Good news for Phildelphia:<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><B>American Express Performing Arts Fund Names Two More Recipients</B><P>BackStage.com, courtesy of Yahoo! News<P>The Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. has just received a $125,000 two-year grant from American Express, while the Pennsylvania Ballet in Philadelphia garnered a whopping $150,000 two-year grant, also from American Express.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><B><A HREF="http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/bpibs/20010125/en/_b_h1_american_express_performing_arts_fund_names_two_more_recipients_h1_b__1.html" TARGET=_blank>More</A></B>

The article mentions that $150,000 over two years is "whopping." Really? Isn't that peanuts for a ballet company?

A new full length costume ballet costs $1-2m. So you're right Azlan, it ain't a lot.

While Stuart's figure may be appropriate for the top ten companies in the world, 150k IS whopping these days.<P>I'd like to know how much Wash Peter Pan was. I'd bet is was less than 500k and you can sell the crap out of that thing!

The article did not fully specify what the grant was directed toward; but consider in the light of operating budget:<P>If a company has a $2 million dollar budget; and hopefully are efficient enough to recoup 40% in earned income; that leaves a need to raise $1.2 million in donations. The grant seems to be $75,000 for each of two years, or more than 6% of that goal. <P>If I could account for six percent of my contributions income from one source for two years, I would be rather happy.<P>The problem comes when the two years are over, and you need to look for a source to make up that difference.<P>As to the costume ballets, those need to be looked at as long-term investments and amortized over the years they generate income. Even so, not sure that anyone should invest $2 million in a production (unless you are talking about something like Maurice Sendak's "Nutcracker" at PNB).