Jack R. Lemmon Named New Executive Director of Skylight Music Theatre

Alec Fraser, President of the Skylight Music Theatre Board of Directors, announced today that Jack R. Lemmon has been named Skylight's new Executive Director.

Following an extensive 6-month long national search, Fraser said, "Skylight is a top-notch organization that is thought of very highly all over the country. We drew a highly qualified pool of candidates and we are confident Jack Lemmon is the right person for the job. The Board of Directors is excited to partner with Jack in building a strong future for Skylight."

Artistic Director, Viswa Subbaraman stated, "I couldn't be more excited about Jack's addition to the Skylight family. He brings a great deal of experience in arts management that will be extremely valuable to the future growth of the Skylight. I look forward to working with him to continue to bring high quality, professional musical theater and opera to the Milwaukee community."

Mr. Lemmon has worked in the performing arts for over 30 years as an executive director and as a funder with the National Endowment for the Arts. In his work across the country, he has significantly strengthened the organizations he managed through increasing earned and contributed revenues, developing efficient operations and focusing on deepening the organization's connections back to the communities they serve.

Lemmon has served as Executive Director of the Joffrey Ballet, Louisville Ballet, and Colorado Ballet to name a few. He has also served at the National Endowment for the Arts in the Dance Program which granted over $9 million annually to the professional dance community. Most recently, he served as Executive Director of the Birmingham Children's Theatre, a professional theatre company serving over 150,000 children annually in Alabama and the Southeast.

He has served as a panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts and the Michigan Arts and Cultural Affairs. He served on the board and executive committee of Dance/USA and was a board member of the Partnership for Creative Economies (KY). He also chaired the board of the Arts and Cultural Attractions Council in Louisville, KY, and the Chicago Dance Alliance.

He holds a B.M. in music education and performance from Coe College in Cedar Rapids (Iowa) and an M.F.A. in Theatre from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.

Lemmon said "It is a great joy to join Skylight Music Theatre. Skylight produces the full breath of musical theatre over the centuries and helps push the art form forward to reach new audiences. I am looking forward to being able to team with Viswa, the board and the staff to ensure that Milwaukee is well served by this vibrant, exciting and important arts institution."

Lemmon and his wife, Beverly, are in the processing of moving to their new home in Milwaukee and will begin working at Skylight on Monday, July 13. They have three adult children; Jay in the Bay Area, Sarah in Chicago and John with his wife Stacey in Topeka, KS.

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