Act Two

ACT TWO

MusicalFare’s first 30 years have been a remarkable Act I, and they have prepared us for this moment: the development of a new theater in the Town of Amherst that will help to elevate Western New York’s theatre community and cement the region’s status as a vibrant center of arts and culture.

Leadership, vision, and expertise are all exemplified in MusicalFare’s Act I accomplishments; a new theater will take our Act II to an unprecedented and previously unattainable level to fulfill our mission of producing, developing, and presenting world premiere musicals, re-imagined classic musicals, and regional premieres to continue becoming a significant regional theatre with national prominence.

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“Making the Mainstage”

Challenges

•        MusicalFare has enjoyed exceptional success and growth in the current space at Daemen University, but with the continuing growth of the organization’s goals, there have been limitations to the size and scope of possible productions at this location.

•        The current building has a 136-seat mainstage and 97-seat cabaret with no feasible options for expansion.

•        Current building size presents limited production and technical capabilities, with outgrown office spaces, maximized scene and costume shops and storage, and smaller rehearsal room.

•        Daytime programming and educational opportunities are impossible due to University scheduling conflicts and location/parking difficulties.

 

Solutions

•        Brand new theater complex that will increase the square footage onstage, offstage, and also the backstage areas including a scene shop, costume shop and storage, and dressing rooms, increased stage height, and state-of-the-art lighting and sound equipment.  

•        Expanded seating capacity to 220 seats in the Mainstage and 110 seats in the Cabaret

•        Opportunities for daytime performances and more for educational and community outreach programs.

•        Central and high-profile new location near current home with prominent visibility and easy access via highways and major thoroughfares for patrons throughout Western New York and the greater area.

CLICK HERE to see the Watercolor Rendering of the Outside of the New Theatre.

CLICK HERE to see the Architectural Schematics of the Inside of the New Theatre (lower level).

CLICK HERE to see the Architectural Schematics of the Inside of the New Theatre (upper level).

 

Impact

An expanded stage and backstage allowing for larger scale productions creates an overall patron experience that is on par with leading national theaters. The expanded mainstage seating capacity will allow MusicalFare to increase ticket sales and attendance to the new location. With the expanded cabaret seating, these improvements will help to attract more regional and national headline performers alongside our incredible local talent and provide world-class cabaret style entertainment in Western New York that patrons would otherwise have to travel to New York City to experience. These increased revenues will translate into greater support for our artistic, production, and administrative work and will create a greater local economic impact for Western New York with patrons visiting local business, restaurants, state parks, town offerings, and more, enabling the company to deliver a level of theatrical experience unmatched in our region.

At a time when schools are cutting arts curricula and graduating seniors are seeking to remain active through adult learning opportunities, the creation of new educational and community outreach programs will allow MusicalFare to further support and engage the community it serves. Up until now, this has been impossible due to daytime parking and other limitations at the current space. Research indicates that theatre and the arts help students both academically and socially, and that older adults who are engaged in the arts generally enjoy better health. MusicalFare would be a home for aspiring young artists to learn and continue theatrical traditions and history, while adults new and old to the arts can continue to enjoy current and new programming, thus allowing MusicalFare to cultivate rich and prosperous community offerings.

Overall, this impact creates a solid regional theatre presence that advances the region’s notoriety and access to the arts for the greater community and population, putting Amherst, Western New York, and MusicalFare’s ‘name on the map!’

 

Ways to Give

Interested in being part of the legacy? Now you can join us in presenting Act Two!

There are a variety of ways to make a significant gift to the campaign including:

~Naming Rights Opportunities~

~Gifts of Cash~

~Gifts of Publicly Traded Securities~

~Direct Gifts from Individual Retirement Accounts~

CLICK HERE to view all the Ways to Give               CLICK HERE to view all Naming Rights Opportunities
CLICK HERE to view the Donor Benefits Table                       CLICK HERE to view the Donor Benefits List

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You can make a donation in the following ways*:

• Click the button at the TOP of the page to donate online! 
• By Phone: Call Nell Mohn at 716-839-8566.
• Email us at development@musicalfare.com with your name, phone number and a good time to call you, and we'll return your call as soon as possible.
• By Mail: Send a check, payable to "MusicalFare Theatre," to:

MusicalFare Theatre
attn: Nell Mohn
4380 Main Street
Suite 123
Amherst, NY 14226

As always, MusicalFare Theatre thanks you for your generous support!

* MusicalFare Theatre is a registered 501 (c)3 not-for-profit organization. Donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Donors receieve a Thank You letter by US mail which can be used for tax purposes.