RED BANK – The Count Basie Theatre has announced the appointment of Adam Philipson as its new chief executive officer.
Philipson will also serve as the CEO of the Count Basie Theatre Foundation, the fundraising arm of the organization.
Philipson, who is relocating to Red Bank from Santa Clarita, Calif., served as the managing director for the Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center in Valencia, Calif. for the past five years. There he grew the facility into a premier presenting arts venue while developing exemplary educational and community outreach programs.
In addition, Philipson also served as president of California Presenters and as chairman of the Performing Arts Center K-12 Outreach Advisory Committee.
Philipson will start at the Basie on Nov. 5, at which time Justine Robertson, currently interim CEO, will continue to be part of the management team and assume the role of chief operating officer.
“I am delighted to be a part of the Count Basie Theatre and have the opportunity to build on the strong foundation that has been established,” Philipson said. “I look forward to working closely with the boards, the Basie team and the community to take this historic venue to the next level.”
Prior to his work in Santa Clarita, Philipson helped launch the $45 million Broad Stage in Santa Monica where he was the assistant director. He brings to the Count Basie Theatre extensive experience in programming, fundraising, community outreach and educational programming for the arts.
Named for the late Red Bank native jazz legend William “Count” Basie, the Count Basie Theatre operates with an annual budget of $7.5 million, offering 180 performances each year to more than 187,000 attendees. The theater has a $13 million annual economic impact on the Borough of Red Bank.
In addition to providing a broad spectrum of entertainment, and having more than 1,700 members, the theater serves 1,000 students in The Performing Arts Academy and recently won national recognition when it was named a partner in The Kennedy Center’s Partners in Education Program, based in Washington, D.C.
“We are honored that a manager of Mr. Philipson’s caliber has selected our theater as his next professional venture,” said Raymond Moser, chairman of the Count Basie Theatre Board of Trustees.
“Adam is the ideal person to maintain and further develop the world class venue that the people in the community and region have come to expect and deserve,” added Tom Widener, chairman of the Count Basie Theatre Foundation.
DHR International conducted a nationwide search for the Count Basie Theatre, led by James Abruzzo. “We were searching for a proven leader who has a demonstrated ability to visualize and execute the emersion of performing arts into a community,” Abruzzo said. ”Adam has that ability, as well as the persona to bring others on board and excite them about what’s going on at the Count Basie Theatre.”
Philipson, originally from New York City, has an extensive 16-year-long professional acting background which included roles in several off-Broadway performances, two national tour theatrical productions and one Broadway role with more than 400 performances as Eugene Morris Jerome in Neil Simon’s Broadway Bound. In addition, he also has more than 100 national and local television and radio commercials and appearances in more than 25 episodic television programs and feature films.
Philipson is in the process of relocating his family to the area. His wife, Alma, a certified public accountant, is from Puebla, Mexico, and their children (as well as Adam) are bilingual.
“We look forward to living in this community, learning more about its needs, and getting to know all the individuals, organizations, and others who rely upon the Count Basie Theatre to bring performing arts into their lives,” Alma Philipson said.
