rise and fall of the Boca "Pops"

The history of the Boca Pops, so named because it performed popular rather than classical music, began in 1951 with a modest municipal band of 20 volunteer musicians who performed at a Christmas tree lighting ceremony at Boca Raton's Sanborn Square. Yearly, the Pops grew in size and popularity, dominating the local cultural scene, and, as success bred success, the Boca Pops grew into a Titanic. By the late 1980s, the Pops had blossomed into a 95-piece professional orchestra with an annual budget of $2.6 million. Obtaining funds from the state, corporations, ticket sales and wealthy social leaders, the Pops seemed to hum along successfully. However, unbeknownst to anyone outside the board room, financial problems surfaced and were left untreated, growing with each passing year. Huge amounts of debt snowballed out of control and ultimately sank the waterlogged organization in 2001.