by Shannon Butler
Is it safe to say that we all miss going out to the theater? Whether it’s going to see the latest blockbuster adventure film or that big hit musical, we are all looking forward to the day when we can buy a ticket to some sort of show. Americans have enjoyed the theater since the first one popped up in Philadelphia in 1809 (there were certainly plays being performed before that, but the Walnut Street Theater is the oldest structure meant for just that purpose). Here in Poughkeepsie, we have one of the longest running theaters in the country and the oldest continuously run theater in New York State. The Bardavon 1869 Opera House, once known as the Collingwood Theater, has a long history with some pretty famous performers in attendance.
The Collingwood was originally the idea of Mr. James Collingwood, a Poughkeepsie merchant who made a good deal of wealth in the businesses of coal and lumber. The theater came of age when Poughkeepsie itself was in the process of morphing into a major hub for cultural activities. As most of us know, Poughkeepsie would soon be the home of several industries, as well as some prominent colleges, by the late 1800s. With so many people coming into the area to partake in these successful endeavors, a theater was a must-have in order to become a true metropolis. Collingwood hired architect James Post (though J.A. Wood also comes up as a possible architect) to design a structure that could hold 2,000 spectators. This would have been about 10% of the population of Poughkeepsie at the time. It was said that half a million bricks were used in the construction, which cost Collingwood about $50,000 in total, and the seating was designed in a horseshoe pattern with a balcony and gallery above the main parquet (see illustration on the right). There was also a large dome, located 4 stories above the audience, that was 40 feet wide and rose up another 14 feet (it is now covered by a false dome, but the original construction is still there).
In the early days of the theater, popular shows included the Lyceum Lecture series with speakers like Anna Dickinson (the first woman to give a speech before the United States Congress) and famous writer and humorist Mark Twain. Minstrel shows were also incredibly popular, along with world-class opera singers, Shakespeare plays, and brass bands. In 1903, the theater saw one of the earliest adaptations of The Wizard of Oz (seen right), a musical with lyrics written by the original author L. Frank Baum. John Philip Sousa brought his band to the theater on October 16, 1913. The world’s most famous actress, Sara Bernhardt, graced the stage in 1917 when she played the lead role in La Mort de Cleopatre. (Wondering if she brought her famous coffin with her? It’s worth a Google.)
During the early 20th century, the theater began making the graceful leap into the world of motion pictures while continuing to maintain its live performance endeavors. In 1921, the Collingwood closed for remodeling. The seating was altered from its original layout to its current configuration. It was also updated to allow for more motion picture showings. The name was changed at that point from the Collingwood to the Bardavon (as in Shakespeare, the Bard of Avon). By 1925, Paramount Pictures leased the theater (until about 1950), and during this time the fabulous Wurlitzer pipe organ was installed. It is one of the few in the country still in use today.
Sadly, by 1975, there was talk of tearing down the theater in order to create a larger parking lot, which concerned many local residents. In 1976, Steve and Julia Dunwell took up the work of making the Bardavon an active performing arts center once more. Because of its history, the building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places (though it should be noted that being on the National Register doesn’t actually save a building from possible demolition). A year later, a not-for-profit group called “The Bardavon 1869 Opera House, Inc.” was founded with the goal of helping to bring the theater back to life! Though the theater is mostly quiet, like all other theaters across the country right now, the lights will come on again, the music will play again, and the applause will come back again.
References:
Collingwood/Bardavon LH Collection 780c Boxes 1, 2, 3
Marquee: The Journal of the Theatre Historical Society, Vol 13: No 2 Second Quarter, 1981
Bardavon Scrapbooks 1973-1983 LH Collection
Images:
01 – Catalog of the Collingwood Opera House season 1898-1899
02 – Postcard showing the century old wall of the Bardavon
03 – Illustration of the original interior of the Collingwood, view from the stage
04 – Illustration of the original seat layout, from the 1883 catalog
05 – Photo of the decorative boxes and friezes at the Bardavon
06 – Programme for The Wizard of Oz at the Collingwood, 1903
07 – Programme for John Philip Sousa at the Collingwood, 1913
