Andrew Giza’s love of the performing arts began early. He was around 8 years old when he watched a live performance of “A Christmas Carol.” The actor playing Scrooge woke up Christmas morning a changed man, then rolled a summersault right into his hat on the other side of the bed. 
To the young boy, it was magical.
“It was an amazing memory that stuck with me,” Giza recalled. “I’m looking to create those memories at a place where everyone can put down their phones and have a shared experience with unforgettable moments.”
Giza has been named the new executive director for the Bowlus Fine Arts Center, effective Dec. 2. He brings experience from a career that has crossed the country in various artistic and producing roles, including a 14-year run as music production manager for “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.”
But back to “A Christmas Carol.” In seventh grade, Giza was cast as Scrooge for a school production. He kept practicing his summersault but couldn’t quite get it down.
Nevertheless, that determination and a passion for performing inspired him to pursue a career in the arts.
“It got me through high school. It kept me from not being bored in class. It kept me motivated,” he said.
“The arts can inspire you, entertain you, educate you. That’s going to be one of my base initiatives” as he takes on his new role at the Bowlus. His goal is to build the audience for shows and “create a refuge and oasis” for people to come together.
The COVID-19 pandemic proved the importance of gathering places like the Bowlus. Giza talked of “social facilitation,” a psychological theory that the presence of others can improve one’s performance on a task.
“The artist needs an audience, and the audience feeds off of artistic energy. Call it whatever you want. I like to think it’s a little bit of magic,” he said.
Jennifer Taylor, chair of the USD 257 Board of Education and president of the committee to choose the next Bowlus director, said she believes Giza is the right person for the job.
“Andrew is highly qualified and knowledgeable. His resume showed dedication and commitment,” she said. “He is a team player, which we need for a small staff that does so much at the Bowlus. He is personable, kind, funny, humble, listens and has great questions. His vision for the Bowlus was precisely what we were looking for.”
GIZA grew up in a small town in western Massachusetts, surrounded by apple orchards and a dairy farm. Helping with the farm created a strong work ethic that guides him to this day.
“Iola reminds me of my hometown,” he said. He is looking forward to a return to small-town living.
Giza attended a community college near his hometown, then earned a bachelor’s degree in acting from Emerson College in Boston. After a short stint producing a healthcare conference at Harvard, he secured a job at a news station in Springfield, Mass.
It helps to have Harvard on the resume, he joked.
During his time at the news station, he held various roles — live truck operator, videographer, editor, sound engineer — but ultimately decided “it wasn’t for me.”
He packed up his car and moved to Los Angeles at the age of 23. Giza took his letter from Harvard to “The Tonight Show.”
“They said, ‘We’ll hire you to wrap holiday presents.’ I wasn’t very good at wrapping the presents but they kept me on to get coffee,” he said.
In the meantime, he got to know the staff and was hired as a music coordinator. That eventually morphed into music production manager, with myriad responsibilities for about 3,500 episodes.
“It was a great time,” he said.
When Leno left the show in February 2014, he offered to pay his staff for the remainder of the year to guarantee the same type of quality until the end.
“Jay wanted to finish strong,” Giza recalled. He took Leno up on the offer, and used the salary to move back East to pursue his master’s degree in management from the University of Maryland. He also worked at the college’s performing arts center.
“I thought it would be a good way to have a foot in both areas, one in finance and business and one in the arts, knowing the impact the arts can have on a community,” he said.
During the pandemic, he took a job as events director and artistic programming at a performing arts center at the University of Illinois.
GIZA’S VISION for the Bowlus is to bring a variety of performing arts while continuing to honor the history of the facility, creating partnerships and inspiring the next generation of artists.
“The team at the Bowlus was the clinching reason I took this job. They are so passionate and so skilled. The trustees and the community seem so dedicated. It felt good to be there,” he said.
The Bowlus committee reviewed 17 applications and selected 10 for 30-minute Zoom interviews. Two finalists were invited for in-person interviews in October, where they toured the facility and the city, and met with community members for a dinner and presentation. In addition to Taylor, committee members included Matt Rehder, city administrator and vice president of the Bowlus Commission; Jan Knewston, president of Friends of the Bowlus; Regina Christenson, Iola High School drama teacher; and Job Springer, avid Bowlus supporter.
Giza said he understands the 60-year-old building may need a little maintenance but has confidence in the staff’s ability to identify priorities. He sees potential in introducing concession items, including alcoholic beverages, and has experience with special cups that minimize the risk of spills.
“If people can do it safely, in a way that’s not going to stain or cause problems, I think that could be a great way to build revenue. It could also provide a little more enjoyment for some folks,” he said.
He also looks forward to working with the youth, in terms of providing entertainment and education as well as potential employment.
“Engagement opportunities with artists would be great for students. Maybe they can sit in on sound check. You can have student matinees, workshops, master classes. If you plan it out in the contract, and the artist knows the expectation, it can work out well,” he said.
“I also wonder about employing students for social media, maybe having someone do an in-depth look inside the Bowlus or interview the artists.
“I want to give them experience but also provide a platform to attract younger artists. There’s something about being in that type of environment that can really inspire someone to reach for the stars, and see the hustle it takes to get there.”
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