While jaws are still gaping from the price tag for Broadway’s must expensive musical, “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark,” which capitalized at $75 million, nonprofit theaters and cultural institutions across the country continue to face the daunting task of keeping the curtain raised in communities far beyond the reaches of the Great White Way.
Enter Richmond CenterStage and The Amazing Raise. Now in its third year, this viral fundraising effort (supported, in part, by The Community Foundation) offers a creative way for nonprofits to express their vision.
CenterStage Foundation Executive Director Richard Parison, Jr. has put himself and his staff front and center to engage the community and raise money in a 24-hour period with the goal to reach a wide breadth of donors.
“The Amazing Raise is a great way to raise awareness for the vast array of cultural and social nonprofits in Richmond. Participating in this initiative allows us to brainstorm and creatively think of ways to reach out to our community and address the importance of the performing arts in our lives,” says Parison. “Our donors know this magic first hand, and we hope that through the process of the Amazing Raise we can introduce our CenterStage venues to a wider audience.”
Richmond CenterStage will be hosting the city’s premiere of WARHORSE in its Broadway Series this fall. In addition, Molly Ringwald returns by popular demand in December for a holiday concert. “There is always something at one of our CenterStage venues for everyone,” says Parison. “We hope whether it’s the Landmark Theater, Carpenter Theater or Dorothy Pauley Square, people will join us as we celebrate the best performing arts Central Virginia has to offer.”