The theatre is dedicated to developing and presenting new musicals.ĭedicated in 1984, the theatre is named in honor of the actress Norma Terris, star of Jerome Kern’s Show Boat and a patron and trustee of the Goodspeed Opera House during her later years. “… his labors will greatly improve the appearance of the hall.The Norma Terris Theatre is a theatre in Chester, Connecticut, and the second stage of Goodspeed Musicals. He would be painting several new scenes and an elegant drop-curtain. This time he is re-painting the scenery in Barrett Hall in Champaign. Busey's Hall ceiling height necessitated the use of a roll-drop.Ī paragraph in the 20 March 1872 edition of the Champaign County Gazette again mentions scenic artist J.G.

Additional drops might portray various rooms or exteriors such as a wooded area, gardens, or the front of a house.

The number of drops varied from hall to hall, but the minimum would typically be a basic interior and an exterior. It was standard practice to have at least a few basic drops that could be used if an attraction did not carry their own. Neither article gave details on the number of drops or their subjects. Reynolds stands high in his profession and we do not hesitate to recommend him as a first-class scene painter.” (2) “For artistic finish and beauty, these paintings are not surpassed in halls and theaters of much greater pretensions.

The scenic drops were soon completed and the Gazette praised artist J.G. Advertisements will be good for 15 years and read by hundreds of persons every time the hall is occupied.” (1) Following a common practice in opera halls of the time, the main drop-curtain, 12 by 18 feet, would be divided into several “business cards,” 3 feet by 2 feet six inches, that would “be painted in a tasteful manner with appropriate designs. Two short stories in the Champaign County Gazette in January 1872 described the scenery in Busey’s Hall.

Goodspeed opera house seating capacity