Date: Fri 30-Oct-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: SHANNO

Quick Words:

Gateway's-Hodge-Allan-closing

Full Text:

Historic Playhouse Is Closing At The End Of The Year

BY SHANNON HICKS

NEW FAIRFIELD -- After 32 years as a mainstay for high-quality theatre

performances on Route 37, Gateway's Candlewood Playhouse will close on

December 3, 1998, following its final performance of "Holiday Spectacular on

Ice '98."

"In the five years since we took over the theatre, we have yet to turn a

profit," said producer John Hodge. Producers John Hodge and Paul Allan took

over the leadership of the Playhouse from previous producer Rick Belzer in

1993.

"Despite presenting award-winning shows at a great value, the business just

has not grown," Mr Hodge said.

The theatre will present the rest of its season as planned. Four performances

of the indoor, on-ice extravaganza will take place November 30 to December 3.

The Playhouse has always had a strong team of fund-raisers, and special ticket

packages offered by its marketing department have been incentives for local

theatre lovers to visit the theatre repeatedly. However, during the annual

season-announcement breakfast in May, there were stronger indications than

usual that the theatre was in some financial trouble.

While announcing the new summer season at the breakfast meeting, producer John

Hodges was excited at the prospect of another series of musicals at the New

Fairfield theatre. At the same time, he also indicated the theatre was not

going to be able to continue to offer top-notch productions unless the

surrounding communities began supporting the theatre with additional financial

contributions.

"Artistically, the theatre is doing very well," Mr Hodges told those

assembled. Gateway's won seven Connecticut Critics Circle awards last year,

including Outstanding Production of a Musical.

The theatre's new director of fund-raising had some disheartening news,

however.

"Financially the theatre is doing OK," announced Cheryl Reedy. "... but only

OK. Gateway's needs your help. They need your help more than ever before."

For the first four years of the playhouse's management under the Gateway's

banner, tickets sold "at a good clip," Ms Reedy said. The problem in the

latest seasons, she pointed out, was that while crowds were coming in to the

area from New York City, fewer audience members were returning from the

immediate area, which resulted in a noticeable lack of ticket sales.

"Sometimes when you have a really wonderful resource in your backyard, you

begin to take it for granted," Ms Reedy said. People in the New Fairfield

community are not thinking about going to see theatre on a regular basis, she

said. "Our numbers outside the area are growing in leaps and bounds. It's the

local numbers we'd like to see improve."

Russ Dunham of New Fairfield built the theatre in 1964, featuring one of the

largest stages outside of New Haven. A standing-room-only crowd welcomed the

theatre's first production, Bye, Bye Birdie , in 1965.

Originally named the Meadowbrook Playhouse, the theatre was renamed Candlewood

Theatre -- to link it more closely with the Candlewood Lake area -- in 1966.

It became Gateway's Candlewood Playhouse in 1993.

Over the years, such performers as Marlene Dietrich, Betty Grable, Count

Basie, Jack Benny, Bernadette Peters, Ann Miller, Hume Cronyn and Jessica

Tandy have graced the theatre's stage.

Following a number of financial difficulties, the theatre went through a very

troubled period, beginning in 1977 and recurring off and on until the early

1990s. The theatre was actually dark during the 1977 season, before re-opening

for 1978-79. It closed again for a short time during 1982.

Its present producers invested thousands of dollars to turn the theatre into a

state-of-the-art showplace. In recent years, the theatre had experienced

record growth and critical acclaim.

"Last year things finally took off," Mr Hodge said in 1996. Between 1994-95,

the theatre's mailing list jumped from 15,000 to 27,000 people. Renewals were

up by 50 percent and group sales had increased by 102 percent since Mr Hodge

and Mr Allan took over the theatre in 1993.

The producers also introduced some new programming for the theatre building.

In addition to the summer line-up of popular musicals, Mr Hodge and Mr Allan

created New Year's Eve concert extravaganzas, developed a summer children's

theatre schedule, and this year brought back the the Summer Big Band Concert

Series and introduced a Contemporary Band Nights schedule.

Two years ago, the playhouse also began presenting shows on ice. With its own

equipment, the playhouse turned its stage into an indoor skating rink. In

December 1996, Gateway's presented a singing and skating extravaganza called

"Holiday on Ice." The following year, members of the St Petersburg Ice Ballet

company traveled from Russia to present a July series of Swan Lake

performances. In December, it was another singing and skating program,

"Holiday Spectacular on Ice '97."

The theatre has also been noticed by the Connecticut Critics Circle, which

last year announced the presentation of seven of its prestigious awards to

Gateway's for its 1996-97 season. That number was higher than any other

individual theatre in the state.

"[Gateway's] has played an important role in contributing to the quality of

life in New Fairfield," Gov John Rowland wrote in a letter presented to Mr

Hodges in 1996. "...[the Playhouse] has consistently offered high-quality arts

and entertainment to the town of New Fairfield and surrounding communities."