One to One with Bill Goodman:
Zev Buffman
aired October 9-22, 2006
When veteran Broadway producer Zev Buffman moved to Kentucky to become president and CEO of the RiverPark Center in Owensboro, he brought a little of the Great White Way with him. RiverPark has hosted several touring companies preparing shows for the road, and an innovative educational outreach program lets local students work with the theater pros. Buffman talks about the arts, his life in show business, and his vision for RiverPark’s future with host Bill Goodman on this edition of One to One.
Buffman’s theatrical experience includes producing more than 40 Broadway shows and 100 national tours; renovating famed historic theaters; and reviving Peter Pan, Oklahoma!, West Side Story, and Brigadoon for long runs on Broadway. He also has served as president and CEO for many first-class performing arts centers, including the Jackie Gleason Center in Miami Beach, the Parker Playhouse in Fort Lauderdale, and the historic Saenger Theatre in New Orleans.
The Tony nominee first became acquainted with RiverPark Center in 1992, when he made a stop in Louisville with one of his national productions and visited the newly opened Owensboro facility on a side trip. Ten years later, he spotted a classified ad for the position of executive director and wasted no time sending a résumé and cover letter. He was named president and CEO by the RiverPark Center Board of Directors in 2003.
In addition to the theatrical productions that are so close to Buffman’s heart, RiverPark hosts a wide variety of music, dance, film, and other events. It is home base for the Owensboro Symphony Orchestra and the Owensboro Dance Theatre and offers extensive educational and professional development programs for Western Kentucky schools.
Related Resource:
- Program 817 of Mixed Media visits RiverPark Center to watch as a touring production of 42nd Street is prepped. The program is available for viewing online.
