UPDATED June 6, 5:32 p.m.
The Big Apple Circus, currently performing at Cunningham Park in Queens, finds itself in big financial trouble.
The nonprofit circus announced on Friday it needs to raise $2 million over the next two months to keep the act afloat. It launched an emergency fundraising drive through Indiegogo where the public can donate.
Ticket sales at Cunningham Park and during Big Apple’s most recent winter stint at Lincoln Center in Manhattan were brisk, but the circus has been suffering from reduced revenues from private performances and previous financial setbacks resulting from the Great Recession and Hurricane Sandy.
“Our ticket sales in New York City … have remained steady, so we know our audience is still there,” said Will Maitland Weiss, Big Apple Circus’ executive director, in a press release. “But ticket sales only cover a portion of the circus’s operating expenses and, like other nonprofits, Big Apple Circus relies on the generous support of many individuals and public and private institutions.”
Cunningham Park hosts the Big Apple Circus for many weeks each spring; the show is a popular attraction for local families and school day-trips, drawing thousands of children of all ages annually. Big Apple rents part of the park from the city’s Parks Department, and receives funding from the city Department of Cultural Affairs, as well as City Council members Barry Grodenchik and Karen Koslowitz.
According to Weiss, 45,000 people attended 49 performances at Cunningham Park in 2015, resulting in more than $1 million in gate revenue. Through 32 performances this year, 40,000 attended the circus, resulting in a $915,000 gate; Weiss anticipated that income would exceed $1.1 million once all 47 Cunningham Park performances are completed.
Shows in the famous one-ring tent have a different theme each year — the 2016 program, “The Grand Tour,” is inspired by the Roaring Twenties — and feature a live band, trapeze artists, aerialists, magicians, jugglers, clowns and some animal acts featuring camels, dogs and horses. The circus prides itself in the humane treatment of its animals.
Beyond its performances in Cunningham Park and Lincoln Center, the Big Apple Circus holds shows and participates in charitable causes nationwide.
But Big Apple would virtually cease its operations, Weiss said, if it doesn’t raise the $2 million it needs over the next two months. When asked by QNS if the circus could find a way to continue if it came up just short of its fundraising goal, Weiss said, “Never say never.”
“We need $2 million,” he said. “I’m hoping New Yorkers — and others we serve across the country — will enable us to exceed this goal.”
Those interested in donating to the circus can click here for more information.
The Big Apple Circus at Cunningham Park runs through June 12.
