Cutting back to move forward

NEWS

The Mummers have devised cost-saving measures to keep their strut going strong on New Year’s Day.

By Amanda L. Snyder

Add Comment | Comments: 1 | Posted Dec. 23, 2009

Elaborate costumes such as these may not be as abundant Jan. 1, as Mummer groups struggle with the loss of City prize money.

Even through hard economic times, the Mummers are committed to putting on a good show.

While area groups have been practicing a few times a week leading up to the big day, many that typically spend thousands on a performance had to find ways to cut back.

“The overall look of the suits are a little less expensive than they normally are,” Fralinger String Band Chairman Steve Coper said, “but Fralinger really focuses on the quality of the music, the energy, performance and presentation.”

When formulating a theme for the 2010 parade after last year’s first-place finish, Fralinger chose the hillbilly route with “Feudin’, Fussin’ and Fightin’” knowing it would not call for such elaborate props, the Downingtown resident said.

“If you want to look like a hillbilly, that’s pretty easy to do and we found it cost effective,” he said.

Fralinger, based at 1901-03 S. Third St., reduced its budget by more than 20 percent, while Avalon String Band, headquartered at 1538-40 S. Second St., cut its scene budget for the cowboy-themed “Prairie Tales” by 25 percent.

Part of the decrease has come from recycling props from years past instead of starting fresh, Avalon Capt. Jack Hee said.

“Our show is still going to be to the level that we’ve had,” Hee said. “We actually have gotten smarter with the props we use every year.”

Avalon also has tried to trim costs where it can, such as phone and cable bills, the Northeast resident added.

“It’s the same thing people are doing in their own households,” he said. “You have to try to save everywhere possible.”

The biggest change for the group was relocating from a rented garage in Fishtown to a free garage in Woodstown, N.J., where it builds props each Sunday.

“It’s been a little bit — not an inconvenience — just a little bit of a challenge for the members to get down to Woodstown,” he said. “Everyone has had to make sacrifices.”

Last year, the City announced budget cuts that included police and cleanup efforts for parades, in addition to prize money for the Mummers. After negotiations, the City agreed to pay $300,000 worth of police and post-parade cleanup, but only if the Mummers shortened the parade length by a few hours.

The City and the Mummers still are negotiating the cost of the Jan. 1 parade, as well as its length, and the City has not committed to putting any money towards it as of press time.

Even if the prize money is not a significant portion of each club’s budget, its absence still hurts.

“It’s putting us a little bit in the hole every year,” South Philly Vikings’ Vice President John DeStefano, who will march in his 37th parade this year, said.

To make ends meet, the fancy brigade at 1815 S. 11th St. will make its own costumes and utilize its members’ trades and skills to alleviate other costs, the resident of Broad and Hartranft streets said of their 25th-anniversary theme, “Apocalypse 2110.”

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