MusicalFare Theatre introduces renovation plan, new initiatives
MusicalFare Theatre is at the brink of a major expansion and renovation project.

Plans for a portion of MusicalFare Theatre's proposed expansion and renovation project include remodeled dressing rooms and the addition of a green room and costume and laundry facilities.

The $190,000 plan announced on April 3 includes the construction of a new set shop more than twice the size of the current shop, a remodeled dressing room area, and the addition of a green room, a costume/laundry room and backstage showers.

The lobby and other portions of the theater were renovated in 2001.

"We sort of took care of the front side of the house - the audience. Now we're working on the back side," said Randall Kramer, artistic and executive director of MusicalFare, an independently operated theater located on the campus of Daemen College.

He said the facilities will fully meet all Actors' Equity Association standards once the project is complete.

Loraine O'Donnell, who has acted in various MusicalFare productions since the early 1990s, said the planned renovations show Kramer's dedication to the actors who perform at the theater.

Randall Kramer, artistic and executive director of MusicalFare Theatre, announces new theater initiatives, including a renovation project, at a press conference on April 3.

"He really cares about our comfort. We're professional actors, and he treats us that way," she said.

The current dressing room accommodations can be challenging for actors in musicals with large casts, as with the recent performance of "Sweeney Todd," she said.

O'Donnell will play "concert Judy" in the upcoming production of "Beyond the Rainbow," a musical about the life of Judy Garland, from April 23 to May 25. O'Donnell will sing most of the numbers as Judy performing at Carnegie Hall. Michele Roberts will play the younger Judy.

Plans for the expansion have been submitted to the Amherst Town Board for approval. Kramer said he expects the building to begin in the spring and be completed before the start of the 2008-09 season in September.

"The reality of it is it needs to be done by then. We can't produce five musicals with the backstage in flux," he said.

MusicalFare has received a $75,000 grant from the John R. Oishei Foundation, $50,000 in support from the New York State Council on the Arts, $25,000 from M&T Bank and an anonymous $10,000 individual donation.

"We're cautiously optimistic that we'll be able to raise all of that ($190,000)," he said.

The renovation is part of the theater's attempt to increase revenue, said Kramer. The new accommodations will make the facility more appealing and efficient.

During the season, it hosts six shows per week. The theater, which seats 136, is an intimate size that audiences enjoy. However, only a limited number of tickets can be available.

In addition to the renovation, MusicalFare also plans to share the employ of a development director devoted to raising funds with Shakespeare in Delaware Park.

Kramer said they are also working on MusicalFare branding to raise awareness about what is offered. The theater has about 20,000 attendees per year and 1,800 subscribers.

"As successful as we think we are, there's a lot of people who don't know who we are," he said.

Another aspect of Kramer's vision is to increase the theater's impact by encouraging other theaters to perform world premiere musicals from MusicalFare. During the last season, "Victory: The Father Baker Story"

premiered at MusicalFare. Next season the world premieres of "Jamestown Gals: The Music of Lucille Ball and Peggy Lee" and "Bada Bing! Bada Boom!" will be produced.

Kramer said he plans to travel and pitch shows elsewhere to increase recognition of the theater. "That's part of our initiative - to set up a pipeline. It makes for a very healthy theater if the work you're doing is being done by other places," he said. "I want that to become something that is expected when we do a show."

Kramer said the theater holds world and regional premieres as well as reworked classical musicals.

"The idea is when you come here, you're seeing something new," he said.

The theater has its own niche in the community.

"We do smaller shows that if we weren't here might not be performed here," he said. All actors are professional, and there are six full-time staff members and about 50 part-time employees.

The new initiatives are the result of strategic research that began in January 2007, said Kramer. He said the theater must be "constantly tweaking" to stay relevant.

"I'm really proud to work for them. Not only do they do consistent good work, but they have a really good business plan," said O'Donnell about Musical- Fare. She said the plans for expansion are a sign that the theater is healthy.

MusicalFare is also offering a special discount for Studio Arena subscribers. They will be able to receive subscription packages at the renewal rate of current MusicalFare subscribers, the lowest rate offered, said Kramer. The offer is available through June 1.

When Studio Arena closed its season early

in February, the theaters in the Buffalo Theater Alliance allowed people to exchange Studio Arena tickets for shows at other locations. MusicalFare has offered them that opportunity as well as the discounted subscription rate.

"We want to make sure that those patrons didn't feel like the theater community was letting them down," he said. "It's a great way to get them to see something else. And who knows, maybe they'll want to come back." For more information, visit www.musicalfare. com.