
Removing barriers to attending something
one hasn't experienced before. Some young pro-
fessionals ask what's appropriate dress for the
theater. Answer: It's a night out. Casual to chic.
What would young people find most surprising
about a ballet performance?
How diverse we are. We have top dancers from
Sweden, Cuba, Brazil, Australia, Nicaragua, Rus-
sia, Japan, Colombia and the U.S.
What's the competitive climate for audiences'
discretionary income?
Brutal. We're competing with the bar scene on
one hand and big-screen, HD simulcasts of the
Bolshoi Ballet and Metropolitan Opera for $15 on
the other. But when people see the quality and
breadth of a production like "Petrouchka," they'll
understand the need to charge more. It's New
York-quality in Hartford.
VERBATIM
GREEN SOLUTIONS…ONE SOURCE
The company that builds and installs the critical systems in virtually every type of facility
is the same company you can rely on to maintain them. For over 50 years, our clients have trusted
us to provide sustainable, more efficient, greener facilities.
We are experts in:
Energy Systems & Incentives
Building Automation Technologies
Sustainable Design & Operation
860.871.1111 Toll Free: 800.741.6367 nemsi.com
License #'s: E1-104939 • S1-302974 • P1-203519 • F1-10498 • SM1-192 • MC-1134
MECHANICAL • ELECTRICAL • PLUMBING • SHEET METAL • BUILDING AUTOMATION • FACILITIES SERVICES
Brett Raphael
Predicting stability
"The bottom line is the odds
of a recession over the next 18
months is one in three.''
Economist Don Klepper-
Smith on his assessment
that the U.S. and
Connecticut economies aren't likely headed
toward a major downturn in the near future.
