Last week I had the pleasure of attending a performance of Guys and Dolls at the Cohoes Music Hall. (Pulitzer-prize winning local author William Kennedy was in attendance as well, so I was doubly star-struck.) As always, they put on an amazing show, but it may be their last if they don’t find some serious financial support. It turns out that one of their recent productions, Hair, which I absolutely adored, was one of their lowest grossing shows. Combined with a lower subscription count and the departure of a major donor or two, C-R Productions is in danger of shutting down. It would be a great loss to the community – for those of us who love theater, as well as the denizens of Cohoes and Remsen Street, whose recent revitalization is in no small part due to the Cohoes Music Hall.
While those are serious reasons to be concerned, I’m writing this from a traditionally selfish stance – I have never seen a less than impeccable production at the Cohoes Music Hall and I don’t want to see them shut down. Jim and Tony do an amazing job of finding the best talent, both behind the scenes and on center stage. Each and every show is a revelation, and they have consistently put on some of the best productions in the area. Add to this the grand, and sadly diminishing, tradition of a historical theater building, still powered by the sole strength of the human voice and live instruments, and losing it would be a blow to all involved.
The list of shows that have impressed me over the years is a long one ~ The Pirates of Penzance, Cats, Crazy For You, Sunset Boulevard, Cabaret, Hair – and countless others – and I only hope we can help them meet their goal. Please visit their site HERE to donate or purchase tickets. Every little bit helps. At last count, they had about $50,000 of the necessary $75,000, so it’s within grasp, but the deadline is August 15, so we need to act now.
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