No matter your line of work, everyone at some point dreams of being a performer. Why else would television shows like American Idol, The Voice and an ever-growing list of similar programs be such hits?
The glamour, the notoriety and the fact that it looks like such pure fun are what lures us. And there's also the places one gets to go. Not just the concert halls and incredible performance spaces but the interesting cities, too.
Cities and towns across New England brim with cultural spaces that double as meeting venues, including museums, theaters and music halls that present golden opportunities to meet or have cocktails on the grounds where fascinating art is displayed or where great performers have once stood.
Following are some premier options.
CONNECTICUT
Bushnell Center For the Performing Arts, Hartford
www.bushnell.org
With an annual roster of over 350 events and an annual audience surpassing 300,000, the Bushnell is a major economic driver. The number of annual events and attendance has increased by 50 percent with the opening of a recent addition.
The facility is a unique environment for meetings and events, with numerous halls and theaters available.
The Seaverns Room's hand-carved woodwork and chandeliers create a luxurious setting for receptions. The room contains a baby grand piano and an outdoor terrace. The Autorino Great Hall is a dramatic space enclosed in glass and featuring a chandelier designed by famed glass artist Dale Chihuly. There are two additional meeting suites.
There are also several stages and two theaters that seat 2,800 and 908 guests.
"The Bushnell's variety of event spaces make it ideal for any meeting," says Paige Abrams, director of facility sales. "Whether it's the wood-paneled grandeur of the Seaverns Room, the modern, soaring Autorino Great Hall or our other spaces, each offers an opportunity to create a memorable event."PageBreak
New England Air Museum, Windsor Locks
www.neam.org
Gatherings reach new heights at the New England Air Museum, which boasts three buildings filled with vintage biplanes, airliners, helicopters, fighter jets and military aircraft from World War I and World War II.
Dinners and cocktail receptions can be held in the Main Hangar amid aircraft dating to World War I and the museum's latest acquisition, an F-14B Tomcat, a fighter jet made famous by Tom Cruise in the movie Top Gun.
"The museum is the largest aviation museum in New England, and we've held all kinds of events here, including corporate meetings, fundraisers, holiday parties and more," says Susan R. Orred, director of development and marketing. "Where else can you dine under the wing of a B-29 or next to an F-14 Tomcat? The coolness factor is off the charts!"
MAINE
Portland Symphony/Merrill Auditorium, Portland
www.portlandsymphony.org
A 1,900-seat performing arts space that was originally built in 1912, Merrill Auditorium has set the stage for many famous performers. The list includes John Philip Sousa, George Gershwin, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Vladimir Horowitz, La Scala Grand Opera Company, Jessye Norman, Marilyn Horne, Alvin Ailey, Itzhak Perlman, Van Cliburn and Ray Charles.
In 1997, Merrill Auditorium was completely renovated with improved acoustics, sightlines and stage facilities.
In addition to hosting musicians, Merrill Auditorium serves as a local and statewide cultural hub for dance, benefits and lectures, and strives to provide a variety of programming for the community and the region.
Beyond the fixed-seating theater, the venue has several spaces for functions. There's a rehearsal hall that can host 320 people for a cocktail reception or 150 folks seated. The State of Maine Room at City Hall, which comes already decorated and features a fireplace, can accommodate 175 standing guests or 80 people seated.
Strand Theatre, Rockland
www.rocklandstrand.com
The Strand, located in downtown Rockland on the coast of Maine, offers the unique combination of a fully restored 1920s movie theater—with plenty of character and a sophisticated atmosphere—and state-of-the-art technology needed to host special events.
The Strand Theatre has been entertaining audiences since 1923. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the theater underwent an extensive renovation in 2005, which included new sound and projection equipment, a restored interior and exterior, and a new marquee.
Today, the Strand Theatre is a multiuse venue showcasing film, live musical performances, comedy and other special events.
It is equipped to host a wide variety of meetings, with state-of-the-art projection and sound equipment, wireless connectivity, a full-service box office, a commercial kitchen and many other conveniences. The theater comfortably seats 350 people—92 in the balcony and 258 on the main floor.
"People love the Strand Theatre for both its offerings and its ambience," says Donna Daly, director of the Strand. "Situated in the heart of Rockland, Maine, the Strand provides groups with the opulent environment of a historic movie house combined with the latest in digital event technology."
Massachusetts
Hancock Shaker Village, the Berkshires
www.hancockshakervillage.org
Hancock Shaker Village is a living history museum located on a site that was a Shaker community from 1790 to 1960. The National Historic Landmark sprawls over 750 acres and is home to 18 historic buildings and a visitor center that features exhibits and conference space.
Original Shaker furniture, art, tools, textiles and other artifacts are highlights of the village.
Several meeting spaces are available, including the 1,200-square-foot Leander Community Hall, which seats 80 people; the tent deck, which can host up to 350 for a seated meal; and the Deming Room, an intimate space that can accommodate up to 20 attendees.PageBreak
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston
www.isgm.org
This unique, Venetian-inspired museum features decorative art and a vibrant, innovative venue for contemporary artists, musicians and scholars. Housed in an Old World-style palace with three stories of galleries and a courtyard, the museum's collection includes over 2,500 paintings, sculptures, tapestries, furniture, manuscripts, rare books and decorative arts. The galleries house works by the likes of Titian, Rembrandt, Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli, Manet, Degas, Whistler and Sargent.
There are three key event spaces: the Cafe, the Drawing Room and Calderwood Hall.
Located on the first floor of the museum's new wing and boasting floor-to-ceiling glass walls, the 1,400-square-foot Cafe can accommodate up to 90 guests for a seated dinner or up to 115 for a standing cocktail reception. The adjoining open-air terrace, which is fair-weather only and cannot be tented, can accommodate another 50 standing guests.
Isabella Gardner's private 600-square-foot Drawing Room offers an intimate location for smaller gatherings. The Drawing Room can accommodate up to 25 people for meetings, breakfasts or luncheons, or up to 30 for standing receptions.
The 300-seat Calderwood Hall is another option for group gatherings. The hall features three balcony levels set around a central performance area, and numerous configurations are available for stage-level seating. The hall offers a retractable screen, visual projection and theater-quality lighting.
CityStage, Springfield
www.symphonyhall.com
Located in downtown Springfield, CityStage showcases Off-Broadway musicals and comedies from September through May.
The venue is available for small meetings and gatherings, lectures and film screenings. With its lounge and lobby areas, it's particularly well-suited for pre-or post-show receptions as well.
CityStage is home to the S. Prestley Black Theatre, which contains 479 seats (345 on the first floor, 134 in the balcony) and the Winifred Arms Studio, which features 83 seats.
The CityStage Lounge will hold 134 standing and 67 sitting in its 1,200-square-foot space, and the CityStage Lobby will accommodate 500 standing.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Currier Museum of Art, Manchester.
www.currier.org
The Currier Museum of Art is an internationally renowned art museum featuring European and American paintings, decorative arts, photographs and sculpture.
Exhibits showcase works by Picasso, Monet, O'Keeffe, Wyeth and LeWitt. The museum also has a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house in its collection. The famous architect created the home for a local family, the Zimmermans, and it was eventually left to the Currier.
The Zimmerman House is the only part of the museum not open to events, but groups can arrange to go on one-and-a-half-hour educational tours of the facility—with a guide or on their own.
Elsewhere in the museum there are several spaces available as event venues. During the day, groups can use the 180-seat auditorium, a 22-person boardroom or classrooms for up to 60 people.
At night, the museum's various galleries, an outdoor space and an auditorium that includes a prefunction area are available for events.
"The Currier Museum of Art offers a unique event venue centrally located in downtown Manchester," says Lisa Pavlopoulos, manager of private events at the museum. "Our artistic setting promises groups a dynamic experience they will truly appreciate."
The museum can also arrange for groups to break up their event with unique museum tours, such as the "Introduction to Exploring Art," which is bound to foster attendees' creativity.PageBreak
RHODE ISLAND
Jane Pickens Theater & Event Center, Newport
www.janepickens.com
With a capacity of 500 seats, the Jane Pickens is the largest venue in Newport. A premier movie house that also has hosted artists and filmmakers, and boasts state-of-the art technology, the venue is a fun, unusual setting for groups.
"Groups can utilize this historic building for business presentations or a social gathering followed by a private movie viewing," says Tim Walsh, vice president of sales at Discover Newport. "The theater conveniently offers staging in front of the screen that can be used by speakers or for panel discussions accompanied by PowerPoint presentations.
"It is a versatile building that we are pleased to offer groups as an option in our portfolio of unique Newport venues," Walsh adds.
Veterans Memorial Auditorium, Providence
www.vmari.com
Veterans Memorial Auditorium (VMA) is a historic venue that's not only undergoing major renovations, but management is also reinvigorating its presence in Providence, according to Jim McCarvill, executive director of the Rhode Island Convention Center Authority.
McCarvill says the upgrade comes with a new logo and a new mindset to attract a broader demographic. The renovation will add a structure to the building that will create a new loading dock. It also will add prefunction space and make the building more functional and comfortable. The project will be completed by this fall.
"For someone not looking for a ballroom, the VMA is an auditorium with great acoustics and a sense of place," McCarvill says. "It has a grand hall feel. It's where you'd expect to see a ballet or an orchestra perform. There are murals on the ceiling and trim around the proscenium. It's an elegant space.
"It's also adjacent to the 300-room Renaissance Providence," he adds, "and we can combine with the nearby Providence Convention Center and Dunkin Donuts Center."
The auditorium holds 1,930 people.
VERMONT
Hildene, Manchester
www.hildene.org
Three generations of President Abraham Lincoln's descendants called this house their home for 70 years—most notably Lincoln's only child to make it to adulthood, Robert Lincoln.
In 1905, after serving as ambassador to England and secretary of war for two presidents, and while presiding over the largest manufacturing company in the world as president of the Pullman Company, Robert Lincoln built a 24-room mansion and 15 other buildings and spent as much time at Hildene as he could for the rest of his life. Hildene often worked from his first floor office with a letterpress, the closest thing to a laptop at the turn of the 20th century. The home and gardens are much as they would have been when the family was there from 1905 to 1975.
Meeting attendees can look in the mirror that Abraham Lincoln may have looked in the night he went to Ford's Theatre for the last time, as it is believed he stayed at Hildene that night, or see one of only three of his iconic stovepipe hats in existence. His greatest speech, "The Second Inaugural Address," is also on exhibit.
Visitors can also view the two mountain ranges that flank the valley below from the formal garden or hike on the eight miles of scenic trails.
There's a mix of function space that can host everything from board meetings to cocktail parties. The 4,800-square-foot event tent can accommodate up to 250 for a dinner.
Cocktail parties on the terrace of Lincoln's 24-room Georgian Revival mansion are popular, since the venue overlooks the family's formal garden. Designed by President Lincoln's granddaughter Jessie in 1907, it is the American version of the French parterre and a showcase for flowers from May through September. Tours of the historic home can also be arranged.
For classroom space, the Beckwith Room can seat 50 classroom-style and 80 theater-style. For larger presentations, the tent is suitable for up to 250.
"What makes any visit to Hildene, the Lincoln Family Home, memorable is not only the 24-room mansion and 14 historic buildings, but the almost palpable sense of the Lincoln family and its influential place in American history," says Sheila Burks, private functions director at the venue.
