Tarrytown Music Hall’s 135th Anniversary is a Lesson in Perseverance - The Hudson Independent Community News -

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What do Miles Davis, Mae West, Taj Mahal, Arlo Guthrie, Norah Jones, Ziggy Marley, BB King, Joan Rivers, Bonnie Raitt, David Crosby and President Theodore Roosevelt have in common? They are the 135-year-old stage of Tarrytown Music Hall, which adds a lot to it.

Unfortunately, after Dweezil Zappa brought his "Hot Rats Live!" to the scene, due to COVID-19 restrictions, the venue with 843 seats unfortunately went black. On March 12, 2020, "+ 1969 Top News" tour Tarrytown, the lifeline of the theater-the theater's leaders, employees and supporters-is busy keeping hope.

Bjorn Olsson, executive director of Tarrytown Music Hall, said: "I think the strongest positive experience in all of these areas is seeing how the sense of community How to treat each other." "In pre-COVID-19 films, in films about fictional pandemics, we would see riots and social collapse, but the facts are quite the opposite. Give you hope."

In a normal year, the concert hall held about 180 performances and received 90,000 customers, including 25,000 school-age children. However, just like countless commercial activities across the country, social evacuation restrictions have severely affected the profitability of concert halls.

Olsen said: "Since March, we have been completely closed to the public, so basically all our income has disappeared."

The concert hall was built by the chocolate maker William Wallace in 1885 and cost about US$50,000. It was originally designed as a multifunctional venue that can host various events such as roller skating championships, horse shows, dance parties and concerts . At that time, Tarrytown and surrounding villages were home to famous families such as the Rockefellers, Goulds and Vanderbilts. They all socialized in the concert hall and even Compete with each other at the popular flower show.

By 1901, the concert hall became one of the first theaters in the country to show silent films. In 1915, local philanthropist Robert Goldblatt leased the theater, and later purchased the theater in 1925. Since then, until the 1970s, the concert hall was mainly operated as a cinema.

"Unfortunately, we don't have all the previous records of the theater. What we know is that after the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918, it was the largest theater construction boom in history." The inspiring Olsen said, adding that Ge Debrat ran the concert hall during that creepy period, when President Woodrow Wilson and other dignitaries were speaking at the venue

Olsen added: "Most of the legendary juggling/cinema theaters we still cherish today were built in the 1920s and 1930s."

No stranger to the stage, Olsen started his professional career in the choir of the Gothenburg Opera House in Sweden before turning to musical performances. The most memorable memory in his drama career is singing the role of Raoul

, He created in four works and multiple languages.

How Olson found his way to Tarrytown is an accidental story. In 2001, during a tour of European musical theatres, he met the performer, singer and dancer Karina Ringeisen. Two years later, the couple returned to Karina's hometown of Tarrytown, where Ringeisen's parents Helen and Berthold worked and lived .

Dr. Ringeisen taught at Hackley School and later taught humanities and modern language courses at Marymount College. When the latter closed in 2007, he retired as an honorary professor. Helen, a well-trained concert pianist, teaches students locally.

Karina Ringeisen said: “In the mid-1970s, Berthold found a dilapidated Victorian building on Prospect Avenue and convinced his wife to open Tarrytown (Tarrytown) first music and dance school Mozartina Musical Art Conservatory (Mozartina Musical Art Conservatory). "Leaves in 2007. "Together they renovated the main building and the old carriage house. The school is still open and Helen is still teaching piano."

One of Ringeisen's favorite activities is watching movies-their favorite venue is the Music Hall. But by the mid-1970s, the number of single-screen movie theaters had surpassed multiple ones. The concert hall quickly fell into a terrible state of poor management and disrepair. Tarrytown has plans to demolish it, just as when Joni Mitchell sang in "Big Yellow Taxi", they wanted to pave the paradise, but actually "open the parking lot." .

Ringeisens, a friend of the non-profit organization Mozartina Academy of Music and Art, felt that the concert hall was too special and important for the community. They dreamed of saving this doomed venue. They have a major problem: no funds.

The couple had little choice, approaching a banker in Tarrytown, Karina Ringeisen said it was easy to compare him

. Byelick agreed to mortgage the couple to save the theater, but in order to obtain a loan, they had to use their home, business and life savings as collateral. If the concert hall fails, they will lose everything.

Therefore, a few weeks before the plan to smash the wrecking ball into this historic theater, the concert hall was rescued by a group of like-minded people who had no experience in running venues. What they have done is a true love for the concert hall, which is very appropriate since the deed was transferred to the Friends of the Mozzatina School of Music on Valentine's Day in 1980.

"I basically grew up in a concert hall and saw things like

with

Same as opera

"Karina (Karina) said, he also watched Wynton Marsalis and Bruce Springstein and other musicians perform.

"I slept on the floor after the performance, and my parents kept cleaning until late at night," recalled Karina, who was the manager of the concert hall today. "I still remember waking up every morning (in bed), wondering if the concert hall would fail and we would lose our home. We approached several times."

When Ringeisens took over the concert hall in 1980, they also inherited several years of tax arrears and deferred maintenance costs. To make matters worse, the building has no electricity or heat. When it rained, the dilapidated roof hardly prevented water from entering the theater. Soon, the couple received funding for the new roof and took the necessary steps to place the site on a national historic site.

Karina said: "They didn't have cash, so they stood by and did most of the work themselves-from floor polishing and painting to approving writing and event arrangements." "For the next 23 years, they took on the basis of voluntary service. All administrative, facility management, marketing and custody responsibilities, while taking into account full-time work and the needs of raising young children."

When Karina and Olsson lived in Tarrytown in 2003, they also stood by and began to help the altruistic family business. At that time, as the first full-time employees of the venue, they were paid very little.

Olsen recalled: “As most actors, I like the historic theater and I immediately participated in it as a volunteer, cleaning up after the performance and welcome activities.”

When Karina and Olsson began their respective tenures in the concert hall, the annual operating budget was only $130,000. This is partly due to the concert hall’s business model, which rents out the venue to promoters, such as Mark Morganelli of Jazz Forum Arts in Tarrytown, Olsen said: "There is an excellent jazz club on the street now."

In order to expand the influence of the concert hall, Olsen said that he and his wife finally “put their energy” and began to collaborate with Steve Lurie, the founder and president of Music Without Borders (Steve Lurie) to show and Promotion program. This move brings significant financial risks, but provides more control over programming.

Olsen said: "Today, in terms of attracting talent, we have become a concert venue that has attracted worldwide attention," Olsen said. He added that the budget of the concert hall has grown exponentially over the years and is still managed by The Friends of Mozartina School of Music and Arts.

"Working with Steve Lurie, who has no borders in music, and many wonderful friends, volunteers, donors, members and patrons, the budget of the concert hall exceeds $4 million," Karina said. "Today (before COVID-19), it is one of the busiest theaters, cultural destinations and economic engines in the region."

In 2014, an exterior restoration project costing 1.5 million dollars was completed, which involved foundations, doors, windows, roofs and drainage systems. Although these vital efforts will ensure the safety of buildings in the next 100 years, Karina said that more needs to be done.

She said: "We are raising funds for a master plan (approximately $75,000) and then doing intensive internal and external repairs." "Now, the interesting and exciting part is happening. The dream comes true. The best is yet to come. Behind."

When asked about the best performances in these years, Olsen said that certain artists did attract his attention, such as Rufus Wainwright, Pete Seeger, Brandi Carlile (Brandi Carlile), Lea Salonga (Lea Salonga) and Mandy Patinkin (Mandy Patinkin). But he added that there are many other unforgettable nights.

"The last two concerts with the Levon Helm band were the last concerts before his death. They were fantastic," Olsen reflects. "And every performance with the Mavericks is a party not to be missed."

In mid-December, the first round of COVID-19 vaccine was deployed to Americans, including residents of River Town. This is gratifying news and heralds the possibility of live performances in 2021.

"We don't know yet what our first reopening performance was. We have basically been pushing the booking in front of us, and it is still the case," he said. "With good news about the rapid development of vaccine development, we hope to see some'distance' performances next summer, and the main performances in the fall are back. We can't wait."

When the concert hall reopened, Olsen assured visitors, employees, volunteers and artists that it would be a safe environment. Like many companies, he hopes that new "industry standards" will emerge.

In addition to the recent films shot at the venue, the only income the concert hall has received since its closure has been through the Concert Hall Academy (in collaboration with theatre educator Peter Royston). The motto of the academy is "Art for Life" and it provides young people with an art home where they can learn from theatre professionals and community members.

Olsson and his team also organized a popular "Tune-in and Take-out-Night-In" virtual concert series together with the Conservatory, encouraging people to order food from their favorite restaurants and watch live performances. Due to the success of the program, the concert hall is currently seeking 52 "angel" sponsors to support the Wednesday night performances in the 2021 calendar year.

Olsen said: "With the increase in streaming media capacity, we will continue to regard it as an indispensable part of live events, including both the "new artist series" and an additional function for certain live events." The financial support provided by the cherished community is excellent.

“It’s surprising to us that so many people are willing to support us when so many other urgent needs seem to be overwhelmed. Many people also realize that in order to make our main street area flourish again, all of our first-class Both the restaurant and the shop must survive, and the concert hall must survive." "There is only one customer, and his only income is social security. After enjoying a streaming program, he managed to save $50, which is ours Sent to us. These gifts are really moving and show people the emotions that a beautiful old theater and art magic can inspire."

Olson said that the future is still uncertain. The 135-year history of the concert hall, including its ability to survive the pandemic, the Great Depression and the Great Depression, and other obstacles, have provided us with inspiration.

"The concert hall is older than most survivors. Entering the building, you will only feel the memories and experiences of generations of customers echoing on its historic walls." Olsen said. "So many theaters have disappeared. Only about 6% of the surviving theaters were built before 1900, and we are even fifteen years older than the latter. Like their main street theater, there is almost nothing Things are part of the collective memory of the town, and with the continued support of our community, we plan to exist for at least 135 years."

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