Media Contacts:
Jamey Penney-Ritter
Marketing Director
Big Top Chautauqua
Phone: (715) 373-0788
Email address: marketing@bigtop.org
As vinyl tents become the norm, “The Carnegie Hall of Tent Shows”
stays true to its roots
Written by Claire Duquette
Bayfield, Wis. – When the blue and gray canvas sidewalls open and let the crowd in on the first night of the 2014 Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua season, those concert-goers will be the first to hear the sweet sound of music under a new canvas tent.
The fifth new tent in Big Top’s 28 years will seat 950 with sidewalls that open up wider to allow cool summer breezes in and offer improved sight lines for those sitting on the grounds.
“It’s an historic event, the delivery of a brand-new canvas tent,” said Big Top Executive Director Terry Matier. “They just don’t make them like this any more. Warren (Big Top founder Warren Nelson) used to always breathe in the smell of the canvas and say ‘there is no smell like a new tent’. I’m not looking forward to the smell as much as the sight of it. It will be magnificent!”
The new tent became a necessity after fierce 2013 windstorms ripped holes in the previous tent that could be patched over, but threatened the overall integrity of the aging canvas. Given the situation, the structure had to be considered a total loss. It was a challenge the staff, board and generous Big Top patrons met by raising funds for a brand-new tent, ensuring Big Top’s musical magic will continue.
They only briefly considered anything other than canvas for the new tent.
“Vinyl is more popular for structures now,” said Big Top Operations Manager and musician Phil Anich, “but the acoustics are lousy.”
He explained that when sound hits vinyl, it slaps back, creating a harsh effect. Canvas, on the other hand, absorbs the sound in a way that is pleasing to the ear.
To stitch together the behemoth structure, Big Top turned once again to Anchor Industries Inc. of Evansville, Ind. to sew a new tent both strong and beautiful. Sewing canvas is something of a dying art, as synthetic fabrics have come to dominate the niche once held by canvas. But Anchor Industries still makes canvas tents and other items – including this very special tent.
Anchor Industries sales manager Dan Seeber, who has worked for the company for 35 years, said this is the second Big Top tent he has helped construct.
“Canvas is slowly disappearing,” he said. “It’s being used less and less.”
So, it was a bit of a challenge to find sources for the necessary 3,000 yards of distinctive royal blue and pearl gray canvas.
“We computed, computed and computed again to be sure we were ordering enough canvas with a safety margin built in,” he said. “Because there wasn’t any going back to easily get more.”
The company called in their most experienced sewing machine operators and had a supervisor dedicated to overseeing the construction, answering questions as they came up.
Once sewn, three folders cleared off an area in the loading bays, laid down clean cloth and carefully folded the canvas.
Seeber himself hopes to one day make it north to see a show inside the tent he helped create.
“I’m very proud to be involved,” he said.
Operations manager Anich said the tent varies only slightly from earlier models – it is a bit bigger and has a square back that will allow a different seating arrangement at the rear of the tent that will create better sight lines when the walls are raised – people sitting on the hill rising behind the tent will have a less obstructed view to the stage.
Those sitting in the rear will find a new bleacher arrangement as well as box seating.
Anich said the new canvas will be stretched over three metal trusses – three arches spanning 60 feet spaced 15 feet apart that create a 60 x 30 – foot clear space in the center of the tent. The arches sit on hinged baseplates imbedded in cement pillars sunk 6 feet into the hillside.
The new tent will be “infinitely stronger,” Anich said, with new seams, stitching and lines all engineered with strength in mind.
A big new tent required a special round of fundraising.
“Our long-time friend and supporter Don Funk really wanted to inspire people to be part of purchasing the new tent,” Matier said. “That’s why he offered his challenge to match people’s donations to the tent fund. We called it the ‘New Canvas Challenge’ and everyone that gives a gift to the challenge before May 24 will get their name written on a panel of the new tent. Plus Mr. Funk will triple their gift by matching it two to one. The response so far has been terrific.”
Taking the long view, the Big Top board has established a “canvas fee” added to each ticket price – a small surcharge dedicated to creating a fund that will ensure infrastructure in the future.
“In addition to the challenge, every ticket buyer helps build up that canvas fund,” Matier said. “We also have an endowment fund created by the Keepers of the Magic group. The interest from that fund, held by the Chequamegon Bay Area Community Fund, will contribute toward the purchase of the new tent. This year Big Top will get a new big tent and raffle tent and next year they’ll be working on a new concession tent.
“I want to personally thank everyone who helped cover the costs of the new tent! It’s been a heartwarming outpouring of support.”
New Big Top Tent by the numbers
70 x 140 feet
483 feet in circumference
4 center poles – 29 feet tall
20 quarter poles – 19 feet tall
64 side poles – 10 feet tall
950 seats
2,100 yards of royal blue canvas
900 yards of pearl gray canvas
Sewing crew included:
5 sewing operators
3 bench workers putting in rope holes and grommets
3 folders
1 supervisor
2,000 pounds of canvas in five 400-pound rolls
1,467 hours of labor
$140,000 price tag
