Cultural catalysts

By Alexandra Richter

Typically, at the end of a musical, the curtain falls, the orchestra plays a brief exit and the audience files out. For “The Great Gatsby,” Shacket had other ideas. 

“Gatsby is known as a party, and it’s a key element in our marketing,” he says. “There is a song about how the party roars on and on and on, but I felt the exit music didn’t capture the ongoing celebration. So, I asked our composer to extend the playout music, and we now jokingly refer to it as the Shacket playout.”

Every decision Shacket makes as partner at Foresight Theatrical and as executive producer for “The Great Gatsby” impacts the audience’s experience, whether in New York, on touring shows or in London’s West End. 

Foresight Theatrical oversees the business operations of such shows as “Hell’s Kitchen,” the upcoming “BOOP! The Betty Boop Musical,” and the recently announced “Crazy Rich Asians.” Shacket’s work at the company helps artists in their craft — and he credits the School of Management for providing the supportive environment that led him to his career.

“The breadth of opportunities at UB allowed me to get one of the best MBA degrees in the country while pursuing an interest in the arts,” says Shacket.

In addition to his work at Foresight, Shacket also serves on the board of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS — an industry-based, nonprofit fundraising and grantmaking organization that helps people receive lifesaving medications, food, health care, counseling and emergency financial assistance. He’s also the co-founder of the annual Broadway Bets poker tournament, which has raised more than $2 million for the organization.

Like Shacket, many School of Management alumni are making an impact at arts organizations around the world, bringing essential business skills and strategic thinking to creative industries such as dance, visual arts and more. 

Kendra Slatt, BS ’06, is owner and executive director of Perfect Point Music and Dance Studios, with two locations in the suburbs of Washington D.C.

“My management courses immediately helped me launch my studio after graduation,” she says. “I completed competitive analysis and demographic research, and we enrolled 250 students in our first year.” 

Now, Slatt’s studios have 850 students and provide a safe, nurturing space where aspiring performers can become confident and resilient.

Her business background also helped her achieve a personal goal of making dance a sustainable career both for herself and those she hired to work at Perfect Point.

“Dance can be a really hard industry in which to make a living wage or have long-term stability,” she says. “Even the best performers only have stability until their bodies can’t continue. So, I wanted to create a viable business, not just a fun place to teach dance.”

Slatt now employs a staff of 30 (23 part-timers, seven full-timers), several of whom have nearly 10 years with the business.

She is also committed to promoting equitable access to dance education as the president of Perfect Point Foundation, a nonprofit that provides need-based scholarships for aspiring dancers in Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia.

When John Lapiana, BS ’84, walks into the main entrance of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, he feels connected to his purpose.

“Observing museumgoers or school groups exploring an exhibit really motivates me,” he says. “It reminds me that I am helping our team create transformative experiences.”

The museum welcomes 140,000 visitors annually. As the newly appointed director, Lapiana brings a wealth of experience to the role, having worked for the Smithsonian Institution — the world’s largest museum, education and research complex — since 1998. 

His work promotes cross-cultural understanding by showcasing a diverse range of traditional, modern and contemporary African art. One project he is particularly proud of is the Benin Bronzes exhibit, which displays cast-copper alloy and ivory works. The art was in the museum’s collection for many years, but returned to Nigeria in 2022 as part of the Smithsonian’s policy of ethical returns and shared stewardship of collections.

“Ethically, it was wrong to keep the objects. Nigeria lent us back nine works and the exhibit allows us to explain how museums need to work with communities of origin,” Lapiana says. “When I was a student, I never could have imagined my career would lead me to this point, and it is fulfilling to be shaping a more ethical future for museums and cultural institutions.”

Brenda Turteltaub Feldstein, PMBA ’06, is an award-winning creative director and founder of A Special Story, a video production company where she uses her MBA skills in her role as a documentarian. Feldstein has worked with Holocaust survivors, refugees and several nonprofit leaders — all who have meaningful stories to tell.

“Businesses and organizations can struggle to connect with audiences,” she says. “I am able to use science-backed storytelling techniques to create compelling films that raise awareness about important issues and inspire action.”

Her current project amplifies the reach of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, which is celebrating its 90th year. Feldstein is following the orchestra and its trailblazing conductor, JoAnn Falletta, behind the scenes for the current season as she writes, directs and produces a documentary in partnership with Pan-Am films.

And, her recent mini documentary about the orchestra’s Mahler Resurrection Symphony and Falletta’s 25-year anniversary was recently selected by the New York City Short Film Festival to be shown with 16 other films the festival is spotlighting for being visually, politically and creatively daring.

“Through storytelling, you create bridges and understanding between people,” she says. “It is life-changing work.”