Swan song for next year's musical?
Jillian Melchior
Issue date: 2/5/09 Section: Arts
Because of the bad economy, the theatre and music departments are reassessing whether they will put on a musical next year.
"I didn't say no, but I need to be careful about what I commit to," James Holleman, chairman and associate professor of music, said.
The theatre and music departments, along with other departments, were asked to cut about 15 percent from their budgets after Hillsdale College's endowment took a hit last fall.
The departments will likely not make a final decision about producing a musical until after the budgets they submitted late last semester are finalized by administrators. Initially, the departments had considered putting on "The Baker's Wife" or "Brigadoon."
Heads of both departments said they were trying to cut costs without cutting the quality of education for the students. Nevertheless, some students who eagerly anticipate the musical said its cancellation would disappoint them.
The theatre and music departments work together every two years to put on a musical, George Angell, chair of theatre and speech, explained. The two departments split the royalties for the production.
The music department pays to rent musical scores, hires additional performers for the pit orchestra and covers the costs of faculty who run the pit or coach vocalists. The theatre department pays for the set, lights and costumes.
But while the theatre department replaces one of their four normally scheduled shows with the musical, the music department does it in addition to all of their annual events. With the budget cuts, that could be too costly.
Angell said the college has only reduced the production budget one other time, when the dot-com bubble burst, since he began teaching here in 1984.
Already, the theatre department has had to curb travel and professional development conferences for professors. The budget cuts also made taking the Yeats plays performed last year to a Scottish summer theater venue impossible. And next year, they will have to buy less new equipment and tools, Angell said.
"I didn't say no, but I need to be careful about what I commit to," James Holleman, chairman and associate professor of music, said.
The theatre and music departments, along with other departments, were asked to cut about 15 percent from their budgets after Hillsdale College's endowment took a hit last fall.
The departments will likely not make a final decision about producing a musical until after the budgets they submitted late last semester are finalized by administrators. Initially, the departments had considered putting on "The Baker's Wife" or "Brigadoon."
Heads of both departments said they were trying to cut costs without cutting the quality of education for the students. Nevertheless, some students who eagerly anticipate the musical said its cancellation would disappoint them.
The theatre and music departments work together every two years to put on a musical, George Angell, chair of theatre and speech, explained. The two departments split the royalties for the production.
The music department pays to rent musical scores, hires additional performers for the pit orchestra and covers the costs of faculty who run the pit or coach vocalists. The theatre department pays for the set, lights and costumes.
But while the theatre department replaces one of their four normally scheduled shows with the musical, the music department does it in addition to all of their annual events. With the budget cuts, that could be too costly.
Angell said the college has only reduced the production budget one other time, when the dot-com bubble burst, since he began teaching here in 1984.
Already, the theatre department has had to curb travel and professional development conferences for professors. The budget cuts also made taking the Yeats plays performed last year to a Scottish summer theater venue impossible. And next year, they will have to buy less new equipment and tools, Angell said.
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