Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/1160087
28 | I NSIGH T • S e p t e m b e r 2 0 19 w w w . i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m H Van Laanen, who grew up in a family of musicians, was born in Green Bay and lived in poverty, facing unhealthy and dangerous conditions. She moved around Northeast Wisconsin and settled for a time in New Mexico before returning to the Green Bay area. To rise above his circumstances, Hamilton turned to writing and education and a community that "took up a collection just to send him to the mainland." Van Laanen's way out came through high school teachers who saw a spark in her and nurtured it by giving her leadership opportunities. ese experiences helped her build confidence and made her realize she could break the cycle. "Growing up, art and specifically music, were always my refuge," she says. "It was always my place where I could go." Finding that passion and support would be key to Van Laanen's ascent. She went on to earn a bachelor's degree in organizational communications from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and later completed the Executive Program in Leadership through the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. Van Laanen began her career working with touring Broadway shows through Jujamcyn eaters. Based in Minneapolis, her work took her to locations nationwide. Home called in 2001 when Van Laanen heard about plans for the PAC and fell in love with its mission. She joined the staff as director of marketing that year, later becoming executive vice president RISE UP c o n t i n u e d H The much-anticipated "Hamilton" makes its Wisconsin premiere at the PAC with a run that begins Oct. 1. The Broadway sensation had grossed more than $560 million as of August and is expected to generate $20 million in economic activity for the Fox Cities. How does a daughter of musicians dropped in the middle of Northeast Wisconsin by providence, impoverished yet empowered, grow up to be a leader and an advocate? While Maria Van Laanen, president of the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, may not have grown up in the Caribbean or faced a devastating hurricane, her journey is not unlike that of Alexander Hamilton, the subject of the pop culture phenomenon "Hamilton," making its run at the PAC Oct. 1-20.