Bonnie Schock is the brains behind the theatre

Putting together the new fall and spring lineup for the Fox Tucson Theatre is no easy task.

For programmer and Executive Director Bonnie Schock, it’s like putting together a giant puzzle — except the pieces are always in motion.

“There are so many different aspects of how the puzzle comes together and who the players are involved in all of that,” she said. “It’s a complicated business.”

The Fox’s 2023-24 has something for everyone — and that’s Schock’s goal. From finding the artists to booking them, creating contracts and finally getting them in front of an audience, this is her world.

Schock works in a neat, spacious, upstairs office in a building adjacent to the theater itself. She looks out of tall windows to a brick outer wall of the actual Fox building. From where she sits, she can still see the sun, but more importantly she can see the semis that bring in the larger acts.

Sometimes artists reach out to her, but most of the time, it’s Schock who initiates the conversation.

“It’s a combination of a lot of different things, but it’s all based on relationships,” Schock said.

She likes to book far in advance.

“We try to have stuff confirmed a minimum of four to five months out; I like more time,” she added.

If Schock had her way, she’d book a year out, primarily for advertising purposes. To fill the 1,164 seats, tickets must go on sale fairly far in advance.

“Six weeks before a show you’re out there pushing and selling,” she said. “You really need three months.”

The Fox features a dozen different series or categories of acts, among them are four categories of “listening room” (country and Americana; jazz; singer-songwriter; and rhythm, blues, soul and gospel).

“Global journeys” includes a Merry-Achi Christmas featuring the Mariachi Sol De México de José Hernández. The Ten Tenors Greatest Hits Live also falls into this category.

“Picture palace” is a movie category. An example is “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Live in Concert,” which pairs a screening of the animated film with live musicians and turntables onstage.

Planned for Spanish-language events is Los Amantes Perfecto. There are more catgories: fine vintages, outburst comedy, family and youth, and regional artists and community events.

Schock keeps these categories in mind when she’s finding acts.

“We’re looking for different types of things that fit what we believe to be our role in the community,” Schock says. “We have a range of different things.”

Looking at the schedule, Schock was indeed busy last year. She just hired an assistant programmer.

After acts are booked and they’ve arrived, they have to sleep and eat somewhere. Schock says a full-time staff member takes care of the artists.

“That ranges from their transportation needs while they’re here, to where is the bus going to park, to where does the bus driver sleep during the day when the show is loading in, because they’re going to leave and drive the bus at night,” Schock says.

“There’s food and catering and hotels. It depends on the contract. We could make the arrangements or the artist sleeps on the bus.”

Then there’s unloading and setup, sound checks, lighting and video screens. Sometimes the Fox must provide instruments such as drum kits the artist may need but did not bring.

Then there’s the Fox Theatre itself.

Tucson audience members are not the only ones who admire the beautiful, Southwest art deco-style Fox Tucson Theatre ceiling. There’s even a custom chandelier. It is remarkable.

According to Jeff Rodenkirch, director of production and facilities, the first thing artists do when they step on to the stage is snap pictures of it with their phones.

Some of the acts’ staffers question the acoustics because the walls look concrete. Not so, says Rodenkirch.

“The sound engineers come in and they think, ‘Oh, this room’s going to sound bad,’ because it looks like hard surfaces,” he says.

“But the walls are absorbent, and at the end of the night they say, ‘This is the best hall we’ve played in the entire tour.’ It’s got the best acoustics in Tucson. We’re the only theater to have this material on the walls.”

“It’s fantastic,” Schock added.

The Fox is a midsize venue, not as small as a club but also not as big as the Linda Ronstadt Music Hall. There are two bars with tables where guests stand. In the balcony is an unusual feature: love seats that give guests a close-up view of the ceiling and the stage.

Schock’s job is no 9-to-5 gig. She works when she has to, no matter what time it is, she says. There are night meetings, talking to the public, talking to donors (this is a nonprofit theater), talking to the acts and staff. It’s an exciting job, though; one day is never the same as the next.

Schock is grateful for the support of the people in Tucson. As a 501(c)(3), the Fox lives and dies by community support.

Revenue comes in by grants and ticket sales, but 30% of the Fox’s income comes from private donations.

“Without that, we wouldn’t be here,” she said.

The Fox Tucson Theatre

17 W. Congress Street, Tucson
520-547-3040

To see the Fox Tucson Theatre’s
full schedule: foxtucson.com/events

To schedule a tour of the theater
or a field trip:
foxtucson.com/take-a-tour

This article appears in Sep 7-13, 2023.