Council approves Park Playhouse to manage music hall
COHOES, N.Y. » Members of the Common Council voted to approve Cohoes Mayor Bill Keeler’s proposed contract to have Park Playhouse assume management of the Cohoes Music Hall.
The contract, which requires no management payments or show support on the part of the City of Cohoes is a departure from previous contracts requiring nearly $300,000 in those expenses.
“This deal puts the music hall on stable footing for years to come by establishing a fiscally sustainable model to bring quality entertainment to Cohoes” Common Council President Bill McCarthy commented.
Park Playhouse has pledged to continue to bring live music, comedy and variety shows to the music hall in addition to their own award-winning stage performances. The Music Hall has been a driving force for economic development in the downtown business district.
“We needed to support the arts as well as our small business owners. That meant taking swift action to install a management company to continue to growth that we’ve seen over the course of the past decade” Council Member Chris Briggs explained.
The Cohoes Music Hall was built in 1874, and after a period as a popular Vaudeville theater went dark for decades. In 1969 the city purchased the building for one dollar and has worked to bring life back to the stage for the next five decades.
“As a teacher at a local high school, I lead the school’s theater program. I care deeply about the arts because I see every day the impact they have on the kids I teach. No one wanted to see the stage at the Cohoes Music Hall lit up more than I did, but the past contracts placed too much burden on the Cohoes taxpayer. I’m thrilled to see a fiscally responsible contract that once again fills the Music Hall” Council Member Adam Biggs added.
The contract approved Tuesday evening goes into effect on Aug. 1 and continues for a period of five years. The contract calls for no monetary payments from the City of Cohoes to Park Playhouse, and for Park Playhouse to pay the City of Cohoes $2.00 for each ticket sold. The city will continue to be responsible for routine maintenance of the building.