Bardavon 1869 Opera House

I actually performed at the Bardavon in the late 1970s as part of a children's theater group. I remember the stage being enormous, and there was a beautiful marquee out front (I believe it was the original). However, from the picture provided, it seems to have been taken down. Hopefully, it will be restored. Poughkeepsie is a great town for old architecture and the Bardavon was a big part of that.

The late, "great" moviemaker Ed Wood Jr. (of PLAN NINE FROM OUTER SPACE fame) grew up in Poughkeepsie and, as a teen, worked as an usher at the Bardavon.

There is a difference in the address listed above and the address listed on the web site for the Bardavon, the web site lists the address as 35 Market St. Which is the correct address?

Another gem in New York is restored to its original usage.

"There is a difference in the address listed above and the address listed on the web site for the Bardavon, the web site lists the address as 35 Market St. Which is the correct address?" (CharlesVanBibber)
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I have a few Poughkeepsie Journal newspaper ads from 1966 & '67 for the Bardavon's engagement of "The Sound Of Music," and the address given is 35 Market Street. At any rate, it looks like the address has already been corrected at the top of the page.

Marquee restoration photos:
http://www.wagnersign.com/bardavon.html

Another photo of the Bardavon Theater can be seen here.

She really is a grand old hall. I have had the honor of singing on stage a number of times as part of a community choral group formerly associated with the Hudson Valley Philharmonic. Whenever possible, I would steel away and get lost in the catacombs under the stage/auditorium, or up top and back from the loft. I attended the Wurlitzer unveiling some years ago after the restoration of the famed pipe organ.

UPAC up in Kingston, NY is another treasure.

Although I am ever mindful of the need to perserve our historical theatres, I am somewhat amused by the posts here that describe the Bardavon as having an enormous stage and having "catacombs" to get lost in. In the '80's I toured with Broadway bus and truck shows, and played the Bardavon several times. Although these shows are designed to play almost anywhere, and casts and stage scenery were reduced to the barest minimum in order to move in, perform, and move out in a single day, the Bardavon stands out as one of the smallest stages we ever shoe-horned our shows into. The stage was too shallow to permit the actors to crossover inside the building --- we had to re-block several scenes to accommodate this.

Here is an article with some background:
http://tinyurl.com/yhhutq

This is a photo of the Bardavon Opera House.

As the Collingwood Opera House, the Bardavon is listed in the 1897-98 edition of Julius Cahn's Official Theatrical Guide. The seating capacity is given as 1,550. The Mgr. was E.B. Sweet and the theatre was located on the ground floor. It had both gas and electric illumination. The proscenium opening was 40 feet square, and the stage was 32 feet deep. There were 8 members of the house orchestra. Hotels in Poughkeepsie included the Nelson House, the Morgan House and the Troy House. The population was 25,000.

Here is a 2007 photo.

There were a great number of "Opera Houses" in the U.S [for the most part,the latter part] during the 19th Century.
These were usually the entertainment centers of a small city. They were mainly a venue for lectures, which were a major form of entertainment. Mark Twain was a regular "Opera House" attraction in many cities, coast to coast. Imagine hearing his wit,coming from his own lips!
A number of these sites have been converted into movie theatres and in the past 15-20 years,local "Performing Arts Centers."
As a rule, these buildings were quite plain in their interior design and devoid of major architectural embellishments. In many of these,boxes[some real,some faux] flanking the proscenium were the sole adornment.
The Bardavon is a good example of one of these, as is the Mahawie Theatre in Great Barrington, Mass.

This is another photo of the Bardavon Opera House.

my photo from 7/3/06:

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8d601b3127ccec4bdde998ffd00000040O08AbNWzdw0aNwe3nw8/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D480/ry%3D320/

The Bard of Avon would be William Shakespeare. I don't know if there's any connection to the Bardavon, however.

How enlightening.

Confirmed by Wikipedia:

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).

Bob Dylan has used the Bardavon for tour rehearsals as well as rehearsals for his 2006 album Modern Times.

Confirmed by Wikipedia? LOL

Here is a 2007 interior photo:
http://tinyurl.com/5772wp

A photo is about all that I would trust from that site.

In 2003, the Bardavon newsletter stated that the aforementioned mural was commissioned in 1923 and was based on an engraving from "A Midsummer's Night Dream":
http://tinyurl.com/5nmkeq

You must be fascinated with this theater.

Not really, but I am a Shakespeare fan. I was reading Julius Caesar the other day when I saw the posting for the Bardavon, so that made me wonder about the origin of the name. I would be curious to know if it is pronounced with the emphasis on the first syllable or the second A.

One pronunciation is given at this link. Hope that helps.

It does. Thanks for the information.

Here is another photo.

A 1996 view of the Bardavon Theatre in Poughkeepsie.

This is another photo of the Opera House.

Here are some February 2002 photos:
http://tinyurl.com/64up4z

1975 Photo

1981 Photo

Here is a May 2009 photo.