The Show Must Go On! Generating Goodwill at Goodspeed
Rising grandly from the shores of the Connecticut River, the Goodspeed Opera House is a jewel in the crown of the Connecticut arts community. Each year, thousands of people from across the country and around the world travel to East Haddam to visit Goodspeed and enjoy what has been called the only true American art form: musical theater. When keeping the house lights on became difficult for the Opera House, the staff turned to Connecticut Light & Power.
Goodspeed Musicals produces three full-scale musicals during its nine-month season, which runs April through December each year. With dramatic stage lighting and amplified sound, all run by computer systems, a tremendous amount of electricity is required to support each of the season's 275 performances. For decades, Goodspeed had relied upon a 40-year-old backup generator to carry the theater's considerable energy load in the event of a power failure. The old workhorse actually failed on two occasions, hampering performances and creating a safety hazard for both performers and patrons. The situation was stressful, and something had to be done.
When Executive Director Michael Price saw a newspaper article about Connecticut's Public Act 05-01, he thought he may have stumbled upon a solution. Public Act 05-01 provides financial incentives to businesses who invest in distributed energy resources, such as onsite power generation, which reduces reliance and strain on the state's congested energy infrastructure. To find out whether they qualified for such incentives, Goodspeed's development director, Mary Kay Long, contacted their regional CL&P account executives, Jack DiMauro and Joe Heller. Thus began an 11-month process that culminated in the installation of a new, diesel-fired Cummins model 350 DFEG generator, which will help ensure that shows at Goodspeed can indeed go on.
"It was a wonderful partnership," said Long. "Jack and Joe really went above and beyond, working with the state utility commission on our behalf, and leading us through the giant maze of forms and diagrams that went along with this. It was clear that they were committed to making this happen for us."
With the help of DiMauro and Heller, Goodspeed was awarded a grant that paid for half of their $64,000 generator. Goodspeed's facilities department performs weekly power tests to ensure their new generator is in working order. Knowing that the generator is available brings everyone involved a long-awaited peace of mind.
"CL&P has been a true supporter of our organization for years," says Long. Each year, the company sponsors a Goodspeed production.
The Goodspeed Opera House was originally built in 1876 by William Goodspeed to house local businesses and provide a venue for his love of theater. The building served as a central point for the East Haddam community before the structure went into decline in the early part of the twentieth century. After decades of neglect, the state took over the building, gutted its main level and created its own use for the space—a garage for state-owned vehicles. In the late 1950s, upon learning of the state's plan to tear it down, the local community intervened and petitioned the state for permission to preserve the building. In 1959, Goodspeed Musicals was formed with the mission of restoring the Goodspeed Opera House to its original form and rededicating the building to its intended purpose — the preservation and advancement of musical theater. Today, the Goodspeed Opera House boasts international acclaim as the home of American musical theater, and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Not only does the Goodspeed Opera House keep a cultural treasure alive, breathing new life into American musical classics, but it also serves as a huge economic boost for the Connecticut River Valley. In addition to their full-time music department, Goodspeed keeps a large production staff busy year-round, building and painting sets and sewing all of the costumes used in their performances. Patrons from around the state and across the country visit local inns, restaurants, shops and hotels, bringing nearly $18 million in revenue to the area each year. It's no wonder that CL&P has taken a stake in the continued success of this invaluable Connecticut institution.