LOGAN – The Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theatre is inviting its performing arts patrons to join in a transformative journey, marked by its commitment to enriching the festival’s educational programs and re-imagining the festival’s summer experience in 2025.
“We cannot do this without your help,” says Michael Ballam, the general director and founder of the festival, announcing the launching of an urgent “Imagine” campaign with the immediate goal of raising $3 million by Dec. 31.
“For the last 32 years,” Ballam explains, ”the Utah Festival Opera has been a cultural cornerstone in the life of Cache Valley, enriching the community with the magic of opera and musical theater, as well as contributing a crucial $60 million a year to the economy of Cache Valley and northern Utah.”
Due to budgetary constraints, however, the UFOMT will now be obliged to significantly scale back its 2025 summer season and refocus on educational offerings that will allow the festival to continue to have a statewide impact.
With generous support from the State Board of Education and the Utah Legislature, those UFOMT educational outreach efforts will continue through the Opera By Children (OBC), the Utah High School Musical Theatre Awards (UHSMTA) and partnerships with professional arts organizations to empower the next generation of aspiring performers, musicians and technicians.
As the UFOMT emerges from the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and other hardships, the festival is now at a critical juncture, according to Ballam.
“Like many theaters nationwide,” he says, “we are navigating significant financial challenges that threaten our ability to produce outstanding performances and support our dedicated artists and staff.
“To prevent a seasonal closure and potential layoffs, we are launching the ‘Imagine’ campaign … to stabilize our finances and ensure that we can continue to deliver the quality productions that our community cherishes and has come to expect from us.”
Among the changes included in the scaled back season that the UFOMT will offer in the summer of 2025 will be that all its performances will be staged in the festival’s home base of the intimate Utah Theatre rather than the much larger Ellen Eccles Theatre.
While many supporters provide donations to the UFOMT at this time of year, Ballam is urging the festival’s loyal theater patrons to consider increasing their donations and building stronger commitments to the performing arts.
“The ‘Imagine’ campaign is not just a fundraising effort,” he adds. “It’s the preservation of a legacy, so that the Festival Opera can continue to be a beacon for years to come.
“Without your support, we risk losing this vital resource that brings joy, inspiration and economic vitality to our region … Every contribution, no matter the size, helps us meet our goal and ensures that our festival thrives for years to come.”
The UFOMT Facebook post suggests three ways that festival supporters can contribute to the “Imagine” campaign.
They are by calling 800-262-0074, Extension 3; visiting the Dansante Building at 59 South, 100 West in Logan; and by going online to https://securepayment.link/utahfestival/