8 minute read
INTERVIEW WITH MIKE MOLL
AUDIENCE INTERVIEW
MIKE MOLL
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR OF CLIENT & COMMUNITY RELATIONS FOR PNC BANK
ouisville is an entertainment-driven city. Whether it’s a Broadway performance, a concert or music festival, or sporting event, there are plenty of options to fill an evening with a new and exciting experience. L
Mike Moll has been instrumental in elevating PNC’s visibility in the community through partnerships, sponsorships, and more, including University of Louisville, Racing Louisville Soccer, and our beloved PNC Broadway in Louisville. Without the support of major companies like PNC, the arts in Louisville would not be what it is today. Through these generous sponsorships, the groups are able to run day-to-day operations and implement various outreach programs, including tickets to youth groups, aspiring artists, and other initiatives to make the arts in Louisville accessible to everyone.
Audience Magazine Publisher, G. Douglas Dreisbach, was excited to catch up with Mike to hear about his passion for the arts and entertainment in Louisville, how the PNC partnership with
Broadway came to be, and why continuing it year after year is so important.
G. Douglas Dreisbach: PNC is one of the largest companies in the area and a major supporter for the arts and entertainment in Louisville. Your partnership with Broadway in Louisville is one of the longest running and most successful in the country. How long has the partnership been in place, and why is it important to you and the PNC team to be a part of Broadway, the arts, and other entertainment options in Louisville?
Mike Moll: If I’m doing my math correctly, I think we are in our 28th year as the title sponsor for PNC Broadway in Louisville, which is saying something. It says something about the partnership, how effective we think it is from a benefit standpoint, and how impactful it is in the community. I think PNC and other employers of all sizes in the community recognize a thriving arts community is essential to the health and wellbeing of a thriving community, so it just makes sense. We live here. We work here. Anything we can do to make our community successful is ultimately going to benefit us as a company, but also benefit our employees here in this community.
...PNC and other employers of all sizes in the community recognize a thriving arts community is essential to the health and wellbeing of a thriving community... Anything we can do to make our community successful is ultimately going to benefit us as a company, but also benefit our employees here in this community.
GDD: Were you part of the initial conversations and development of the partnership? And if so, how did it start?
MM: Yes, I was actively involved in the initial title sponsorship. We viewed it as a great way to help introduce the PNC brand into the Louisville community.
Leslie Broecker, President of Broadway Across America Midwest, and Mike Moll welcomed the audience prior to the first show of Aladdin, which kicked off the 2018-19 season. This marked the beginning of the 25th season of PNC's title sponsorship, which they celebrated with a high five. Photo courtesy of PNC Broadway in Louisville.
− Mike Moll
GDD: PNC has several other major sponsorships, including Stage One Family Theatre, University of Louisville Athletics, Racing Louisville FC, and other entertainment outlets. Do you see similarities or any crossover from the sports sponsorships and the partnerships with Broadway from an audience perspective as far as passion for the product?
MM: I think you used the key word there: passion. All of the things you mentioned invoke a passion in fans. Whether it is theater or a sporting event, it is all something they can identify with and get behind and get excited about, which makes for a better, healthier community. So, I think that is the consistency we see across those types of sponsorship opportunities and why we’re involved.
The other key to the partnerships you mentioned, including a number of other longtime partners, is the working partnership itself. We love working with organizations that have a similar view about a healthy community, an engaged community.
Look at the title sponsorship of the Broadway Series as an example. We started that to get the PNC brand into the community. But, working with the Louisville Theatrical Association and with Broadway Across America folks like Leslie Broecker and Glenn Hill, it becomes more of a partnership every year. They’re creative. They are interested in the community. They’re interested in what’s best for both parties, in terms of the partnership. So, it has just become better and more creative year after year after year. That is the consistency with all the different partners that you named, as well as some that you haven’t. We really look for long-term partners that are willing to change and improve with each passing year.
GDD: When COVID hit last year and stages shut down, we all realized how much we needed live events and entertainment in our society. The resiliency of the Louisville arts organizations and venues was amazing. They created livestreams, Louisville Orchestra’s Teddy Abrams did parking lot concerts and drive-in performances, and so much more. How does the resiliency reflect on the power of the arts in this community and the importance it has for so many Louisvillians? MM: I think the passion — there’s that word again — the passion and creativity that has come into play to keep the arts alive has just been incredible. The stories are too numerous to detail, but it’s been incredible to see the hard work and sacrifices made by the leadership and employees of our arts groups to make sure that there is a vibrant arts community once everything fully opens up again.
GDD: What do you look forward to the most about the return to full-capacity, in-person live events?
MM: I think it is just literally being around other people. There’s something about being together, watching performances, watching sporting events, participating in live events, that creates an atmosphere that you just can’t replicate when you’re sitting at home watching, even on a high-def television. So, I do look forward to that.
GDD: You’ve been around the Broadway world for a long time. The upcoming season kicks off in November with Waitress, followed up with Cats in January and anchored by the return of Hamilton next June. What are you looking forward to about those upcoming performances and the upcoming season?
MM: Just to get Broadway going again. It has such a Main Street appeal. You put the right season together, which Leslie Broecker always does, and it has something for everybody. PNC refers to itself as a Main Street bank for the same reason... we think we have the capacity to have something for everyone, and at the same time support markets at a local level. So, it’s a great match, and a great way to get performing arts back in front of a lot of people.
GDD: What do you personally like about attending the Broadway performances? And if you had an opportunity to pitch somebody who maybe hasn’t ever been to a Broadway show, what would that pitch be? How would you encourage others to give it a try?
MM: If they haven’t already attended a live Broadway show, I think they will be surprised at what is my favorite part,
and that is the buzz in the lobby before the show, during the break, and then after the show. Each of those periods has a different buzz to it. Before the show, there’s a lot of anticipatory excitement. And then everybody goes in and there’s the show, and then during intermission, there’s a different kind of buzz. It’s like, “Hey, what did you think of the first act? Wasn’t that opening number fantastic?” There’s an excitement, “I can’t wait to get back in there. This is great.” And then, afterwards, there’s this euphoria, people smiling, laughing, taking their picture in front of marquees and posters.
To me, the entertainment is just incredible, but it’s that buzz before, during, and after that I really have missed and might surprise someone attending a show for the first time.
GDD: In closing, is there anything you’d like to add about the arts and entertainment in Louisville or PNC’s involvement and support throughout the community?
MM: We appreciate everyone involved with all of our various arts partners, and again, all the behind-the-scenes things that none of us will ever fully know that they have done to try and keep a vibrant arts community alive during the challenges of the last 18 months. As the Bank of the Arts, we applaud them, are glad we were able to continue supporting them during that period, and look forward to some fun and exciting times.
GDD: Thanks again for your time today, we really appreciate it, as well as your support of the arts and entertainment in Louisville.
MM: Thank you! It goes without saying that you are absolutely a crucial part of what I described earlier, in terms of support for a vibrant entertainment community. Audience Magazine does a terrific job, and I know you do a lot of things behind the scenes, including things like this, profiling partners, that are really important in helping keep this arts community vibrant. I want to give a personal thanks to you and everything you do for making this such a great city.
Brandon Michael Nase as 'Old Deuteronomy' and the North American Tour Company of CATS. Photo by Matthew Murphy, 2019.
UPCOMING PERFORMANCES
Tickets and info at: louisville.broadway.com
Waitress Nov. 9-14, 2021 Cats Jan. 18-23, 2022 Come From Away Feb. 15-20, 2022
Mean Girls Mar. 22-27, 2022
Hamilton June 7-19, 2022
Anastasia Aug. 2-7, 2022
