The music, theater and art scene in Butler County continues to add audiences and participants, but sometimes it is a struggle as multiple groups compete for the same demographic.

But here is how a number of arts groups are continuing to build for the future.

Listen to the music

Though the Butler County Symphony Orchestra has been around for more than 65 years, it continues to try out new shows and cast a wide audience net.

One of the avant-garde concerts done recently was last season’s screening of the Charlie Chaplin film “City of Lights.” The 75-member orchestra played the soundtrack live while the film was projected on a big screen.

“That’s the kind of thing large orchestras are doing,” said symphony marketing chairman Connie Downs. “That was a large undertaking for us. Because of the age of that movie, there was no time code like there is for a movie like ‘Pirates of the Caribbean,’ another movie that orchestras are screening. The conductor (Matthew Kraemer) had to watch it over and over and make his own marks.”

Kraemer also conducted an ABC’s of Symphonies program for students in the Butler School District in the fall, which was successful, Downs said, so that activity will continue in some form. The symphony has been contacted by Slippery Rock and Mars schools about bringing a similar program to students there.

For the future, the symphony plans to continue to execute challenging musical selections, Downs said. One of the six concerts — three traditional classical music and three pop, softer classical — for next season will be Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, which has been called the greatest artistic achievement in history.

“This year, we’ve seen an average of 25 percent increase in audiences,” Downs said.

Shows like the annual Christmas concerts usually sell out all the seats at the Butler Intermediate High School auditorium. And a group of Charlie Chaplin enthusiasts came in from Ohio for the “City of Lights” show.

“Our programs are diverse enough to attract a broad audience,” she said.

“Butler County has a lot of arts offerings, and we are glad to be part of that.”

Another musical group is the Musicians’ Concert Band, an all-volunteer group.

Director and conductor Jeff Kroner was 18 years old and headed off to Slippery Rock University as a music major when he discovered the group, what he and band members say is one of the best kept secrets in Butler.

“I think we’re in the 29th year,” said Kroner, who has been there since the beginning. The concert band was founded by Blase Scarnati, then a professor at SRU.

The band usually plays four concerts in the summer. The schedule isn’t out yet for this year, but Kroner said two concerts likely will be before July 4, and two after, all at Butler Intermediate High School, where Kroner teaches. Musicians’ ages range from 15 to 75.

There are about 110 names on the concert band roster, Kroner said, but because of vacations or illness, usually about 70 musicians will be onstage for a concert.

“It’s a great community opportunity for people to get to know each other and share music with each other,” Kroner said. “We keep bringing in new band members, students.

“It’s an opportunity to keep playing. My goal is to continue growing our audience,” he said.

Actors, singers

A prime concern for theater companies includes their physical performance spaces.

“We always want to improve on our building,” said Barb Osche, Musical Theatre Guild vice president, of the production center at the back of Memorial Park. “But we haven’t been talking about anything too major.”

Funding, of course, is the issue.

“We’re going to try some different things of how to get people interested,” Osche said. “We’re looking into selling tickets online, maybe do smaller shows at our building for awhile.”

“There are so many arts groups, and it’s all the same people who do different groups,” she said.

“We need to talk about ways to get people more interested. There’s just so many things going on. It used to be MTG was the only group in town that did musical theater.”

MTG’s big spring musical will be “Evita” in April at the Succop Theater at Butler County Community College. In connection with the Grapevine Center, MTG will reprise its fall show “Next to Normal” in May for mental health awareness month. And this summer the group will present the show “Altar Boys.”

MTG has been making musical theater for more than 50 years.

Beginning a few years ago, a new theater troupe entered the scene: The Hobnob Theatre Company, founded by Liz and Ken Smith. A board assists with decisions and planning.

Last summer, the troupe tried a couple of unusual venues for its shows. Its production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” was staged outdoors in Preston Park, and Oscar Wilde’s “A Woman of No Importance” took place in an intimate setting at The Art Center.

“We are currently working on our Art Center spring show, are working on a new plays festival for Butler County and plan to return to Preston Park for our second ‘Shakespeare in the Park’ this summer,” Liz Smith said.

Members of Sing Hosanna!, which marked 35 years last year, are continuing to renovate their building, Stewart Hall in Penn Township, said director Ralph Christy Jr.

“We had plans when we moved in 10 years ago to open it for our dinner theater and small productions,” he said.

So far the group has painted, replaced the roof and insulated.

“It’s been a great rehearsal hall for us,” Christy said.

The group rents the Succop Theater at BC3 for its large performances. Coming up at the end of March is the musical “Oliver!”

Butler Little Theatre has been at its building at One Howard St. for 75 years, said Sue Collar, chairman of the BLT board.

“We would like to have a new garage to use as a building space,” Collar noted. “Right now we usually build right on the stage.”

The group bought an adjacent property about a year ago, but has not built anything yet.

“What we’re looking to do before next year, our 75th anniversary, is the box office area,” she said. “It all takes money.”

“The stage floor we would like to replace in the next couple years. It gets beat up, all the things we do to it, from usage, paint splattered on it.”

Collar said the group hopes to open next season with a picnic and at the end of the season wants to have a gala.

“We’re doing repeats, shows we’ve done over the past 75 years,” she said.

Performance series

The Performing Arts Series hosted by Slippery Rock University has the one theater venue where actual building is going on. The series has been taking place in the multipurpose room at the University Union since renovations to Miller Auditorium began three seasons ago.

“Since we’re working in a ballroom setting, it allows us to change the seating, so we’ve been able to do cabaret seating,” said Deb Baker, director of special events at SRU.

“The negative is not having a real stage, so we’re unable to do traditional dance or theater, anything that needs closing of curtains.”

The renovations were supposed to take about two years, Baker said, but plans have changed.

“We’re transitioning to new design plans,” she said.

While the series awaits its return to Miller Auditorium, “we try to use our resources as best we can, we’re optimistic about the future, and we’re thankful for the people who have stuck with us,” Baker said.

Three different performing arts series take place at BC3: a conventional series that brings in performance groups, a Local Artists Mini-Series and the Pittsburgh Philharmonic Mini-Series.

“What I try to do is to bring things into Butler that people want to see,” said Larry Stock, BC3’s Cultural Center director. “The Tamburitzans (in February) was a great program, and they were thrilled with our program.

“I would love to bring the River City Brass Band and Second City back again, maybe a magic show next year. I try to bring in the widest variety of things I can.”

The next schedule should be finalized in April.

Opened in 2002, BC3’s performing arts series is in the middle of its 13th season.

Room for art

“A lot of things we did over the last 10, 15, 25 years depended on whether we were funded,” said Terry Hagan, The Art Center’s manager.

The Associated Artists of Butler County is pushing 80 years, Hagan said, and the group has operated The Art Center for about the past 25 years.

“We used to have a paid director, and then there were AmeriCorps volunteer,” Hagan said. “Now we’re 95 percent volunteer. We do have a paid bookkeeper. And the class teachers are paid by the number of students who sign up.

“What we’ve introduced recently are art parties a couple times a month, and we have art classes for everyone. We want to make this place really jumping,” he said.

“The Underground Gallery has been successful, too. They have bands in about once a month, and accept art work, too. It gets the kids in; it’s a good space for them. They know that they have to police themselves because they don’t want to lose the space.”

The renovated kitchen and new bathrooms help attract groups who rent the space for meetings, providing income.

“For the long-range plans, really the board wants to stay downtown,” Hagan said. “We have had offers to move; anything is possible. We just rent here, but the Masons have been good landlords.”

Parking has always been a problem, he said, and there’s also the possibility of the group opting to own its own building.

“We’re looking for younger people; that’s what we need, new people to take on responsibility,” he said.

The Maridon Museum on North McKean Street, the only museum in Western Pennsylvania focusing on Chinese and Japanese art, continues its film and travelogue series and tries to bring new people in the doors.

“We’re planning an exhibit with Slippery Rock University,” said Roxann Booser, the Maridon’s executive director. “SRU has a collection of Asian art and artifacts, woodblock prints, and we’ve been in discussions with them about displaying those.

“We always welcome new ideas,” Booser said.