If you’ve seen the movie, “Philadelphia,” you may have seen Jim Rutland.

He and his group, the Flirtations, are in the Halloween party scene, singing “Mr. Sandman.”

So how does a man go from being in an Academy Award-winning movie to RiverCenter for the Performing Arts?

It’s kind of a long story. He grew up in Columbus, but when he was a young teenager, he convinced his parents to let him to go a performing arts school in New York. There, he flourished as an actor, appearing in a few HBO children’s shows.

Later, he joined the Flirtations for a few years before deciding to come home to Columbus.

He returned in 2002, to work at the RiverCenter.

Today, he’s the program and education director. He works closely with RiverCenter executive director William Bullock, in choosing what shows will be part of the season.

We talked to him last week about his job.

This interview was edited for length and clarity.

How do you determine which traveling shows and performances to include in each of RiverCenter’s series packages?

I start with a wish-list that comes from friends, co-workers and from the general public. We do take requests. Then I investigate possibilities. Some things have to be struck from the list right away due to issues like artist availability and expense. Agents will pitch tours to me as well, and sometimes those deals are better for us, because if our location is right for the tour routing the artist fee is more negotiable.

What’s the benefit for people who choose to subscribe to a series rather than buy indvidual tickets for performances?

The primary benefit is financial -- the subscription discount is 24 percent off of the single ticket price. The seat guarantee is also popular with our subscribers, and the only way to enjoy the view from the same seat at every performance is to subscribe. Many folks are now choosing to create their own series package with our “Custom Combos” where they select four (or more) events from any series. The discount isn’t quite as large -- 15 percent -- and there is no seat guarantee, but the flexibility is appealing to many.

What would you like newcomers to know about RiverCenter before they attend their first performances?

Don’t be intimidated by the grand facade and elegant interior. RiverCenter is a place for all.

Are there any etiquette rules that you’d like for people to follow when seeing shows at RiverCenter?

There are no extraordinary rules, just common courtesy to both the performers and fellow audience members. Turn off your cell phone.

What shows or performances are you most excited to see this season?

It would be hard for me to pick a single event ... I’m extremely pleased to have secured the Joshua Bell recital on Nov. 17. We’re presenting that in partnership with Georgia Public Broadcasting, who will be recording the concert. The Kennedy Center’s production of “Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical” is high on my list as it’s based on one of my 3 year old nephew’s favorite books, and I’m hoping it will be his first of many trips to the theater. As a longtime Mel Brooks fan, I’m looking forward to “Young Frankenstein” Nov. 1-2, and of course, there’s “Mamma Mia!” in the spring. I should probably stop now before I name every event we’ve got on the calendar, right?

There are three different theaters inside RiverCenter. How do you determine which shows are best suited for which theater?

The acoustics, atmosphere and size of each hall are the determining factors. Legacy Hall at 435 seats is beautiful and formal. With its 3.5 second reverb time, it’s ideal for acoustic concerts and, of course, events featuring the Jordan Concert Organ, but comedy and spoken word events don’t go well in there. The Studio Theatre at 185 seats is perfect for amplified concerts, theatrical events as well as comedy, and if you haven’t heard the (Columbus State University) Schwob School of Music Jazz Band play in there, you should do so as soon as possible. The Heard Theatre is a multi-purpose hall that has great acoustics for most types of entertainment assuming you can fill its 1,988 seats.

CSU Schwob School of Music students and faculty members rave about their opportunities to perform at RiverCenter. What are the benefits of having a relationship with the school?

Education is a high priority for us, and it is truly inspiring to witness the great work being done in CSU’s Schwob School of Music. The students are fortunate to have such wonderful facilities and instructors to work with. Providing opportunities for them to do their work in a world-class professional environment is a privilege for us and helps us to fulfill our mission as a not-for-profit center for the arts in our community.

What preparations, such as sound and light tests, are necessary to make sure that things go smoothly during performances? What other planning and backstage preparations do audience members not see?

First, we start by “advancing” the show one to two months out. During the advance our technical director will discuss with the artist’s production manager all of the details of the performance - equipment, crew requirements, hospitality, lodging, schedules, etc. As the performance date approaches there are several days of prep-work for any production that happens here. For theatrical events and pop concerts, lighting plots must be hung and sound equipment tested. The performance day itself often begins for the production staff at 6 a.m. with a load-in of the traveling group’s equipment. The day is spent installing and checking the gear in preparation for the artist’s arrival in the afternoon for a sound check. After the performance they will spend several hours loading the equipment out -- if you do the math on this you’ll see that performance days are absurdly long. We are fortunate to have an excellent, professional production team here.

What are some of your favorite past performances? Any you’d like to see again?

James Taylor was a high point certainly, also Jerry Seinfeld, “A Prairie Home Companion,” Yo Yo Ma, Merle Haggard, the Israel Philharmonic. This is tough because, as you know, we’ll celebrate our 10th anniversary in May of 2012, and not a single season has passed that I haven’t had a “favorite” event, or two, or three.

What do people in the Columbus area need to do to show their support of the arts and make sure quality performances continue to come to the area?

Attend performances and spread the word to friends who don’t -- there is wonderful art being made here in Columbus.