Governor Pataki pulled the switch to light the theater's vintage 1931 marquee affixed to the opera house's restored circa-1923 facade.

"The Bardavon Opera House is one of the Hudson Valley's leading cultural institutions, as well as the oldest theater in New York State," Governor Pataki says. "It is my hope that the new marquee at the Bardavon will prove to be a beacon of light, attracting thousands of new patrons to this historic landmark.

The $1.4 million project was geared to help restore some of the historic features to the Bardavon, which included the expansion of the lobby and box office complex as well as work on the facade and the marquee.

The state helped support the renovation project with a number of grants provided by the Council on the Arts, the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. Matching funds were provided by the Dutchess County Industrial Development Agency, the Dutchess County government and the City of Poughkeepsie. Along with the government grants, funding was also provided from the Dyson Foundation, the Jane W. Nuhn Charitable Trust and the Kresge Foundation, as well as many other foundations, corporate and individual donors, Bardavon officials note.

Chris Silva, executive director of the Bardavon Opera House, says that the facility, which offers a wide gamut of entertainment productions, including opera, classical music, rock-and-roll, children's programming etc., was open throughout the renovation program.

He added that the not-for-profit owner of the Bardavon Opera House, which accommodates up to 944 patrons per event, will be seeking additional funding to secure further improvements to the facility. While the house dates back to 1869, the Bardavon is attempting to restore the facility to the look it had back in the 1920s and early 1930s.

"The renovations first got started here more than 20 years ago when it was saved from demolition," Silva says. He adds that the facility will need more capital improvements to have the facility give the appearance of an early 20th Century Opera House. In the late 1970s the property was saved from a wrecking ball when there was a move to tear down the opera house to make way for a parking lot.

Through the Bardavon reconstruction project, officials with the Bardavon hope that the historic site will once again resemble the original rendering of architect William J. Beardsley.

Beardsley was a prominent Poughkeepsie resident who designed a number of important buildings here in the early 20th Century, including the Dutchess County Courthouse.

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Pataki Lights Marquee at Renovated Bardavon Opera House

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