The stage could go dark - permanently - at the North Shore Music Theatre if the nonprofit fails to raise a total of $4.5 million by spring.

The loss of the theater would be a cultural and economic disaster for the North Shore. Finding a solution will be a challenge that will require the cooperation of leaders from business and the arts.

The crisis requires immediate action.

Slow ticket sales and lower-than-expected donations - a problem across the country — have left the theater unable to cover its operating costs. Fifty-seven full-time employees will be laid off Jan. 11. Even then, $500,000 is needed by the end of January to keep the heat on and a handful of fundraisers at work.

Of the other $4 million needed, about half is necessary to cover payments on debt incurred after a 2005 fire all but destroyed the Dunham Road facility.

Theater leaders, who already trimmed their budget by $1 million heading into the current season, made a plea for the public's help Monday.

"We are confident there are a lot of people out there who love the theater," said David Fellows, chairman of the trustee board. "And we're hopeful they'll come forward."

We're hopeful, too, as the 55-year-old Music Theatre is a vital part of the region's cultural life and a key engine in the North Shore's creative economy.

The theater gives emerging artists a place to develop new works and brings standards such as "42nd Street" to local audiences. It's educational programs bring the arts to tens of thousands of youngsters each year, and its Spotlight Awards highlight the best in local high school musical theater, bringing together teens from across the region for recognition and support they won't find anywhere else.

"Our non-profit cultural organizations belong to the public," said Anita Walker, executive director of the Massachusetts Cultural Council. "It is our collective responsibility to support them, buying tickets, making contributions, volunteering. Institutions like North Shore Music Theater enrich our lives. They enthrall and inspire our children. They contribute to the local economy. They make each community a better place to live."

Let's hope local leaders step forward quickly to help find a solution.