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| photo courtesy of RLO |
The
Lyric Theatre - what's that, you ask? It's Rochester's newest
performance space! Where, you ask? In the innocuous looking, 100-year old Christian
Science Church at the corner of East Avenue and Prince Street. Yes,
the dwindling congregation held its last service there for Easter,
and on Tuesday, it was purchased by the Rochester Lyric Opera (RLO)
for $1.2 million. The Jazz and Fringe Festivals, along with the RLO, will use the space in its current form, and a $6 million
renovation project is planned for early 2016.
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| drawing courtesy of RLO |
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| drawing courtesy of RLO |
The end result will be
a much- needed mid-sized theater, with roughly 900 seats, a
proscenium stage, an orchestra pit, a setting that inspired Eastman's
Kodak Hall, and gorgeous acoustics. Behind that will be a
cabaret/lounge space that can accommodate 150+ people.
The
RLO held a press conference on Wednesday to unveil the building,
which Maggie Brooks described as “a well kept secret” that “took
(her) breath away.” In addition to the press, the RLO folks, and a
representation from the departing congregation, there were the usual
political suspects (minus the mayor), and a lot of people from the
local performing arts community. The excitement was palpable –
there seem to be a lot of groups champing at the bit to use the new
venue.
RLO Managing Director Sue Cotroneo promised the church members
that they would be good stewards of the property for its next 100
years, saying, “if it wasn't going to be a church, it was surely
meant to be a theater.” Her vision is to make the Lyric Theatre the
home not just for the RLO, but for other homeless groups in the
Rochester community. Equally important, it will become a more
intimate venue for presentations of national and international
performers and speakers that are not a good fit for the Auditorium
Theatre's enormous capacity.
I
look forward to this new destination for the arts in Rochester, and
in working with Sue and her management team to make the presentation
portion of the Lyric Theatre's season a reality.
For more information on the theatre and the Rochester Lyric Opera, visit: rochesterlyricopera.org
Congratulations!
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