It was a feel-good show that keeps on giving all the feels.
Earlier this year, Muskoka OnStage, a collaboration between Huntsville Festival of the Arts (HFA), the Rotary Club of Huntsville and the Rotary Club of Bracebridge, presented Mamma Mia! at both the Algonquin Theatre and Bracbridge’s Rene Caisse Theatre. It was a resounding success, and the proceeds from the shows will benefit the local community.
The show’s profits, which were just shy of $50,000 according to HFA executive director, Dan Watson, have been divided between the organizations in Huntsville and Bracebridge, with half being split by Huntsville Festival of the Arts and the Rotary Club of Huntsville and the other half going to the Rotary Club of Bracebridge.
The Festival plans to direct their share of the profits to various arts education projects, in particular Artists in the Schools programming, as well as toward free community events this summer like Nuit Blanche North and Music at Noon.
As a continuation of the successful accessible playground project at Huntsville Public School, the Rotary Club of Huntsville will be using some of the funds to install Buddy Benches where children can always find a friend to play or just talk.
The Rotary Club of Bracebridge plans to direct $10,000 to flood relief through the Town of Bracebridge and the Red Cross.
“All three groups are really strong organizations that have a real dedication to community building in different aspects,” notes Watson, adding that the huge success of the show, which sold out 14 performances, means that the resulting community impact will be greater.
Muskoka OnStage has disbanded for now and each community will produce its own musical in 2020. In Huntsville, watch for a call for proposals from directors in the coming weeks.
“Mamma Mia! was a special case in the sense of a big show that was quite expensive to get the rights for and put on,” says Watson. “We are definitely open to collaborating again in the future, we’ll just see what that project would be.”
Organizers are grateful to the volunteers from across Muskoka and East Parry Sound whose hundreds of hours of effort ensured the financial success of the show.
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