[Annie]

Hi everyone!
Let's call this a spin-off of the "Why are musicals so expensive?" thread.
It's gotten me thinking...


Given the outlandish licensing prices for musicals and generally high production costs (renting space, hiring musicians, coaches, renting costumes, building scenery, paying for everyone to do everything....you know....), what are some of your fund-raising successes?

Have you been able to land good sponsors?
Have you organized killer fund-raising events?
Have you tapped into help from any other means?

How have your companies/groups/schools pulled it off?

[Kiwi]

Well, our big musical I have no idea how we pay for. But as far as the student-directed ones, we mostly depend on the revenue of our improv shows (now that we finally have them back after a three-month ban, but i won't go into that right now) and the kindness of strangers. The other day we got a $100 dollar anonymous donation, which isn't much in the grand scheme but it's still pretty generous. And somehow we still manage to put together four or five really good shows a year.

[actor]

As much as I hate them you could do a public outdoor performance with a few songs from the show and collect money from the public. It will also give you some publicity for the show.

[Salome]

we get baout 20,000 in sponsorships at the one theatre i work with each year. from the pa council for the arts, local arts foundations and such.

[pish123c]

At my high school, students in the drama department are required to go around to local businesses and gather at least $100 in ads for the playbills. So...Sponsors.

[jesuiscommejesuis]

Okay I\'m checking out the program for the theatre I\'ve been working at lately and looking at the gifts/donations we\'ve gotten for our present campaign.

One family donated one million and we also have a million dollar donation from an anonymous donor. My state\'s department of economics and community development donated $8,066,000.

Twelve families/business donated between $100,000 and $500,000.

Fourteen families/business donated between $50,000 and $99,999.

Fourteen families/businesses donated between $25,000 and $49,999.

45 donated between $10,000 and $24,999.

About eighty donated between $5,000 and $9,999.

Around 200 donated between $1,000 and $4,999.

And it looks like almost 400-500 donated up to $999.

[wicked_boy]

1) I'm happy someone's made a spin off topic from my thread.

2) Do they have an Arts Council in America that help fund shows?

[Annie]

[Monsieur D'Arque]

My favorite method is to do a show that costs nothing.

A cabaret, a royalty-free show, a concert, or a new work.

For instance, to raise money for Little Me this summer, I plan to do a "Solo performance with guests." Much like my idol Marty, I will be performing songs as myself and as a host of characters I've used in events and such before...

David Stone: A creepy, socially inept hypochondriac albino with a mild-to-severe oral fixation and a voice that fluctuates octaves unpredictably.

That Swingin' Guy: Tom Jones meets Frank Sinatra, a lounge singer and would-be hipster who insists he was once a member of the Rat Pack "before those other guys joined the club."

Pierre Lapideux: The smarmy Frenchman. Not as developed of a character, but my Frenchman numbers always went over so well I had to add him as a character.

And others, based on what's been getting good responses in my usual performance venues.