Posted on October 18, 2009

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Kennedy Center Receives $5 Million for Musical Theater

The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has received a ten-year, $5 million gift from the Adrienne Arsht Musical Theater Fund to support musical theater performances at the center, the Washington Post reports.

Although musical productions are notoriously expensive to produce, due to their large casts, elaborate costumes and stage pieces, and use of a live orchestra, they have become increasingly popular in the D.C. theater scene and around the country. According to Kennedy Center president Michael Kaiser, producing a musical costs the center an average of $5 million, only some of which is recouped by ticket sales. The typical financial loss for each musical production is between $1 million and $1.5 million, Kaiser added.

Arsht, a Miami philanthropist, businesswoman, and treasurer of the center's board of trustees, has a long history of supporting the performing arts. In 2008, she gave $30 million to Miami's largest performing arts center, which now bears her name, and she is a financial supporter of the Kennedy Center's initiative to help arts groups struggling to cope with the recession.

"I want to bring more audiences to an art form that I admire," said Arsht. "Musicals are timeless. The first time I saw the new production of South Pacific at Lincoln Center was the day after the [2008] election. The relevance of South Pacific, the Second World War, the racial differences, and our election were all there....We have got to make sure musical theater is healthy, and pass it along."

Trescott, Jacqueline. “$5 Million for the Love of Musicals.” Washington Post 10/16/09.

Primary Subject: Arts and Culture
Location(s): Washington, D.C.

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