Bardavon 1869 Opera House
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Collingwood Opera House and Office Building | |
|---|---|
| (U.S. National Register of Historic Places) | |
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| Location: | 35 Market Street, Poughkeepsie, New York, USA |
| Coordinates: | |
| Built/Founded: | 1869 |
| Architect: | Wood, J. A. |
| Added to NRHP: | October 20, 1977 |
| Reference #: | 77000939 [1] |
| Governing body: | Private |
The Bardavon 1869 Opera House (IPA pronunciation: [ˡbɑrdɘvɑn]), in the downtown district of Poughkeepsie, New York, is the oldest continuously-operating theater in New York State. Eponymously built in 1869, it served as a venue for various performing arts, as well as community meetings and celebrations, until 1923; it largely resumed this heritage by becoming a general performing-arts facility in 1976.[2] In the interlude period from 1923 to 1975, it served as a cinema, although there were some live performances, especially vaudeville, during this period.[2] Originally called the Collingwood Opera House after its owner and operator James Collingwood, the theater featured an unusual two-stage dome.[3] Between 1869 and 1921, many notable figures of the day graced the Bardavon's stage, including Sarah Bernhardt and John Barrymore.[4]
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[edit] History
The Bardavon was designed by prominent Poughkeepsie architect J. A. Wood and built by James S. Post, the latter notable for designing or erecting architectural structures in the Poughkeepsie central business district and Vassar College.[5] An extensive renovation was undertaken in 1905 and supervised by architect William Beardsley, who also designed the Dutchess County Courthouse and Attica state prison. The theater was not reopened until January 1, 1923, when it was opened under the new name The Bardavon Theater.
At that time, it was bought by Paramount, and in 1928 a Wurlitzer theatre pipe organ was added. It is most likely the theater where cult film director Edward D. Wood, Jr. served as an usher in his youth, although sources don't often specify the Bardavon by name. In 1947, the theater was further modernized and a movie marquee added. The style of the interior after the renovation has been described as neo-classic.
The venue continued as a cinema up until 1975, when massive redevelopment of the downtown area threatened it with demolition. Sitting where it does, it was near-adjacent to the site of the new Civic Center and a proposed arterial highway project. There were plans to raze the building and use the site for a parking lot.[4] Concerned citizens banned together to save the theater and were successful in getting it named to the National Register of Historic Places on August 20, 1977 — and renamed The Bardavon 1869 Opera House. Since then, over US$5 million has been raised and used to partially renovate the Bardavon, which is now in use again as a venue for broad-range performing arts including theater, dance, music, opera, and other genres.
The Bardavon has been the home of the Hudson Valley Philharmonic for over forty years. In one notable 1953 performance, former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt provided the narration for Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf'.[6]
[edit] Name by dates
- Collingwood Opera House: 1869–1921
- Bardavon Theater: 1923–1975
- Bardavon 1869 Opera House: 1976–Present
[edit] Trivia
- The Bardavon can seat up to 944.
- The name Bardavon is taken from an old mural in the building, long since painted over, entitled The Bard of Avon (a reference to William Shakespeare).
- Mark Twain once performed on its stage.
- Those who visited the Bardavon as guests of honor include industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie (to celebrate the laying of the cornerstone of the Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge), as well as former US Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin Delano Roosevelt (both appearing in political rallies at the Bardavon).
[edit] References
- ^ National Register Information System. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service (2006-03-15).
- ^ a b Bardavon 1869 Opera House — Virtual Tour
- ^ About The Bardavon
- ^ a b Bardavon theater's shows go on
- ^ History of Vassar College — 1871–1890
- ^ Hudson Valley Philharmonic: A Brief History
