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Fine Arts Festival begins fund drive

Handel’s ‘Messiah,’ ‘Nunsense: The Mega-Musical’ slated for 2016

The annual fund drive for the Waupaca Fine Arts Festival began this past week with a mailing campaign to supporters of the cultural arts in Waupaca.

Next year will mark the festival’s 53rd anniversary of providing cultural opportunities to the citizens of the greater Waupaca area.

The three main legs of the Fine Arts Festival are The Waupaca Community Theatre/Children’s Theatre, the Waupaca Community Chorus and the Waupaca Art Show.

For 53 years, the festival has produced Broadway musicals and plays, presented classic works of literature through the choir and orchestra and featured hundreds of local and regional artists in the Waupaca Art Show.

“Many things make Waupaca the great city it is, and the Fine Arts Festival of Waupaca is one of those contributing factors. The Fine Arts Festival of Waupaca has been here and thriving for over 50 years. What an honor to be a part of this historical organization that has brought so much to the city of Waupaca.

“While we realize that there are other arts organizations in the city, and in the greater Waupaca area, we are proud of the fact that The Fine Arts Festival of Waupaca has paved the trail for the foundation of having an arts community. When you donate to the Fine Arts Festival of Waupaca, you are donating to the longest standing arts organization in the Waupaca area,” said Chairman Dan Wolfgram.

The upcoming festival will present a program of varied cultural events.

It will open with the Waupaca Community Theatre presenting two shows: “Love Letters” by A.R. Gurney Feb. 4-6 and “Hate Mail” by Bill Corbett Feb. 19-21.

Both shows will be directed by Holly Saunders and be presented at The Green Fountain Inn.

The second event will be the annual Community Choir and Civic Orchestra Concert on Sunday, April 3.

This year, the choir will celebrate the 275th anniversary of Handel’s Messiah.

The concert will feature Waupaca’s Holly Saunders and Eric Neuville as soloists.

The Waupaca Art Show will be presented at the Waupaca Expo Center from April 24-29 and will feature artists and styles in every genre.

The Waupaca Community Theatre has named “Nunsense: The Mega-Musical” as its mainstage production.

The dates of the musical will be the last weekend in July and the first weekend in August.

The growing and popular Waupaca Community Children’s Theatre will present Xanadu Jr. July 18–22.

The Festival Committee Board approved a working budget of $51,900 for the 2016 season.

Of that amount, the board is seeking to raise more than $22,000 through donations to support the events of the festival.

The success of the fund drive helps to keep ticket prices affordable and festival events open to larger audiences.

Contributions, which are welcomed throughout the year, are tax-deductible if they are itemized.

Patrons are listed as donors over $150, Benefactors as donors of $100 to $149, Donors as giving $50 to $99 and Contributors as donors of less than $50.

Those who contribute more than $250 will be listed as underwriters for all three main events, which include the Community Choir, the Art Show and the Community Theatre.

Gifts must be received by March 15 to be included in the printed program.

Checks may be sent to: Waupaca Fine Arts Festival, P.O. Box 55, Waupaca, WI 54981.

Visit www.fineartsfestival.org for event information throughout the year.

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