Mayo Performing Arts Center Tickets

A History of The Mayo Performing Arts Center and key historical milestones The Mayo Performing Arts Center, a 501(c) (3) nonprofit performing arts organization, presents a wide range of programs that entertain, enrich and educate the diverse population of the region and enhance the economic vitality of Northern New Jersey. The Community Theatre was built in 1937 and was once the crown jewel of Walter Reade’s chain of movie theatres in New Jersey. Its success mirrored the love affair between America and movies during Hollywood’s Golden Age. By the 1980s, however, the Theatre had fallen into disrepair and sat idle and hulking for nearly a decade. Things changed in 1994 when an army of tireless volunteers, armed with a sense of civic pride and limitless elbow grease pulled together and saved the Theatre from its uncertain fate. On September 29, after months of toil, the Theatre reopened as a performing arts center with a gala performance featuring the Kirov Orchestra of Saint Petersburg and Morristown resident and renowned pianist, Alexander Slobodyanik. Many volunteers openly wept as the Theatre’s renaissance finally came to fruition. Now in its 17th season, the Mayo Performing Arts Center has become one of New Jersey’s preeminent arts and cultural organizations and now hosts more than 200 performances to more than 200,000 patrons every year. Most recently, the Theatre completed its four year, $7 million “Setting the Stage” capital campaign, which allowed for major renovations including an orchestra pit, a state of the art fly-rail system, new dressing rooms and central air conditioning, which allows for year round programming. Additionally, the capital campaign led to the completion of the Theatre’s suite of education studios, which allows the Theatre to offer performing arts education classes to both children and adults. The upstairs balcony was renovated in 2011, with new restrooms, Art Gallery space and concessions. In May 2011, the Theatre officially changed its name to Mayo Performing Arts Center, completing a three-year transition. See below for some of the highlights of our 17 year history: Milestones: September 1994: The Community Theatre reopens with a sold out performance by the Kirov Orchestra of St. Petersburg conducted by Valery Gergiev. January 1995: The South Street Theatre Company, a non-profit organization, was formed to purchase and renovate the theatre. June 1996: The South Street Theater Company aka The Community Theatre begins its first full year of operation with a $700,000 operating budget. 1996-1997: Economic impact study, conducted by firm of Zeigler & Lanier, reported that The Community Theatre had an economic impact of $1.5 million. 1997-2000: Capital Campaign is undertaken to create funding for a comprehensive refurbishing and upgrade of the theatre. $7.5 million dollars is raised to completely refurbish the auditorium, lobby areas, restrooms, plaza entrance and a portion of the façade. 2000: Theatre membership numbers 512; number of Community Theatre presentations is 67; total paid attendance is 42,668. Fall 2002: Theatre begins “Afternoons with the Arts” series of performances of New Jersey-based artists, designed to encourage patrons to sample different areas of the arts and promote the many artists living in NJ. Spring 2004: The Community Theatre launches Art Upstairs gallery, a co-initiative with Center for Visual Arts (now Visual Arts Center of New Jersey) to display artwork of New Jersey artists in upstairs lobby. September 29, 2004: The Community Theatre celebrates its 10th anniversary and opens the season with a tribute to the Kirov Orchestra’s memorable 1994 performance. March 2005: Theatre launches two Performing Arts School workshops as a precursor to the launch of an official school in September 2005, which now educates over 280 students in musical theatre and acting. Spring 2005: Artist-in-residency program launched with Grammy Award winning cellist and composer Eugene Friesen on a special program called "CelloMan" designed to introduce and re-enforce musical lessons. Offered free to area schools. May 2005: Theatre membership numbers 750; number of Community Theatre presentations is 98; total paid attendance is 73,733. October 2005: Box office moves to Theatre lobby and other front of house upgrades are made. October 2005: Tony Bennett officially opens the 2005-2006 season and performs to a sold out crowd. Fall 2006: With the assistance of The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the theatre launches a fall performing arts workshop focusing on Drama/Improvisation with a resident artist onsite at the Frelinghuysen School in Morristown, NJ for students of Neighborhood House, a Morris County-based nonprofit organization that provides recreational, educational, cultural and social service programs to underprivileged families in the community with special emphasis on pre-school, school age children and parents. Winter 2006: Economic Impact Study conducted by T.J. Spitznas & Associates during the fiscal year ending in June 2005 reported that The Community Theatre's total economic impact on the County was approximately $6 million. March 2006: Tickets sales for Community Theatre presentations break $2 million barrier for the first time. Spring 2006: The theatre launches two additional 24 week outreach programs at area schools. June 12, 2006: A groundbreaking ceremony attended by over 150 invited guests is held to mark The Community Theatre’s official beginning of the Theatre’s expansion project. Concurrently, the Theatre announces its $7 million Setting the Stage Capital Campaign to finance the project. Three major gift donors were honored at the groundbreaking ceremony: A. Dale Mayo, Chairman, Community Theatre, who pledged a $1 million lead gift; the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, which pledged a $1 million lead gift to support the construction of the loading bay; and the F.M. Kirby Foundation, which pledged a $150,000 1:3 challenge grant which spurred the campaign into action by challenging the Board of Trustees, resulting in more than $1.5 million in pledges collectively. September 2006: The Performing Arts School, temporarily housed at Thomas Jefferson School (it returned to the Theatre in February 2007), expands to include classes Mondays-Wednesdays. The audition-only Performing Arts Company is launched. This group of teens volunteers to perform for local non-profits for free. November 2006: Using a temporary stage as construction continues, The Community Theatre opens its 2006-2007 season with a sold out performance by Michael Feinstein and Linda Eder. The next day, it is followed up by a sold out performance by Whoopi Goldberg. Theatre enhancements include new curtains along the sidewalls to enhance the Theatre’s sound. New pavers honoring the Theatre’s major donors are installed in the Theatre plaza. February 2007: The walls for the new Community Theatre stagehouse reach their maximum height; work continues throughout the winter and spring with a completion targeted for Summer/Fall 2007 Winter 2007: As the 2006-2007 season continues, Theatre subscribers number over 1,300; Theatre membership tops 1,000. May 2007: Total ticket revenue for 2006-2007 season tops $2.5 million. June 2007: The Education Department sponsors first “Music Student of the Month” end-of-season recital. Music students from area schools honored by the Theatre throughout 2006-2007 were invited to perform on stage to the general public June 2007: The Community Theatre announces that its Board of Trustees has voted change the name of the venue to Mayo Center for the Performing Arts, after Bud Mayo, its Board Chairman, for his long service to the Theatre. September 2007 : Liza Minnelli breaks in the newly expanded stagehouse and opens the 2007-2008 season on September 28. Jan-March 2008 : The Capital Campaign hits $6.3 million. The Starlight Room is introduced at a Capital Campaign Reception in January. The Administrative staff moves into new offices in the Pine Street Center in February. February 2008 : M Magazine names the Theatre "Best Place to Hear a Live Concert" in Morris County. March 2008 : The Community Theatre announces first ever summer season. May 2008 : Historian John T. Cunningham publishes an update of Miracle on South Street, a history of the Theatre. June 2008: The Brooklyn Reunion Doo-Wop Show is the first event of the Summer Season. With temperatures hovering around 100 degrees outside, the new air conditioning proves worthwhile! Fifteen summer concerts are schedule between June and August. June 2008: Ticket sales for 2007-2008 season top $3.5 million, a million dollar increase over the previous year. Membership jumps 25% over the previous year. June 2008 : Robert Mulholland is named Chairman of the Board of Trustees, replacing Bud Mayo, whose term expired. August 2008: Alexander Slobodyanik, one of the instrument individuals behind the revival of The Community Theatre, passes away. September 2009: The Starlight Room hosts its first performance, a one man comedy show by Brad Zimmerman October 2008: Aretha Franklin christens the 2008-2009 season. October 2008: The Starlight Room begins use as a reception space for sponsors and members November 2009: Artist Green Room and catering facility is completed on the second floor of the Pine Street Center January 2009: The Theatre honors Alexander Slobodyanik and his wife, Laryssa Krupa, prior to the January 23 performance by Emanuel Ax. February 2009: The Performing Arts Education Studios open on the second floor of the Pine Street Center. July 2009: Performing Arts School begins summer workshops October 2009: 15th Anniversary season officially gets underway with a performance by Linda Eder October 2009: Performing Arts Company represents New Jersey at the Jersey Fall Store in New York City; the Company later performs with Abbamania, Natalie MacMaster and others on stage. November 2009: Former trustee William Marino honored at Starlight Ball; Marvin Hamlisch attends and performs. January 2010: First adult education class -- a cabaret workshop -- is held. February 2010: Theatre donates proceeds of concessions of two concerts to Haiti relief fund. March 2010: Theatre honors Randolph High School student Sarah Wrigley as winner of first ever student art contest -- her artwork appears on the Theatre's program book March 2010: Starlight Room is used as performance space for SpeakEasy, an evening of Long-form storytelling. It will later be used for an opera recital, as well as for tapings of WDHA's "All Mixed Up" May 2010: Theatre announces completion of $7 million Capital Campaign. July 2010: Theatre launches first of four Music Without Borders free summer outdoor concerts, in association with Arts Council of the Morris Area. September 2010: Mandy Patinkin and Patti LuPone perform Opening Night concert for 16th season. September 2010: Construction begins on Upstairs Balcony Renovations, scheduled to be completed in Spring 2011. Renovations include expansion of restroom facilities, atrium lobby and new Art Upstairs Gallery space. November 2010: Theatre joins with Morristown Partnership, Arts Council of the Morris Area and Morris County Alliance for Tourism to hold the "Walking Tour of Windows" holiday window display contest from Thanksgiving through Christmas. December 2010: New Jersey Ballet's 40th Anniversary Nutcracker is performed for 10 performances. February 2011: Mayo Center serves as Region 4 host of New Jersey Poetry Out Loud competition, featuring over a dozen high school students in this national oral poetry recitation contest. April 2011: Upstairs balcony renovations are completed. The new lobby space features a refurbished Art Gallery, additional restrooms and upgraded concessions May 2011: The Community Theatre at Mayo Center for the Performing Arts changes name to Mayo Performing Arts Center and unveils a new logo. May 2011: Ticket sales surpass $6 million. May 2011: According to an Economic Impact Calculator created by Americans for the Arts, MPAC’s impact on the region is $12.5 million.