Thank you to the old fashioned Charlie Brown.
A few years ago, the Orlando Family Stage took a risk as the Covid-19 pandemic forced entertainment venues to close. It was a gamble, resulting in a six-figure budget deficit over the years. But the theatres are now seeing gambling pay off to regain its financial foothold. And that’s thanks to the adorable “Blockhead” of Charles M. Schultz’s comic creation.
Orlando Family Stage, specializing in theaters for younger audiences, has announced a stage adaptation for its beloved television special, “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” during the holiday season. Theatre leaders are pondering how to get it back for an Encore this year.
And recently the theatre has been getting assistance from the current production of Dragon’s Love Tacos. The show was also a hit, based on a popular children’s book. The two productions will first see public ticket sales rise to pre-Covid levels.
“We built the ground up as the public is coming back strongly,” said executive director Chris Brown.
That was a plan when the theatre took a calculated risk in 2020. Despite the revenue losses associated with the Covid-19 closure, Orlando Family Stage did not abandon its staff.
“We saved everyone,” Brown said. “We didn’t cut anyone off when it got harder. We took a harder path.”
The decision to keep staff unharmed led to a deficit of over $200,000 over two years. This is a brow-raising deficit in the culture sector, which has closed both Orlando’s Crazy Cow Theatre and Winter Garden Garden Theatre.
But the Orlando Family Stage was ready to take that risk. As the pandemic entered, there was a reserve of about $450,000.
“We’re a year where we have surplus and half of that will go into the reserves for the future,” Brown said.
Vicki Landon, current Orange County Arts and Culture Management Administrator, worked in the theater in 2020 as development director.
“My job was a saving job,” she recalled.
Landon sees an important distinction between the strategy of the Orlando Family Stage and the circumstances that led to the end of the mad cow and garden theatre.
“It’s true, people can roll out what I call a ‘strategic deficit’ and set themselves better in the future,” Landon said. “It helps when your organization has a very clear and direct mission overseen by a strong board of directors.”
The Orlando Family Stage board was always aware of the deficit and theatre goals, Brown said.
Landon said it was what it should be.
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“It’s important to be intentional,” she said. “It’s about intentionality and strategy. Are you responding? Or are you planning?”
For the Orlando Family Stage, plans made during the Covid-19 closures laid the foundation for expanding the theatre audience over time.
When Brown became executive director, the organization’s annual budget was approximately $3.5 million. During the pandemic, it fell to about $2.5 million, but now rebounded and has grown to $4 million.
Previously known as the Orlando Repertoire Theatre, the organization changed its name two years ago, and will focus on family-friendly productions.
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New initiatives have been developed to reach children of even younger ages. The classes and programs for babies already widespread in Europe were featured here, along with “story walks” and other events for toddlers and groups of 4-6 years old.
“We’ve been building relationships with those families from that moment on,” Brown said.
The funding was rethinked at the new gala (adult-only prom) that will debut on March 1 at Winter Park Farmers Market. Brown said the event already exceeded its funding goals and only a few tickets are available.
The “Empty Bus” campaign, which allows donors to subsidize tickets for students who cannot afford school field trips, which make up a significant portion of the theatre ticket sales, was expanded last fall as “No empty seats.” Ta. Includes theatre weekend performances for the public. Brown raised almost $100,000, providing around 5,000 tickets to local youth.
The Orlando Family’s setting, like all cultural nonprofits in the state, lost funds when the Department of Lon de Santis rejected it this summer, but the theatre has a $175,000 cultural tourism subsidy from Orange County this year. I won the money. That amount was an all-time high, but in part based on the strength of the nonprofit’s financial statements, Landon said.
And then there was the important and commercial success of “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” created by Orlando Family Stage in partnership with Gershwin Entertainment. The local production was complemented by the simultaneous second production that toured here, cast and designed here.
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“There are no many properties with that perception,” Brown said of the show’s success. “That run was the best growth run we’ve ever had.”
Brown once again repeated another tour of this year’s show, saying there is debate over the possibility of some performances in Orlando. Sending “Charlie Brown” on tour also helped raise the theater’s national profile. Through partnerships and commissioned works, Orlando Family Stage already had a solid national reputation. This can sometimes be ironic when trying to sell to central Floridians, Brown said.
“We have to work hard to tell the community who we are and what we are doing.
“Dragon’s Love Tacos” with Daniel Martinez (from left), Alaina Rene Kaiser and Marisa Killano Shiroa was a success on the Orlando family stage. Based on the children’s book, the musical will run until March 9th (Ashley Angardner via Orlando Family Stage) “Dragon’s Love Tacos” will run until March 9th, with another popular title: ” The musical stage version of the diary follows: Wimpy Kid’s. Brown says the theatre is on track to finish this fiscal year in black and continues to grow as it approaches its 100th anniversary in 2026.
His current success proves that keeping staff members intact a few years ago was the right decision, he said.
“It’s not just me, I have an incredible team,” he said. “We continue to expand our goals. All of these are long-term.”
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