Video: A Tuvan twist at First Night Morris 2015
First Night Morris 2015 attracted its largest crowd in three years last week, and it appears that the New Year’s Eve entertainment extravaganza is in the black for the first time since 2008, according to its outgoing chairman, Michael Schmidt.
“We’ve finally achieved a sustainable budget model, but we need to continue to grow our sponsorship base so that we can ease our dependency on ticket sales and maintain an affordable ticket price,” said Schmidt.
Some 4,500 people paid to attend First Night Morris 2015, he said. That’s 800 more than a year ago, and the most since First Night Morris 2012, which drew 4,600 people on a warmer evening, the chairman said.
Morris Arts lined up more than 200 performers for 80 shows at 24 venues across Morristown last Wednesday night.
Admission badges were $25, with discounts for early- and group purchases. About $60,000 was contributed by corporate sponsors.
When Schmidt assumed the chairmanship four years ago, he focused on boosting sponsorships and social media promotion, and on strengthening First Night’s fiscal operations. He said the event had been losing money, but broke even at First Night Morris 2012 and came close to doing so in the other years of his tenure.
“Barring any unforeseen circumstances,” the enterprise should show a surplus when the final accounting is done for First Night 2015, Schmidt said.
The Morristown High School graduate (’02) plans to step down to tend to his other concerns — a finance job at Quest Diagnostics, his seat on the Morristown zoning board, a possible future run for town council and, most importantly, a wedding. Schmidt proposed to girlfriend Kacie Welsh at First Night last week.
Over the next few months, the First Night board expects to name Schmidt’s successor — and 10- to 15 new board members. Anyone interested in serving in these volunteer positions should contact First Night Morris through its website, above.
As for our video highlight reel, the mesmerizing soundtrack was recorded at Alexander Glenfield’s First Night performance at the Masonic Lodge.
Glenfield demonstrated “Tuvan Throat Singing,” in which “a single voice holds a fundamental pitch while also sounding a separate melody of its overtones.”
He is accompanied by tabla virtuoso Shivalik Ghoshal, whose drumming has been featured in the documentary Born Into Brothels and on Broadway.
Astonishingly, Glenfield and Ghoshal found their groove despite meeting each other just two hours before this First Night performance.
Others who make cameos in the video are the dance troupe Galumpha and the Shubanjali Dance Company, the Brazilian-flavored band Matuto, illusionist Anthony Salazar, the Whirled Revolution hula hoopers and classical pianist Svetlana Smolina.
Our thanks to Jeff Sovelove, Rob Saxon, Carl Lukens and Greg Davis for sharing their photos and video clips!
