Fox Riverside Theater Foundation

The Fox Riverside Theater Foundation thanks its Give Big 2013 donors for making last season a record-breaker.  The Foundation blew right past its goal of 1,200 tickets for its Students at Broadway outreach program (providing complimentary tickets to regional student groups) and provided nearly 1,900 tickets.  We're not surprised - people who GIVE BIG are people who DREAM BIG, and we are grateful that you dreamed big with us.

This season, we "own" most of the balcony for Broadway shows, and will provide well in excess of 2,000 tickets.  This leads us to believe that it is time to dream BIGGER.  Within the next few years, we want to "own" the whole theater, adding an extra performance to every Broadway show run.

That means that the Foundation will provide about 1,600 seats for EVERY Broadway show.  Can you imagine it?  We think you can, operating on the "those who give big also dream big" principle!

The Fox Performing Arts Center is everyone's theater, and the Fox Riverside Theater Foundation is in the business of ensuring that those community members - especially young people -- who do not have the financial capability to attend Broadway shows and concerts still have access to the performing arts. The Fox Foundation raises funds through membership, contributions, and grants to support such programs as Students at Broadway. 

For young people who cannot afford to attend the theater, or for those whose exposure to the arts has been only through television or the internet, a trip to see a professional, Broadway musical has the potential to be life changing.  Providing these opportunities for local students to engage in the arts enriches their lives, as well as the life of the community, but it also enhances future prospects for livability in our region, as young residents embrace the arts.

In addition to our Students at Broadway program, the Fox Foundation is growing its Seniors at Broadway program, with a goal of providing more than 300 tickets through local senior centers during this Broadway season.   Exposure to these kind of experiences benefits older people in myriad ways; a study published in the "Archives of Internal Medicine" showed that a decrease in social activity can make a senior feel five years older and slow motor skills significantly. Despite the benefits of getting out and engaging in a group arts experience, low-to-moderate income seniors typically feel that they cannot afford these experiences. The program encourages the involvement of local seniors who are interested in theater, dance, and music to attend and experience a live Broadway performance here at the Fox Performing Arts Center.

The Fox Performing Arts Center began its life as a movie theater in 1927 and its colorful history includes vaudeville and silent films, as well as its starring role as the site of the first sneak preview of Gone With the Wind in 1939.  The theater was closed for renovation and restoration in the 1990s and re-opened as the municipally-owned Fox Performing Arts Center in 2010.  Since then, the venue has hosted a series of stellar Broadway shows, including The Color Purple, Miss Saigon, Peter Pan, The Addams Family, Hairspray, A Chorus Line, Fiddler on the Roof, Dreamgirls, and Jesus Christ Superstar.   Additionally, the Fox has hosted a number of popular concert acts; among those are Jerry Seinfeld, Sheryl Crow, Natalie Cole, Bill Cosby, Willie Nelson, Jason Mraz, Bill Engvall, Pat Benatar, Dwight Yoakam, Terry Fator, and LeAnn Rimes.  Periodically, the Fox Performing Arts Center, with a nod to its movie theater history, opens its doors to film fans for special events, such as the 75th Anniversary showing of Gone With the Wind, scheduled for December 14, 2014.

The mission of the Fox Riverside Theater Foundation is to support the Fox Performing Arts Center and enrich the community by inspiring participation in the life of the Fox through community-focused performances, community outreach, and fundraising. 

The Foundation can say "yes" to amazing outreach opportunities because our friends say "yes" to us.  Thank you!