goodspeed opera house east haddam connecticut

Over the years, Goodspeed has been the tryout location for over 20 musicals that eventually opened on Broadway.

After four years, the Opera House reopened and quickly became a premiere place for preserving the legacy of American Musical Theater and incubating the development of new musicals. In 1954, local people formed a non-profit organization called Goodspeed Musicals and set about restoring the iconic structure along the Connecticut River. The actual structure had a long history of use but sadly fell into disrepair through the early 20th Century. From its beginning, it was a place for dramatic and musical theater productions. He also conveniently owned many of the town’s other businesses that catered to visitors.Īn interesting fact about the Goodspeed Opera House was that it never actually hosted any operas. Even though the Opera House seemed to be located in a very remote location in the Connecticut countryside, William Goodspeed intended it as a tourist destination.

William Goodspeed built his mansard roofed Opera House in the Second Empire style along the Connecticut River in the town of East Haddam, Connecticut, to attract tourists in 1867. It took me 45 years, but I finally made it there, and the experience was nothing less than amazing. At that time, I thought that a road trip to see a performance at the Opera House would be an incredible experience. My curiosity was piqued, so I researched the Opera House and found incredibly scenic photographs of an iconic four-story mid-1800s structure standing majestically along the Connecticut River.

Part of the lure of the show was that it first premiered at a small theater called the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Connecticut, where it was panned by local critics. Back in 1977, I had the opportunity to see the famous musical theater production, Annie, soon after it opened on Broadway.

Goodspeed opera house east haddam connecticut