The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts in

Worcester, Massachusetts Worcester ( , ) is a city and county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, the city's population was 206,518 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the second-List of cities i ...

, United States was originally built in 1904 as the Franklin Square Theatre regularly scheduling burlesque shows,

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

touring shows and headline acts transitioning to showing

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized Sound recording and reproduction, recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) ...

s by 1912 when vaudeville magnate Sylvester Poli purchased the theatre from the estate of Pauline L. Taylor.

History

Opened in 1904, the Franklin Square Theatre was designed in 1902 by the local architectural firm of Cutting, Carleton & Cutting. It was commissioned by Ramsom C. Taylor, a prominent Worcester real estate developer. Upon its sale, Poli remodeled the theatre, renamed it The Grand, and continued to show silent movies. In 1926 he hired renowned theatre designer Thomas W. Lamb, doubled the theatre's

seating capacity Seating capacity is the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, in terms of both the physical space available, and limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that ...

to 3,500 and transformed the building into a palatial showcase, including a two-story lobby with mirrored walls, marbleized columns, an ornate grand staircase, and an immense chandelier in the main auditorium, just in time for the beginning of

sound film A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed before ...

, or the ''talkies'' in 1927. In 1928, Poli sold his theatre holdings to William Fox who then renamed it the

Loew's Loews Cineplex Entertainment, also known as Loews Incorporated, is an American theater chain operating in North America. From 1924 until 1959, it was also the parent company of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios (MGM). The company was originally cal ...

Poli. After another change of ownership,

Sumner Redstone Sumner Murray Redstone ( Rothstein; May 27, 1923 – August 11, 2020) was an American billionaire businessman and media magnate. He was the founder and chairman of the second incarnation of Viacom which was dissolved in 2019 (a year before Redst ...

and Redstone Theaters purchased the building in 1967 opening it as Showcase Cinemas and continued operations as a multiscreen movie house until 1998 when Redstone's National Amusements closed the theatre. In 2002, National Amusements transferred ownership to the non-profit Worcester Center for the Performing Arts, established by Ed Madaus and Paul Demoga. After extensive fundraising efforts and building community support, the theatre opened in March 2008 and was named The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, after one of the theatre's corporate sponsors (

Hanover Insurance The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. is an insurance company based in Worcester, Massachusetts. It was the original name of a property-liability insurance firm established in 1852, and it remained a publicly traded company under that name until the ea ...

) donated much of the seed money to make the opening become a reality. Today, the theatre has

for 2300 patrons, and hosts nationally prominent entertainers, Broadway national touring companies, family touring companies, as well as providing a local outlet for community based artists and organizations. The Franklin Square Salon Gallery, located on the second floor, features art exhibits organized by ArtsWorcester. The theatre, under the name Poli's Palace Theater, was added the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in January 2011. The Hanover Theatre Conservatory for the Performing Arts was added in 2016. The conservatory provides space for education and outreach and provides classrooms for acting and vocal training, and various aspects of theatre production including lighting, costume design, and scenic and prop design. It also provides barres for ballet and movement training.

Gallery

File:Hanover Theatre and Nearby Fountain.png, Main entrance of the theatre and nearby fountain File:Hanover Theatre Interior.png, Interior view of the theatre, viewed from the stage

References

History of The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts

External links

Official websiteExhibits at The Hanover
- ArtsWorcester {{DEFAULTSORT:Hanover Theatre for Concert halls in Massachusetts Buildings and structures in Worcester, Massachusetts Theatres in Massachusetts Performing arts centers in Massachusetts Movie palaces Tourist attractions in Worcester, Massachusetts Loew's Theatres buildings and structures National Register of Historic Places in Worcester, Massachusetts Theatres on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts Thomas W. Lamb buildings Public venues with a theatre organ 1904 establishments in Massachusetts

History

Gallery

See also

References

External links