Blumenthal Performing Arts 2023 Year In Review
Dec 27, 2023 / Press Releases
(December 27, 2023) Charlotte, NC – What a year! Blumenthal Performing Arts, the Carolinas’ premier arts institution and a leader among performing arts centers in the nation, welcomed new audiences, launched exciting new programming and initiatives, supported artists, and made a significant impact in the community.
“It’s been an amazing year. We’re so appreciative to get to do what we love, serving audiences in Charlotte and surrounding areas as an artistic home for expression, creativity, and community. We are also proud to be a major employer of local workers, from stagehands to security to creatives, as well as making a significant impact on the local economy,” said Blumenthal Performing Arts President and CEO Tom Gabbard.
“A major highlight this year was the Charlotte International Arts Festival—a fantastic celebration in 2023. We ended our second year thrilled by the way the public has quickly embraced it. Charlotte has become a truly global community, with residents who enrich our city with a wonderful array of artistic traditions that deserve to be showcased and celebrated.”
Spectacular Broadway
Blumenthal’s Broadway season is the largest in the region, presenting 191 Broadway performances in the calendar year, with more than 328,500 tickets sold, as Uptown Charlotte nears pre-pandemic activity levels, according to research from the University of Toronto’s Downtown Recovery Project.
Blumenthal distributed more than 22,500 affordable, subsidized, or free tickets for community programs and education, including student rush; diversity, equity, and inclusion; tickets for veterans; fundraiser donations; and more.
The estimated economic impact of Broadway in 2023 was more than $64MM.
Broadway By the Numbers
- 191 Broadway performances (328,000+ tickets sold)
- 11,500+ 23–24 season subscribers
- $64MM+ local economic impact
- 22,500 affordable, subsidized, or free tickets distributed for community programs and education
- 4 2023 Tony Award nominations: Fat Ham, Kimberly Akimbo, & Juliet, Some Like it Hot
- 1 2023 Tony Award: Kimberly Akimbo
- 379 local crew members hired for Broadway shows
- More than $2.5MM paid to stagehands
- More than 80,000 combined hours worked by local crews
Recognized as a top-ten market for touring Broadway, Charlotte was one of only ten cities in the country to present the exclusive limited engagement of Into the Woods, direct from Broadway, with a starry cast including Tony Award winners Stephanie J. Block and Gavin Creel, Tony Award nominee Montego Glover, and others from the Broadway company of the acclaimed, long-extended Broadway revival.
In addition to presenting the best on stage, Blumenthal is also a prolific producer of Broadway shows. As a member of the Independent Presenters Network (IPN), a consortium of 40 preeminent Broadway presenters, theaters, and performing arts centers, Blumenthal is monumental in influencing the shows that make it to Broadway and national tour. IPN members bring Broadway productions to more than 110 cities in North America, the United Kingdom, Japan, and China.
Blumenthal invested in some of the top shows on Broadway in 2023, including: & Juliet, A Beautiful Noise, Back to the Future, Fat Ham, Gutenberg! The Musical!, Harmony, Here Lies Love, How to Dance in Ohio, Kimberly Akimbo, Life of Pi, Some Like it Hot, and Spamalot.
In 2023, Blumenthal received four Tony Award nominations and took home one Tony Award.
For tickets and more information about Broadway in Charlotte, visit https://www.blumenthalarts.org/events-tickets/category/broadway-theater.
CIAF: Year Two
The second annual Charlotte International Arts Festival (CIAF), a Blumenthal Performing Arts original, concluded its run on October 1, 2023. More than 500,000 visitors experienced 250+ events representing 30 countries in a 17-day celebration of imaginative visual and performing arts from around the world and around the corner.
An annual spree of creativity, innovation, and art, CIAF uniquely brings together Charlotte's local and international communities with visiting global artists in a cultural celebration filled with live performances, art installations, food from around the world, and more.
“CIAF is quite unique in the way it combines big, bold art and performance from around the world and around the corner,” said Tom Gabbard. “Much of it is free, outdoors, and fun for all ages. Seeing kids and families interact with art, dance on the grass, and have a high-quality experience with family and new friends lifts all of our spirits. The festival offerings and attendance grew dramatically with the inclusion of many local international organizations and artists.”
CIAF offers abundant opportunities for local artists. In 2023, nine Blumenthal Fellows received funding to exhibit their work alongside visiting artists such as world-renowned Australian sculpturist Amanda Parer, who visited her popular, large-scale inflatable installations in Charlotte for the first time and engaged in intimate settings with 65 locals to discuss her work and share advice.
CIAF By the Numbers
- 44 countries represented
- 500,000+ visitors
- 53 ticketed events saw guests from: 360+ different cities in the Carlinas, 42+ states and Washington, DC and 2 Canadian Provinces
- 230 pop-up events:
- 67 at Levine Avenue of the Arts
- 85 at Ballantyne’s Backyard
- 47 at Wells Fargo Plaza
- 9 at The Amp Ballantyne
- 18 at Founders Hall
- 2 at Freedom Park
- 1 at Symphony Park
- 1 at Wells Fargo Auditorium
- 2,500 entries to Tour de Ballantyne Skate Park and Climb the Matterhorn! Climbing Wall
- 13,000+ attendees at the Latin American Festival and the Festival of India
- 72 vendors at the International Bazaar
- 57 local performers and groups at pop-up stages
- 2 custom soundscapes created by local composers
- 11 fitness and yoga classes
- 265 festival volunteers
- 1,740 pints sold of Blumenthal’s signature CIAF beer, “What The Duck,” developed in partnership with Lenny Boy Brewing
For CIAF 2023 photos and video, click here. For more information about CIAF, visit charlotteartsfest.com.
Uplifting the Creative Community
In addition to the local creatives that worked on CIAF, Blumenthal engaged artists through its Artists in Theaters (AIT) program, which commissions work related to the Broadway shows being presented on stage at Blumenthal. The artwork is showcased in the theater lobby and exposes the artists to new audiences—even resulting in some major artwork sales and opportunities.
In Spring 2022, mixed fiber quilt artist Beverly Smith, AIT for the special engagement of Waitress, was discovered by an audience member who was also a set designer scouting art for the Amazon Prime TV series, Harlem. Smith’s work was featured on the show in 2023, leading cast member Whoopi Goldberg to see more of Beverly’s work and meet the other artists at her studio, the Brooklyn Collective, a nonprofit with a mission to accelerate inclusivity and economic mobility in Charlotte. There, Goldberg connected with AIT alum Percy King (AIT for the national tour of Jesus Christ Superstar), and commissioned a portrait of herself. For photos, click here.)
This year, nine Broadway shows participated in Artists in Theaters. To learn more about Artists in Theaters, visit blumenthalarts.org/education/community/artists-in-theaters.
Blumenthal also launched Made in CLT this year, a directory and free service provided by Blumenthal Performing Arts that makes it easy to find and hire talented creatives in the area. Made in CLT has a diverse range of local talent, whether a business needs a muralist, a neighbor is looking for a musician to play at a birthday party, or a family is searching for the perfect holiday card photographer, and more.
Blumenthal takes no profit from Made in CLT and launched this service to help creatives find work. With so many diverse and rich offerings in Charlotte’s artistic community, the public is encouraged to browse the directory, which will be updated on a consistent basis.
For more about Made in CLT and to browse the database, visit madeinclt.org.
By the Numbers
CIAF
- 100 Tiny Things public art installations by 80 local artists
- 9 art installations by Blumenthal Fellows funded at $85,000
- $505,000+ paid to local CIAF artists
- 5 large-scale art installations
Artists in Theaters
- 9 Artists in Theaters in 2023
- $10,000+ paid to local AIT artists
Made in CLT
- Soft launch of the program yielded 125 artists in the directory
- Program is expected to double by Q1 2024
Advancing Education
In 2023, Blumenthal continued its steadfast support of arts education. 47 schools and more than 1,500 students participated in the 10th annual Blumey Awards, Charlotte’s High School Musical Theater Awards program, presented by Wells Fargo. At a gala award celebration in May, winners were announced in 15 categories. North Lincoln High School won the Tier 1 Wells Fargo Best Musical Award. Central Academy of Technology and Arts won the Tier 2 Wells Fargo Best Musical Award.
Katie Ruttenberg from Central Academy of Technology and Arts won Best Actress and Lance Toppin from Charlotte Country Day School won Best Actor. Katie and Lance went on to compete nationally at the Jimmy Awards in New York City.
By the Numbers
- More than 150,000 students participated annually in Blumenthal’s student-focused programming
- More than 1,500 students participated in Blumey Award participating high school musicals
- 280 students performed at the 2023 Blumey Awards to a sold-out Belk Theater house
- $100,000 awarded in college scholarships
- $108,000 Arts for All funds granted and 1,937 Arts for All tickets distributed
- 19 paid internships
- 419 students participated in free master class training
- 150 hours of Active Community Instruction through LEAP (Literacy Engagement through Arts Program)
- 750+ subsidized tickets for CLTeens
- 6,124 tickets sold to school shows and 1,400 school show tickets sponsored by E3 CMS funding
- $100,000 in corporate sponsorship received to serve local arts teachers
- 11 arts educator professional development programs
- 2,076 students and teachers participated in Jr. Theater Celebration 2023 from 45 area elementary and middle schools
- $18,000 granted to elementary and middle schools to support musical production scripts and materials
For more about Blumenthal’s education programs, visit blumenthalarts.org/education.
Generous Gifts and Grants
This year, Equitable increased its pledge of support for education programming and the Bravo Broadway Series in the 2023–2024 season. This contribution marked the largest annual corporate programmatic gift Blumenthal has received to date. Additionally, PNC Bank extended its commitment to serve as the Broadway Lights Series sponsor through 2027, and Blumenthal welcomed its first round of CIAF corporate sponsors, including a leadership gift of $100,000 from The Leon Levine Foundation. Annually, Blumenthal receives operating support from the North Carolina Arts Council and has received awards in each of the three years of the City of Charlotte’s Infusion Fund. Generous contributions from The Doctor Family Foundation support Blumenthal’s K–12 education programs and provide scholarship funds for college students pursuing degrees in various arts disciplines.
By the Numbers
- 750+ member households
- $1.6MM in gifts from individual donors
- $2.5MM+ raised to support or help underwrite much of Blumenthal’s mission programming including:
- Blumenthal LEAP
- Blumenthal Fellows
- CIAF
- The Blumey Awards
- Junior Theater Celebration Charlotte
- Made in CLT
- Juneteenth Celebration
- SLAM Charlotte
- Queen City Comedy Experience
- Arts Educator Network
- Junior Ambassadors
- College Internship Program
For more information about donor support, visit: blumenthalarts.org/support-us.
Looking Ahead
Looking ahead, Blumenthal is thrilled to announce that CIAF will return September 13–29, 2024 for more international art and culture from around the world—and our own backyard. Follow CIAF on social media @cltartsfest for updates and keep an eye on charlotteartsfest.com for more information.
The team at Blumenthal continues its national leadership in immersive arts and entertainment. Blumenthal co-sponsored a conference in Denver, Immersive Immersive, the first-ever convening of venues, creators, and promoters of immersive arts from around the world. Stay tuned for news soon on Blumenthal’s plans for a new home for immersive shows in Charlotte. For more on immersive entertainment at Blumenthal, visit: blumenthalarts.org/about/blumenthal-performing-arts/immersive-space.
(BPA Director of Artistic Experiences Bree Stallings and BPA President Tom Gabbard presenting at The Immersive Immersive conference)
The Blumey Awards will celebrate ten years of recognizing talent and achievement among high school students in a one-night-only fundraising event to benefit the Blumey Inspire Fund, which grants industry resources and opportunities to individuals and theater programs. Grants will be made to provide professional training, mentorship, and materials to minimize socioeconomic and access disparities, elevating high school theater programs and uplifting students to excel in their artistic pursuits. The talent in Charlotte is abundant, with past Blumey participants going on to successful careers in the arts, from Broadway to producing to stage management, and more. To see a photo mosaic celebrating 10 years of the Blumey Awards, click here.
For tickets and information, visit: blumenthalarts.org/events/detail/10th-anniversary-blumey-awards-celebration.
Follow Blumenthal on social media @blumenthalarts and blumenthalarts.org for more art, entertainment, connection, and surprises in the New Year.
###
ABOUT BLUMENTHAL PERFORMING ARTS
Blumenthal Performing Arts serves the Carolinas as a leading cultural, entertainment and education provider. For more information, call (704) 372-1000 or visit BlumenthalArts.org. Blumenthal Performing Arts receives support from the Infusion Fund and the North Carolina Arts Council. Generous support is also provided by PNC Bank, sponsor of the PNC Broadway Lights series, and Equitable, sponsor of the Equitable Bravo Series.