It's Not Summer Until Top Of The Park Says So

"In these tough times it's important for people to have a place to gather," says Robb Woulfe, Executive Director of Ann Arbor's Summer Festival. "I think the Top Of The Park festival offers people that."

Five years ago Woulfe moved from Midland, Michigan to take the helm. His first big act was to move Top Of The Park to Ingalls Mall. The decision was a hit, drawing praise and increased attendance. In the run up to July 4th, its bands and movies now draw between 1,500 and 3,000 people each night. The outdoor fest has become so popular that this year saw 400 bands apply for the privilege to play.

"Ingalls Mall has helped solidify our identity and give the festival more entertainment opportunities," explains Woulfe. "We have a lawn and more open space, which lets us bring in some interesting acts like  Strange Fruit, the Australian group we brought in a couple of years ago. I think we're adopting a more European approach to what the festival can be."

As Woulfe explains it, the festival's first season was in 1983. It was the brainchild of Eugene Power, who wanted to fill the arts and culture gap that occurred each summer when university affiliated organizations went dormant. The programming back then skewed much more toward classical music and arts and was relegated solely to indoor venues like the Power Center and Hill Auditorium. Concert attendees, however, started to migrate outside during intermissions and after concerts for a glass of wine and, quite organically, a scene started to develop. By the late 1980s, hot dogs and wine were on offer from local vendors on the nearby parking deck. From there, Top Of The Park was born.

Looking over past festival programs, it's interesting to see how the indoor events have evolved over time. By the mid 1990s, more mainstream concerts and performers started to creep into the lineup.

"We like to joke that it's like a tour of the William Morris Agency's talent roster," says Woulfe. "You had performers like Aretha Franklin, Tammy Wynette and Harry Belafonte. You have to remember this was before the national casino entertainment industry developed."

Woulfe credits the festival's previous director, Evy Warshawski, with bringing a more curatorial approach to the programming, redefining it as a timely reflection of important musical and theatrical trends, while reflecting the festival's changing demographics. It's an approach Woulfe hopes to expand on.

"I want to try to push the comfort zone of what the festival offers.That's why I brought people like John Waters and Sandra Bernhardt in the past," says Woulfe. "This year I'm really excited to have the UMMA venue for Neal Medlyn, who will probably appeal to a young, hip crowd. I'm also hoping people will take a chance on shows like Dean And Brita or Pink Martini, acts that may be unfamiliar to local audiences but have huge followings elsewhere."

The Ann Arbor Summer Festival operates on an annual budget of $1.5 million, with nearly 65 percent of its costs covered by earned revenue (tickets, concessions, etc). The remaining funding comes from grants and corporate support. Attendance is estimated to reach between 60,000 and 70,000 people this summer, with 15-20,000 of those attending the indoor programming.

As a reflection of the current economic woes, this year the festival has suggested that attendees donate three dollars each for Top Of The Park's free entertainment.

"The response has been terrific. People are really understanding and have been very generous, proudly wearing their 'I Gave' stickers," says Woulfe.

"It's interesting how the festival has developed these two personalities and how the community has really adopted a great feeling of ownership for Top Of The Park in particular," Woulfe adds. "Eventually, I'd love to see us grow and expand into a festival that incorporates more venues and events, drawing people from all over."