Music theatre majors sell ‘sexy’ calendars to raise money
Each year senior music theatre majors need need to raise money to bring casting directors to Elon. With a class of 30, this year students wanted to bring nine directors to Elon. It costs about $2,000 for each director. In addition to selling merchandise like T-shirts and socks, this year the majors are taking off some clothes to fundraise.
The original idea was for the calendar to have each month be a different theme. “It like transformed to this sexy calendar,” said senior music theatre major Ryan Kanfer. “A calendar where we’re basically naked.”
Kanfer is Mr. December in the Music Theatre Class of 2015 all-male calendar. He said he never thought the calendar would be a method of raising money to bring casting directors to Elon.
Five years ago, the music theatre majors sold a calendar featuring women, Kanfer said.
“I think this men’s thing is so unexpected that it’s selling well or it’s getting these views,” Kanfer said. “Not in a million years did I think we would sell a calendar and actually make profit off of it.”
All of the men were on board with the idea. According to Kanfer, they only took pictures they were comfortable with. “It’s funny, some of the guys were like, can we actually have two extra weeks so we can go to the gym you know, because people want to look good,” he said.
Although the calendar has some more adult content, Kanfer said he has not heard any backlash. He has seen many who have been looking forward to buying the calendar.
“Well I had seen the video on Facebook and I had heard all of the buzz about it so I had already decided to buy it before I even came here,” said junior Rebecca Hurd.
The calendar has also made the general public more aware of the performing arts, according to Kanfer.
As opposed to just making T-shirts, which Kanfer said was a one or two person job, the calendar was more of a team experience.
“It’s also just a cool memory that we can all share,” he said.
Kanfer said the senior music theatre class has raised about $8,000. So far, the calendars have made more than $500 in profits.
