As the winter weather sets in, Northwestern’s Dolphin Show, the largest student-produced musical in the country, prepares for its 82nd annual performance. Ahead of this year’s show, The Daily took a glimpse into the club’s extensive history by the numbers.
Since its founding in 1939, the show has evolved into something much more than its fundraising roots. The production annually involves over 150 students and fills Cahn Auditorium’s 1,000-plus seats, according to the Dolphin Show’s Director of External Communications Aiden Kaliner.
Learn more about the history and development of the Dolphin Show below.
Throughout the years, the Dolphin Show has staged everything from student-written shows to Tony Award-winning musicals. In this time, six shows have been repeated: “Carousel,” “Evita,” “Guys and Dolls,” “Gypsy,” “Mame” and “Ragtime.”
The non-profit show funds itself through donations, Associated Student Government funding and the previous years’ ticket sales. This money finances components necessary to put on the show, including equipment, show rights, marketing and rehearsal space.
The McCormick Library of Special Collections and University Archives contains the Dolphin Show’s invoices from its 1976 production of “Guys and Dolls.” The Daily breaks down the winter quarter spending for the show.
The budget for the 1976 show totaled approximately $2,600. This year, the Dolphin Show raised over $10,000 for its staging of “Cinderella” on its Catalyzer page. Performances begin this Friday.
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