Broadway Diva Bernadette Peters Brings the Curtain Up

Tony Award-winning Broadway star Bernadette Peters and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will be the opening act for the Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts in downtown Worcester, Massachusetts on Friday, March 14^th. Festivities kick off with a Black Tie Soirée reminiscent of The Great Gatsby era honoring members before the concert begins.

Ms. Peters has been nominated seven times for a Tony Award, winning the prize for Best Leading Actress in a Musical in 1986 for Song and Dance and in 1999 for Annie Get Your Gun. While also well-known for her roles on television and the silver screen, she is a Broadway legend and one of an elite group of women who wear the "diva" mantle deservedly. She is a foremost interpreter of the music of Stephen Sondheim and features some of her favorites on her 2005 CD "Sondheim, Etc., Etc. – Live at Carnegie Hall" with highlights from her 1996 solo debut at the venerable site.

The magnificent 2300-seat Hanover PAC is the result of a $31 million renovation and restoration of a former cinema that started out as Grand Theater in 1904, and was renamed the Poli Palace in 1926 when remodeled by legendary theatre architect Thomas W. Lamb into a high-end burlesque house. After the cinema closed in 1998, the building sat dormant until local businessmen Ed Madaus and Paul Demoga formed a nonprofit organization to purchase and develop the historic structure in 2002. When fully operational, the theatre is expected to bring 140,000 patrons and $40 million annually to the City of Worcester.

Executive Director Troy Siebels says there'll be something for everyone during the two-week opening celebration. The slate of performances includes: an Open House on Saturday, March 22, from noon to 5 p.m., free to the public for tours and interactive activities for the family; Hairspray, March 24-25; and Worcester Performing Arts Extravaganza, Thursday, March 27, 7 p.m. Other inaugural season events which are confirmed: David Copperfield, Stomp, Women in Comedy with Loretta Laroche and Friends, Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance, and Jesus Christ, Superstar.

The glass-enclosed, two-story front pavilion of the Hanover provides a two-way window for patrons to look out on Federal Square and to entice passersby into this architectural gem. Once inside, theatregoers will stroll through the historic lobby with its original chandeliers and marble walls, into a "World Class" auditorium, featuring excellent acoustics, unobstructed seats with adequate leg room, and a fully-equipped stage capable of accommodating large-scale touring Broadway musicals. The Worcester Center for the Performing Arts has a mission to establish a cultural district in the downtown area to benefit both the theatre and the city. If all goes as planned, this could be the start of something big.

 

[For list of events and tickets call 877-571-SHOW or www.thehanovertheatre.org]

 

 

Need more Boston Theatre News in your life?
Sign up for all the news on the Summer season, discounts & more...