Segerstrom Center for the Arts Board Chairman Mark C. Perry has announced that Casey Reitz will become the Center’s new President. The presidential search committee, led by long-time Center board members, Lawrence Higby and Shanaz Langson, made a unanimous recommendation after a six-month search conducted by the global executive search firm, Korn Ferry. Since 2010, Reitz has served as Executive Director of Second Stage Theater in New York City, winning a Tony Award as Best Musical Producer of Dear Evan Hansen in 2017. Reitz will assume his new role in December 2019.
Perry stated, “We are extremely pleased that Casey is joining the Center in this critical role as President. His impressive experience in leading significant arts initiatives includes successful multi-million-dollar capital campaigns, developing exciting new artistic works, and embracing community outreach. Casey’s style of collaboration and enthusiasm will serve him tremendously well as he works closely with our resident arts partners, devoted patrons and greater Orange County community. We look forward to welcoming Casey to our Center family.”
Reitz added, “I would like to thank Segerstrom Center’s Board Chairman Mark Perry, the Search Committee and the Board of Directors for the privilege of being chosen to lead the next chapter at the Center. My family and I are overjoyed with this opportunity to fully embrace the incredible energy and remarkable diversity of the Orange County community. I believe in the Center’s mission to bring excellent art and education programs to the people of Orange County as well as to serve as the dynamic town square where everyone is welcome. My life-long love of the performing arts was sparked by many of the same types of educational programs that the Center offers, and I know they laid the foundation for a career in the arts. I want everyone to have an entry point at the Center — from seasoned arts lovers to first timers. It’s critical to provide a meaningful and welcoming experience to everyone. I can’t wait to get started.”
ABOUT CASEY REITZ
Casey Reitz most recently served as the Executive Director of Second Stage Theater where he successfully led the acquisition, renovation and re-opening of Broadway’s Helen Hayes Theater. With the launching of the Hayes, Second Stage became only the 4th non-profit with a permanent home on Broadway. With designs by David Rockwell and the Rockwell Group, the renovation of the 106-year old landmarked theater featured extraordinary improvements to ADA access, usability and comfort for artists and patrons as well as an innovative visual style. The project achieved LEED Gold status.
At Second Stage, Reitz led all administrative, marketing, fundraising and financial efforts for one of the leading non-profit theater companies in New York City dedicated to the production of adventurous contemporary plays and musicals annually serving 200,000 New York residents and visitors. During his 9 years at Second Stage, Reitz not only expanded the company to Broadway but also oversaw its significant growth as Second Stage tripled its annual budget while retiring its accumulated deficit. A 3-time nominee, Reitz is a Tony Award Winner as Best Musical Producer of Dear Evan Hansen. During Reitz’s tenure, the Hayes Theater was the proud home of the commercial runs of Tony winner The Humans by Stephen Karam and Tony nominee What the Constitution Means to Me by Heidi Schreck.
Prior to coming to Second Stage, Reitz was the Director of Development at The Public Theater where he was responsible for all contributed support representing 70% of the Public’s annual revenue which sustained all activities at its landmark 5-theater downtown venue including Joe’s Pub and the world-famous Free Shakespeare in Central Park. Other positions have included the Director of Individual Giving at the Manhattan Theatre Club, the Director of Development at Actor’s Express in Atlanta, GA and Consultant for Webb Management Services, an Arts Management Consulting Firm in New York. Reitz has also served as an Associate Consultant at the DeVos Institute of Arts Management at the University of Maryland and has been a guest lecturer at Yale University, Columbia University, Brooklyn College, New York University and the University of Alabama. He is a member of the Broadway League, the League of Resident Theatres and holds an MFA in Theater Management from Yale University and a BA in Theatre from the University of Alabama.
Segerstrom Center for the Arts is an acclaimed arts institution as well as a beautiful multi-disciplinary cultural campus. It is committed to supporting artistic excellence, offering unsurpassed experiences and to engaging the entire community in new and exciting ways through the unique power of live performance as well as a diverse array of inspiring arts-based education and community engagement programs. Previously called the Orange County Performing Arts Center, Segerstrom Center is Orange County’s largest non-profit arts organization.
The Center presents a broad range of programming for audiences of all ages, featuring international ballet and dance companies, national tours of top Broadway shows, jazz and cabaret, contemporary artists, classical music performed by renowned chamber orchestras and ensembles, family-friendly programming, free performances open to the public from outdoor movie screenings to dancing on the Julianne and George Argyros Plaza and many other special events.
Segerstrom Center is a leader among the nation’s performing arts centers for providing education programs designed to inspire young people through the arts. The Center’s programs reach hundreds of thousands of students each year in five Southern California counties. Community engagement programs developed through the Center for Dance and Innovation and Center without Boundaries also connect the Center more comprehensively with Orange County’s many diverse communities. The CDI supports flagship artistic programming and a wide range of projects that celebrate innovation, nurture creativity and engage audiences of the future. The Center Without Boundaries develops partnerships with non-cultural organizations to help them in their own efforts to respond to the ever-changing needs of the community.
Segerstrom Center for the Arts is also proud to serve as the artistic home to three of the region’s major performing arts organizations: Pacific Symphony, Philharmonic Society of Orange County and Pacific Chorale, who contribute greatly to the artistic life of the region with annual seasons performed at Segerstrom Center for the Arts. In addition to Segerstrom Center for the Arts as a presenting and producing institution, it also identifies the beautiful 14-acre campus that embraces the Center’s own facilities as well as two independently acclaimed organizations: Tony Award®-winning South Coast Repertory and a site designated as the future home of the Orange County Museum of Art.
Photo credit: SCFTA
