Promotion of the Arts – Opera-Musical Theater

The National Endowment for the Arts administers Promotion of the Arts_Opera-Musical Theater (CFDA 45.014), which funded opera and musical theater development and production through Project Grants; the most recent grant award was disbursed on July 1, 1995 — over 31 years ago.

This program is not currently active. The funding history spans from February 1992 through July 1995, with 11 Project Grants awarded over that four-year window. Award volume peaked in 1993 with six grants, then declined sharply to one award each in 1994 and 1995 before stopping entirely. No grant opportunities have been posted recently, and no current solicitation activity is indicated in available records.

The program funded creation, development, rehearsal, and production of new operas and musical theater works at various stages of development. Funded activities included Phase I creation work (such as the development of "Children of Troy" by composer Craig Carnahan and librettist Michael Riemannian), Phase II development and revision work (including testing and revision of "Anybody Seen Marie Laveau?" by playwright Aishah Rahman), and Phase III rehearsal and production work (such as the premiere production of "Hopper's Wife" by Stewart Wallace and Michael Korie). The program also supported residency activity for singers during performance seasons.

All 11 awards were Project Grants administered exclusively by the National Endowment for the Arts. Combined federal dollars obligated totaled $122 thousand across the entire portfolio. Individual award amounts ranged from $2,400 to $24,000, with a median award magnitude of approximately $9,300 to $11,900. Representative awards included $15,000 for Phase II testing and revision of "Anybody Seen Marie Laveau?" (July 1995), $24,000 for rehearsal and production of "Mud Bugs" by resident design team and composer Suzy Rothfield Thompson (March 15, 1994), and $14,500 for rehearsal and premiere production of "Hopper's Wife" (September 1, 1993).

Pursuit of this program is not recommended. No awards have been disbursed in over three decades, and no recent grant opportunities are available.