Big Top Chautauqua faces uncertain future as nonprofit navigates financial shortfall

For 40 years, thousands of visitors have descended on Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua in northern Wisconsin to see shows by the Blue Canvas Orchestra and famous artists that include Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson and Brandi Carlile.

But the next season is likely to look different under the Big Top tent as the nonprofit group that runs the venue grapples with a budget shortfall nearing $1 million.

The nonprofit Ashwabay Alliance oversees operations for Big Top and Mt. Ashwabay in Bayfield. Jackie Moore, the alliance’s interim executive director, said in a press release last week that rising programming costs and declining revenues have strained the organization.

In response, the group intends to sell its year-round event center Backstage in Bayfield and won’t renew a contract with StageNorth, another venue in Washburn. As for Big Top, the nonprofit’s board said budget discussions include plans for a “possible” season next year.

“We have to be honest about what we can afford and thoughtful about where our work matters most to this community,” Moore said in a statement. “These are difficult changes, and there are still decisions ahead of us. We’re working toward a plan we can sustain, and community support is essential to that work.”

Moore didn’t return WPR’s request for comment. The group said it would make decisions based on the cost of putting on shows, expected revenues and support from sponsors.

The announcement has sparked uncertainty and questions for musicians who have dedicated the better part of their lives performing under the blue canvas tent. But Phillip Anich, a founding musician with Big Top’s house band the Blue Canvas Orchestra, expressed hope for the future.

“There’s some big challenges. There’s no question about that. I don’t know the real precise details of it, but I think that the community can come together and start another chapter,” Anich said.

Big Top began 40 years ago in northern Wisconsin

Big Top’s beginnings can be traced back to founders Warren Nelson and Betty Ferris. The two formed the Nelson-Ferris Concert Company, and they wrote shows that included “Souvenir Views” and “Riding the Wind,” the latter of which tells the story of Bayfield and the Apostle Islands.

In the spring of 1985, Anich received a postcard from Nelson, asking him to join their endeavor. At the time, he was pursuing a career in the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

“So I took a month off and I got a condo in Bayfield, and we did ‘Riding the Wind.’ Big Top Chautauqua was started the next year,” Anich said.

In 1989, he began working for Big Top as its first employee and oversaw operations until he retired in 2021. He likened the orchestra’s shows to documentaries produced by American filmmaker Ken Burns. Others drew comparisons to Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion.”

The Blue Canvas Orchestra marked 40 years on Sept. 11 at its last show of the season. Vincent Osborn, a member and musician, said they want to see it continue.

“We believe that there’s a market for it in the Northland, and it will continue to grow and hopefully invite new musicians or younger musicians to join,” Osborn said.

Ashwabay Alliance has been running in the red

In 2022, Big Top and the Mt. Ashwabay Ski and Recreation Area merged to form the Ashwabay Alliance. The nonprofit organization has been operating in the red since 2023, according to the investigative nonprofit newsroom ProPublica. Tax filings show the alliance had a roughly $486,000 shortfall in 2023 that grew to $888,610 as of Sept. 30 last year.

The venue has historically drawn 33,000 visitors each year, but attendance has been declining since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In an open letter last year, the alliance’s former executive director Gary Schalla said shows were averaging a $15,000 loss. In 2024, only 13 of 47 shows made money. At the same time, Mt. Ashwabay suffered a poor winter season during the record-warm winter in 2023-2024.

Schalla, who retired this year, did not return WPR’s request for comment.

Osborn is also president of Local 18 with the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada, which represents 15 members of the Blue Canvas Orchestra. In a contract reached last year, musicians were guaranteed 10 shows at the Big Top tent for the 2027 season. Osborn said the board’s new chair, Scott Griffiths, wants to offer half as many next summer.

“It’s challenging to be asked to accept some changes without having the firm numbers of what’s gone on,” Osborn said. “I think that a lot of the members of the BCO, myself included, would like to know what happened and would like to see some accountability.”

Osborn said Griffiths told him that honoring the agreement may force the alliance into bankruptcy or restructuring.

What’s next for Big Top and Mt. Ashwabay?

In a text message, Griffiths said the board is not scheduling interviews as it continues planning for the coming year.

“We’ll share more once decisions are finalized and we can provide a clear, accurate picture of what’s ahead,” Griffiths said.

Some musicians feel the alliance has placed priority on the ski hill’s operations over Big Top since the merger, but Anich said he grew up skiing at Mt. Ashwabay and praised the expanded outdoor activities that are available at the hill. The alliance said no major changes are planned for winter programs.

While questions remain, Anich and Osborn expressed confidence and support in the board’s new chair. Anich believes the show will go on and that the group’s board can make operations viable at Big Top and Mt. Ashwabay.

“There’s been such an incredible influence on just the musical heart of this whole northern Wisconsin region as a result of Big Top Chautauqua,” Anich said. “I just hope that that element of it can continue.”

In its announcement, the Ashwabay Alliance said community support is needed to sustain programming and ongoing operations. The organization said people can donate online, volunteer, buy season passes at the ski hill or consider sponsoring performances or programs.

Editor’s note: Big Top Chautauqua is a sponsor of WPR.