The Arts in Boston Overcome Hard Times Essay -- Ballet Economy Economi

The Arts in Boston Overcome Hard Times Visions of the Sugar Plum Fairy may be dancing in some people’s heads for this up-coming Christmas season, but for the Boston Ballet, a non-profit organization, these visions are being high kicked out of the way by the Radio City Rockettes, who will be replacing the Nutcracker at the Wang Theatre in the 2004 season. With the poor economy that has engulfed the nation, many non-profit organizations in the Boston area are feeling a financial burden, most recently the Boston Ballet. The ballet, which is famous for its annual Christmas production of the Nutcracker, faced a $3.5 million budget cut this year, in addition to losing their space to the Rockettes and having to find a new home for next year. One ballet board member told The Boston Herald that the Nutcracker is leaving because attendance has â€Å"been a drain for some time and people are tired of it. The attendance has been falling like a rock year after year.† Despite the Boston Ballet’s recent bad fortune, many non-profit organizations in this area admit that they have seen a drop within the past couple of years, but say they are back on their feet again as far as donations and attendance. One major non-profit organization, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, or BSO, said despite the poor economy they continue their mission, which, according the their website www.bso.org, is â€Å"to increase the understanding and enjoyment of music by creating performances and by providing educational and training programs at the highest level of excellence.† The BSO admits that while they have seen some drops in donations as well as attendance, it does seem to be leveling off. â€Å"The poor economy has absolutely caused a problem as far as attendance a... ...ttract student discounts, and I think I will look into getting one for myself,† said Galanter. The success of the MFA is closely tied to the quality of its exhibits. â€Å"We currently have Rembrandt's Journey on view. Our next major exhibition is Gauguin Tahiti which opens in February,† said Petruccelli. Our cultural neighbors struggled somewhat because of the poor economy. However, these non-profit organizations have fared well in these hard times, both in terms of income and assets, and have since been recovering strongly enough that meeting their financial goals in the future seems promising. For the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Huntington Theatre Company, and the Museum of Fine arts, the worst is behind them, and they are optimistic about their future. The Boston Ballet, on the other hand, has yet to finalize a home for the 2004 production of the Nutcracker.