This Tuesday, March 3rd, Marco Island Academy Theatre officially launched its fundraising campaign for the widely anticipated spring musical, A Year With Frog and Toad.
The, #HelpSnailDeliverTheMail Campaign kicked off with a massive push on social media platforms, such as Instagram and Facebook, with over a dozen promotional images; some featuring members of the cast in-costume striking various poses. A goal of $5,000 has been set with the deadline of March 31st.
“Putting on a show is expensive,” said Director Christopher Dayett, “I don’t think a lot of people realize that.” Putting on a show at MIA can cost between $15,000 and $20,000 a year. A large fraction of that cost, $4,000+, usually comes from acquiring licensing rights and, in the case of Frog and Toad, renting scripts for the cast and crew.
“Then you add up the show tracks, costumes, props, set pieces, marketing materials, failing equipment, batteries for the mics, and all of the unexpected expenses. It adds up.” Production costs for a spring musical can easily take up half of the annual budget of $30,000, which is also meant to cover the for the classroom and the after-school Thespians Society.
“The fundraiser is vital because it helps MIA Theatre keep putting on shows like Frog and Toad for the community and students,” said Joaquin Perez, a junior, and co-star playing the titular Toad.
Further information about the sponsorship campaign can be found here.
This spring’s campaign also features new tiers for sponsorships as the “Season Sponsors” of MIA Theatre. “Fundraising takes a lot of my time, and to have to hold 3 full fundraisers with high goals each year is a lot,” explained Dayett, “Season sponsorships will help us tremendously in that it supports all of the things that we do each year–classroom supplies and transportation, workshops and master classes, Thespian competitions, and our 2 productions.”
These three new tiers follow the foundational slogan of MIA Theatre: Imagine, Create, Inspire, at values of $1,000, $2,500, and $5,000, respectively. More information about Season Sponsorships can be found here.
What is A Year With Frog and Toad?
“I’ve heard a lot of people brush the show off as ‘just for kids,’ but that isn’t true,” said Samuel Zocco, a junior, and co-star playing Frog. “The jazzy score, hand-crafted sets, and the ridiculous escapades of Frog and Toad, offer timeless entertainment for all ages.”
A Year With Frog and Toad is a three-time Tony Award-nominated musical written by Robert Reale and Willie Reale based on the popular children’s books by Arnold Lobel. It follows the friendship of two good friends, the happy Frog, and the grumpy Toad, across the seasons.
A whimsical and witty adventure that includes planting gardens, swimming, raking leaves, sledding, A Year With Frog and Toad combines the charm and excitement of vaudeville with valuable real-world lessons.
What is the importance of patience? What does it mean to be a good friend? When should we take action, and when should we wait? These are just some of the important questions A Year With Frog and Toad sets out to answer.
“It may be a children’s story,” added Dayett, “but there are so many things in there for adults…and the kid in all of us!”
MIA Theatre Needs YOUR Help!
“The theatre program is one of MIA’s best kept secrets,” said Dayett, “Only, it’s not a secret. We have a huge following in the Marco community and it would be great to see half the seats filled with MIA students for a change.”
Last year, for the world premiere of Torch: A Musical Tale, an original production written by Dayett, MIA Theatre sold out 4 performances, however, very few audience members were students from the academy. “Can you imagine the energy if the gym was filled with MIA students for a change?”
MIA Theatre strongly encourages students to follow @MIATheatre on Instagram: “Share our posts. Buy a ticket. Bring the whole family, especially if you have younger siblings.”
