CAPA's musical falls short of funds again

CAPA's annual musical is in financial trouble. Again.

The Music Man opens Wednesday night at CAPA - Philadelphia's High School for Creative and Performing Arts - on South Broad Street, but the home and school association is scrambling to cover the $60,000 production costs.

"It's a dilemma we face every year," principal Joanne Beaver said Tuesday as students were preparing for a full dress rehearsal in the school's 350-seat auditorium.

"It's not the typical high school musical," said Beaver, who is in her second year at the helm of the performing-arts magnet. "We're committed to doing a high-quality show."

Wendy Kaliner-Garcia, president of CAPA's home and school association, which is responsible for funding the musical, said that as of Tuesday afternoon, coffers were $14,000 short - including revenue so far for ticket sales for the five shows.

"You wouldn't think you would have a hard time with the kids that we have and the talent that we have," said Theresa Franchetti, vice president of the parents' group, who is handling ticket sales.

CAPA's alums include Questlove and Black Thought of the Roots, the members of Boyz II Men, the jazz bassist Christian McBride, and the actor Mark Webber.

The musical is a high point of CAPA's calendar. More than 200 of the school's 700 students work on the production as actors, chorus members, dancers, and musicians, or behind the scenes.

And The Music Man, Meredith Willson's Tony-winning show, is heavy on costumes and scenery, which adds to the tab.

"Kids are working tremendously hard at what they do, so I am here to support them in any way I can," Beaver said. And the staff, including the teachers, puts in countless hours on the musical.

"They do it because they love the students and want to see the students featured and shine," she said.

Beaver was in a production of The Music Man during her senior year at Northeast High School, and believes in the importance of an annual show at CAPA.

But the constant financial pressures have made her wonder whether CAPA could be forced to change to mounting a show every other year and spending intervening years on fund-raising.

"Those are not the decisions I want to make," Beaver said. "I want to be able to do it every year, but we need some way to generate funding."

Kaliner-Garcia doesn't even want to imagine a time when students would not have the chance to perform in the spring event.

"This is the premier performing arts school in the city of Philadelphia," she said.

Her daughter, Marissa Garcia, 17, a junior, plays a nosy neighbor in The Music Man, and had a role in last year's Pippin.

Kaliner-Garcia said this year's show had a shortfall despite an annual $10,000 donation from the Roots; a $5,000 gift from NBCUniversal in memory of Lee Andrews, the former leader of Lee Andrews and the Hearts and the father of Questlove; and $7,500 from the Victory Foundation on the Main Line.

The show received $2,500 from the Mummers Association. The school at 901 S. Broad St. opens its doors on New Year's Day for the Mummers Parade.

The musical also received $5,000 from the CAPA Foundation, which parents set up a few years ago to help ensure permanent funding for the musical and other events. But fund-raising has been slow.

The School District used to cover the costs for the musical, but funding was eliminated during 2012 budget cuts.

In 2013 - the year Kaliner-Garcia's daughter was applying - the unthinkable happened: CAPA did not have a musical. It was the first time that had happened in 17 years.

The school nearly canceled its musical the next year. Then $10,000 in donations poured in from newspaper readers, and the school's production of Beauty and the Beast won rave reviews.

Kaliner-Garcia's family lives in Gulph Mills and pays the district about $10,000 each year to send Garcia to CAPA.

"Her life goal is to be on Broadway," Kaliner-Garcia said. "It has been a remarkably good fit for her both academically and artistically."

Franchetti said her daughter Mary, 17, a senior who sings in the chorus, was a freshman the year there was no musical.

"The seniors that year were devastated," said Franchetti, who lives in South Philadelphia. "What we care about is that the kids get this."

Beaver hopes the word about the musical spreads.

"It's a great show, and it's 20 bucks," she said. "Come out, be entertained and support our kids . . . who have talent and are chasing their dreams."

CAPA's production of "The Music Man" runs from Wednesday through Saturday at 7 p.m. with a 2 p.m. matinee Sunday. Tickets at the door are $20 for orchestra seats; $18 for the balcony. To donate to the CAPA Home and School Association, which is responsible for funding the musical, go to http://www.capahands.org

martha.woodall@phillynews.com215-854-2789@marwooda