Geva Celebrates It's Residency in The Armory Building With a Special Concert Performance

In 1985 Geva relocated from its original home on 168 South Clinton Avenue to the historic Armory Building on the corner of Clinton Avenue and Woodbury Blvd. The move sparked a revitalization of the neighborhood now known as "Corporate Alley." 25 years later, Geva has become a Theatre Center boasting two performance venues and is acclaimed as the most attended regional theatre in New York State outside of Manhattan. On March 15, Geva will celebrate the anniversary of its residency in this Rochester landmark with a special, "one-night-only" event.

On March 15, the original Mainstage cast of Convenience: Melissa Rain Anderson, Ron DeStefano, Mary Jo McConnell, Jim Poulos and Martin Vidnovic, under the direction of Mark Cuddy and musical director Don Kot will reunite for a special concert to celebrate Geva's 25th Anniversary in the historic Armory Building.

When it premiered in the Nextstage at Geva in 2000, audiences fell in love with Gregg Coffin's Convenience. A hugely successful run in the Mainstage followed and Convenience has been delighting audiences across the country ever since.

Convenience is a story about family. A single mom and her estranged 26-year old son have news to break to each other, but neither can find the words - or the courage. Liz (Mary Jo McConnell) worries about telling Vince (Jim Poulos) that she's getting remarried; Vince is afraid of how Liz will react when he tells her that he's gay. During one funny, awkward, touching week, they come to realize what so many families discover: The things they feared would tear them apart end up bringing them closer together.

"When Geva gave birth to the Nextstage world premier of Convenience in 2000, it launched a decade of nationally recognized excellence in developing new work for the stage," said Geva's Artistic Director Mark Cuddy. "What better way to celebrate our landmark home than with this landmark musical. It's an honor that the Mainstage cast of 2002 has enthusiastically agreed to reunite for one night only for this fun celebration!"

For the thousands of patrons who flocked to see Convenience for its 2000 world premiere and its 2002 Mainstage debut, this concert will be a homecoming both for the actors and the audience. The event is also a fabulous taste of what is to come later this season when Geva brings another Gregg Coffin musical, Five Course Love, to the Mainstage.

Tickets for this stellar event will go on sale to the public on February 12th.

Geva Theatre Center is Rochester's leading professional theatre and the most attended regional theatre in New York State. Founded in 1972, Geva attracts over 160,000 patrons annually, including more than 16,000 students. The 552-seat Elaine P. Wilson Mainstage offers a wide variety of shows, from musicals to American and world classics.

The 180-seat Ron & Donna Fielding Nextstage is home to Geva's own series of cutting-edge drama, comedy and musical theatre; Geva Comedy Improv; Geva's New Play Reading Series and the Hornet's Nest - an innovative play-reading series facilitating community-wide discussion on controversial topics. The Nextstage also hosts visiting companies of both local and international renown.

Geva Theatre Center offers a wide variety of educational, outreach and literary programs, nurturing audiences and artists alike. For the past fourteen years the organization has been led by Artistic Director Mark Cuddy.