Records indicate that as early as 1736 there was a tavern on the site. Enter a portal of history as you enter the door of this building. The Gelston House looks as buffed and pampered as a big old riverboat steaming up the Connecticut. You will be overwhelmed by the spectacular setting. The Toronto firm Kuwabara, Payne, McKenna, Blumberg Architects, designers of the new Goodman Theatre in Chicago, are the architects on board for Goodspeed.The Gelston House, for those who like their dining experience steeped in tradition, has thankfully returned, having been dark for a while, and is once again a suitable accompaniment for its neighbor, the historic Goodspeed Opera House. The State of Connecticut has already committed at least $7 million in matching funds toward the ambitious project. If all goes well, the new theatre would open "at least three years from now," McMahon said. The sleepy town on the Connecticut River would become an even more important theatre destination than it already is if there is product in all three houses. The new theatre and the idea of a year-round resident theatre community "will also create more economic development" for the city of East Haddam, McMahon said.
Environmental impact studies are complete. Goodspeed's developmental new-works venue in nearby Chester, CT, The Norma Terris Theatre, would also continue to operate.Īlthough the plans are now called "exploratory," a capitalization plan is being put together to be announced within the next few months and architects have been engaged for the project. "There's also the idea of improving the stagehouse area, so technically we can improve our product and have it move on." There is no talk of shutting down the opera house space.
"The whole motivation behind it is that we're selling out we need more seats," said spokesman Dan McMahon. The new theatre would not only have a larger auditorium (allowing more people to see shows), it would have a larger stage house to accommodate Broadway-sized physical productions. Works first staged in the tiny opera house now have to be redesigned and rebuilt if they are to move on. One of the reasons for the new building is to help make new shows ready for moving to commercial runs elsewhere. The new building would also house the staff of the theatre (and possibly its extensive musical theatre library) and complement the Goodspeed season. Goodspeed Musicals is expected to be a three-venue complex in and around East Haddam, CT, in the next few years as the Tony Award-honored musical theatre company explores building a $35 million new theatre.Ī spokesman for Goodspeed Musicals, which gave Annie, Man of La Mancha and Shenandoah early productions before Broadway, told Playbill On-Line the hoped for site of the new 700-seat theatre is a car dealership two doors down from the historic Goodspeed Opera House.
0 kommentar(er)
