Impact Report
Thank you for helping us make CMT San Jose more than just a theater company. Over the past 18 months, this community has embraced the power of adaptability and resilience, determined to keep our youth engaged, and connected to the performing arts. Through virtual and in-person programs we have worked to celebrate each individual who participates and honored our artistic vision of inclusivity and excellence. Five pillars shape our work and unique process at CMT:
Cast All
Empower Youth
Foster Growth
Produce Success
Celebrate Diversity
Navigating a global pandemic may have changed the way we interact over the past year, but thanks to our vast alumni network, foundations, corporate and government support, and individual donors, there are many accomplishments to celebrate during this time. This report highlights our artistic programs from November 2019 – August 2021 as well as the construction and opening of our new Creative Arts Center – a home which will support the vitality of this organization for years to come.
We gratefully attribute our success throughout the year to the support we receive from our entire CMT community. This includes leadership from our Board of Directors, Campaign Committee, dedicated teaching artists, and the robust and dedicated Team CMT volunteers.
Thank you for helping support CMT and our participants on and off stage!
CMT San Jose trains and educates today’s youth through musical theater to set and achieve high artistic and personal goals, and to inspire them to become exemplary artists, patrons and citizens of tomorrow. With inclusiveness and quality as the two touchstones of CMT’s vision, we remain dedicated to providing the highest possible caliber of musical and theatrical training to children from ages 4 to 20, spanning all abilities. We stand behind our promise never turn a child away, regardless of financial or physical limitations.
“As a parent, CMT provides my family with a unique combination of a highly supporting community along with world class creativity. Both of our children love being part of CMT as they thrive in this imaginative, nurturing environment. They, and us, have made lifelong friends; CMT encourages each and every unique person in an individualistic and caring way, and has an inclusive creative vision – a rare, beautiful gift for us all in the present and for the future.” –Maya Yereslove
“CMT has helped my children to grow and develop their confidence and resilience. As a parent I love being part of the community because of all the connections I have made with amazing people. The other parents are always supportive and friendly, and I have made many new friendships in the years we have been a part of CMT.” –Steve Flowers
Community
CMT serves as both the journey of a lifetime and the premier destination for performers and audiences of all ages. Thanks to its artistic vision and unparalleled leadership, CMT is one of the only youth-centric performing arts organizations consistently recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts for artistic excellence.
Research indicates* that involvement in the arts increases student engagement and encourages consistent attendance. In addition to building social and communication aptitude overall, drama courses and performances have been shown to improve student’s self-esteem as well as confidence in their academic abilities and life skills.
* Study of The Effects of Theatre Education from American Alliance for Theater & Education
“I had the privilege to come back from NYC to share my working theatre knowledge, along with many fellow alumni, to choreograph numbers in their most recent production of West Side Story. More than a masterclass, these young artists get firsthand experience and choreography of working with so many different backgrounds and styles and then getting the chance to share what they’ve learned onstage at the Montgomery. I have been impressed with the theater’s effort to bring talent together in the creation of their shows. It’s the kind of special experience that you can’t find at every theatre.”
–Dennis O’Bannion White Christmas (Broadway)
“CMTSJ is solely responsible for igniting my love for musical theatre. CMT allowed me to be myself fully, and encouraged me to follow that passion into the blessed career that I’ve been fortunate to have since I left. CMT is more than just a place; as weird as it sounds, everyone who walks through those doors knows that CMT is a relationship. It is community, it is family, it is home. I’m confident that CMT shaped the artist that I am today. Art is beautiful and captivating, but it is also hard and messy, just like artists. But CMT is exactly the community to let that artist — and that person — thrive and be fully realized.”
-Aaron J. Albano, Hamilton, National Tour
Diversity
CMT is committed to ensure we create performances and training opportunities for our youth through an equitable lens. With the support of our Diversity Committee, CMT has adopted new guidelines to strengthen our commitment to eliminate racial bias within our organization and to do our part to create a new future based on equality and systemic change. More on EDI.
CMT’s 2021 Summer Series was set entirely under the sea. A highlight of the summer included a beautiful production of Disney’s Moana Jr. featuring our Junior Talents, ages 7 – 10. When CMT chose to produce this title we did so with the intentionality and commitment to tell this story through an authentic voice and led by a team from the AAPI community. From start to finish this production celebrated oceanic cultures. The artistic team included a cultural consultant, Hulu expert, and a vocal director who focused not only on musical notes and harmonies, but also on pronunciation of the Samoan language and cultural aspects of the show. CMT was proud to share this rich culture and history with the CMT community.
Education
Scholarships
Over $15,000 given to 40+ recipients
Student Audience Matinees
• 280+ Patrons
• 4 Groups
Recital/Dance Classes
• 25 Classes
• 709 Participants
• 410 Hours
Creativity
Resilience
Adaptability
As policies within the city changed over the past 18 months, so did CMT’s programming. Always adapting to keep our participants safe, CMT adapted and created a handful of programs to run this past season to help keep our community engaged and inspired.
NEW PROGRAMS
Performance Project:
Eight-week program where students honed their skills in voice, acting, and dance through the process of putting together a final showcase. Participants were divided into two groups depending on grade level and rotated between indoor and outdoor classes to work within Health guidelines.
Club CMT:
A 10-week after school program emulating the CMT camp experience, where kids participated in either a morning or afternoon 3-hour session, learning comprehensive theater training through Voice, Acting, Dance, and special elective classes culminating in a staged performance shared with their families.
Virtual Field Trips:
To continue our outreach with the community, Virtual Field Trips offered schools access to theatrical experiences via ZOOM. Classes joined CMT Education staff on a ZOOM call where they enjoyed an archive viewing of a recent show, a pre-show discussion with a member of the Artistic Staff for that production, and a Q&A with cast members from that production.
Broadway Workshops:
CMT partnered with Artists & Beyond to connect current Broadway performers (Laura Bell Bundy, DeMarius Copes, Ben Bogen, and Adrianna Hicks) with CMT participants. Virtual master classes in dance, vocals, and acting techniques provided opportunities to receive feedback and advice towards honing performer’s skills.
Digital Classes:
As a response to shelter in place, and further guidelines regarding in-person gatherings, CMT adapted all of their education programs for the virtual space. By using Zoom, four sections of dance classes as well as studio classes were held over both the Fall and Winter seasons bringing the arts to families when the families couldn’t come to us.
CMT at the Capital Drive-In:
To provide the community a chance to gather safely for the first time since the Shelter-in-place mandate went into effect, CMT rented a screen at the Capital Drive-in to create a one-of-a-kind experience for the community to come together and watch both Summer Revue performances on the big screen.
Vault Series:
CMT opened the vault for the first time sharing 6 of our archives (Rapunzel, Mary Poppins, Heidi, When You Wish, Pinocchio, & Billy Elliot) with the community via an outdoor viewing in the back lot of the previous CMT Studios.
Productions at the CAC:
This summer (’21) CMT created an outdoor venue seating 200 for three fully produced productions in the round. These productions (Snoopy the Musical, Starlight Express, and American Idiot) brought the community together in person for the first time in over 18 months.
A NEW HOME
This past year, the CMT community was successful in helping us reach our Capital Campaign goal of $2 million to complete the construction of the new CMT Creative Arts Center. Through the hard work of the CMT Board, Staff, Campaign Chairs, and Committee, the CAC was able to open this summer for our three Summer productions and four sessions of Camp CMT, welcoming thousands of people to our new home. With everything under one roof, the CAC has proven to be a tremendous step forward for the CMT community and will continue to support us as we continue to grow.
To learn more about how you can help support our move and new facility, please contact CMT Managing Director Dana Zell at dana@cmtsj.org
Home for the Holidays:
This past winter season, in lieu of our annual black tie Gala at the San Jose Civic, CMT hosted our first ever virtual fundraiser, Home for the Holidays, for our community. This magical night brought current and alumni performers together to create a one-of-a-kind holiday concert, enjoyed coast to coast from the comfort of their own homes.
WHY FUNDRAISE?
Revenues from ticket sales and registrations only cover about 60% of our overall operating budget. The rest is covered through the support from foundations, corporations, and individuals such as yourself.
OPERATING REVENUE:
2017 | $2,659,715
2018 | $2,871,905
2019 | $2,895,775
2020 | $1,088,965
2020 Total Revenue: $1,088,965
Contributed
Earned
Corporate
Individual
Foundation
Government
Contributed Revenue Breakdown
“We give to CMT because the organization is like family to us and many others. The experiences of learning, creating, and performing serve the thousands of children who take part in CMT all their lives. We believe exposing young audiences as well as performers to the arts is important. CMT provides invaluable opportunities to our community.”
– Phil and Katherine Costanza
“It’s incredible to think about the amount of creativity, positivity and pure joy CMT has brought to our family. Show by show we are watching our daughter challenge herself and grow in the safe, professional environment that is the legacy of CMT. We are so grateful for everyone who makes it possible.”
– Julz & Phil Arney