Bristol theater creating ‘a buzz’
Renovated Rockwell has drawn thousands of patrons of all ages
It’s a theater that might just have something for a lot of people, if not everyone.
And so far, the Downtown Live at the Rockwell Theater is creating a buzz in downtown Bristol.
The newly renovated 100-yearold theater is located inside the Bristol Arts and Innovation Magnet School and it has entertained more than 17,000 patrons since it opened in September.
The theater has booked talent from a wide range of entertainment for the coming months.
On Jan. 20, for example, there will be a free community conversation called 1 Degree of Separation which is a comedy show aimed at ending the stigma of mental illness.
The February show is “Animatics” in Concert. There will be two shows in March, including Funny Women of a Certain Age, a comedy show, will be on stage on March 9 and The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System, a musical adaptation, will be there on March 20. The Drifters will be performing on April 20.
“We are excited for what the year is going to bring,” said Arianna Therriault, the City Arts & Culture supervisor.
“We have something for adults, very young children or older generations. We are getting a feel for what Bristol and the surrounding areas want to see,” Therriault said.
Following the pandemic, several businesses were shut down in the downtown and the Rockwell has been a positive in the rebuild.
“We’ve had a lot of positive feedback and there’s a buzz going on that something is going on in downtown Bristol,” Therriault said. “We are trying to drive business and keep business down here.”
The Bristol Arts and Innovation Magnet School opened for the 2022-23 school year. Prior
to that, it was Memorial Boulevard Middle School until closing in 2012. The building was initially built in 1923 as Bristol High School and used for that until 1967.
“The theater and school have been a decade long process,” said Josh Medeiros, Bristol’s Superintendent of Parks & Recreation Youth and Community Services. “The city debated what to do with the building and a task force and it was decided that a magnet school could be successful.”
Bristol received a state grant and the school opened in the fall of 2022 and the school has made the theater available for community productions on the weekends.
“We want to keep building downtown and the arts culture in Bristol,” Medeiros said.
“The response we’ve had so far has been excellent. We’ve had great attendance and have had thousands of people come through,” Medeiros said. “We are trying to keep the prices down to make it as affordable as possible and bring in some high-caliber names. We hope to become a regional destination over the coming months.”
The theater seats 620 and is over 100 years old. The theater also relies heavily on its seven volunteers and is always seeking more.
Therriault said the theater is working on selling alcohol to add to revenue.
“We are on a dawn for great things for Bristol,” Therriault said. “We haven’t had anything like this here for a long time.”
If interested in volunteering, contact Therriault at 860-5846120 or at Ariannatherriault@ bristolct.gov.