The Van Wert County Courthouse

Friday, Mar. 29, 2024

What others are saying about ‘the PAC’

I know many of you are very proud of our Niswonger Performing Arts Center (commonly referred to as “The PAC”).  It has taken nearly 10 years to earn our respect, but most have become believers in the arts of Van Wert.

It is one thing to blow our own horns, but when you hear about it from “outsiders,” it somehow becomes even more credible. This is the case when a Van Wert County Foundation board member shared an article written recently by the editor of the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel. He had attended the BJ Thomas concert on February 27 of this year. It was his first Niswonger concert experience.  He talked about what a beautiful venue we had and what fine acoustics there are. He concluded by saying, “Where have I been for the past nine years?  I will certainly be back!”

It’s amazing how so many Fort Wayne residents feel that Van Wert must be a couple hours away; if they even know where Van Wert is!  The News-Sentinel editor included in his comments that Van Wert is just over a half-hour drive from Fort Wayne. We all know that. Many of them apparently don’t! Now, more will.

It’s not only audience members who are talking positively about the Niswonger PAC.  Many of our performers have commented on what a great experience it was to perform on our stage and for our audience.  They love the acoustics and the intimacy they have with the audience.  We have 1,200 seats in our hall, which puts us on the small to mid-size range for PACs. What many performers enjoy about the Niswonger is that it “feels” good to them.  It’s almost like a living room atmosphere, although there can be up to 1,200 people in the audience.

Performers are consistently requesting we re-book them. Although we do and have, it has been my policy to bring in as many new performers as possible. On occasion, a performer is just so outstanding that you just must have them back.

Another aspect of the Niswonger experience for performers is that they get treated well. Our staff and volunteers do an excellent job of going out of their way to accommodate many of their requests. We still can’t get over the fact that artists would travel so far to share their talent with us. I guess we’ll be fine as long as we continue to treat others nicely. This is a good life lesson for all of us.

Next season is starting to come together. It will be our 10th season and we plan to celebrate in a big way! Stay tuned. Announcements will be made in the future.

Also just around the corner is the Fountain Park Summer Music Series. The first concert will be on June 3. A total of eight concerts and even a post-concert outdoor movie will be featured this summer. Remember to get your name into the hat if you are a non-profit organization wanting some action in serving food at one of the concerts. Contact the Van Wert County Foundation by April 1 to be considered.

We’re not done at the PAC for this season either. The American Boychoir will be in concert on April 10 at 3 p.m.  You won’t want to miss this world famous boychoir in concert at the Niswonger. Get your tickets now!

FINÉ.

POSTED: 03/30/16 at 6:46 am. FILED UNDER: News