Live theater is ‘Majestic’

West Side company marks 25 years on stage

By G EORGE L ENKER Special to The Republican

Live music venues come and go, but the best of them seem to stick around. No matter what, it seems there will always be venues for live music somewhere in their local area.

Live theater, however, seems to be in a much more precarious position. While smaller community theater groups survive, primarily because of relatively low overhead costs, larger troupes and theaters have to deal with bigger budgets, sets and actors’ equity.

So the fact that the Majestic Theater in West Springfield has been around since 1997 is quite remarkable.

Danny Eaton, producing director for the theater, said there is a combination of reasons that the Majestic has survived — and even thrived — for so long.

“There are a number of reasons for our survival, I suppose,” Eaton shared. “I would start with the plays that we produce. If I have a mantra, it’s ‘do not waste people’s time.’”

Also, said Eaton, factor in “our ticket prices, which are

Stages

CONTINUES FROM PAGE M11 see Amherst finally get a first rate music venue in The Drake,” he said. “The addition of Bombyx in Florence and the Marigold in Easthampton has been great, too.” very affordable, particularly given the quality of our productions.”

Those new venues mentioned by Olsen have helped fill the gap left by the Iron Horse Entertainment Group’s lack of shows at its venues the Calvin, Pearl Street Night Club and, of course, the longstanding Iron Horse Music Hall, all in Northampton.

(Iron Horse owner Eric Suher could not be reached for comment.)

And, finally, he added, “I would also say that we stress customer service — our box office people are the first customer contacts before we even open the doors.”

Eaton also mentioned that the theater’s café, which opens one hour before any performance, is a somewhat “charming and comfortable space and our customers most every night fully occupy it.”

Eaton recalled that years ago a big New York City consulting firm was hired to survey the health of the arts in the Pioneer Valley. One of the things they discovered was that 80% of the population had never attended a live theater production.

“We’ve managed over the years to bring new people into the theater,” he said. “I’ve also maintained that if we could by hook or crook get 10 new people to come to the theater

There also seems to be greater hope in Springfield, as MGM Springfield looks as though it is booking more shows beyond the tribute bands that have made up much of its calendar recently.

Chris Isaak played the ARIA Ballroom there in November and the Commodores are slated to play in May.

The regional theater scene also took a broadside from COVID. But Danny Eaton, director of the Majestic Theater in West Springfield, said a combination of a loyal fan base, a grant and a loan kept the theater afloat. He is also hoping for a brighter 2023.

“I’m looking forward to continuing to present great stories and rebuilding our

— assuming, of course, a good production — that I’d get eight to come back, and more than that, I’d get five of them to become subscribers. We’ve been able to grow a really dedicated audience base because of that.”

Those subscribers have been the lifeblood of the Majestic over the years. The first major sponsor Eaton had was Ted Hebert. Hebert, of West Springfield, a successful businessman who is founder and president of Teddy Bear Pools, says he “was never a big theater guy.”

“It just didn’t mean that much to me, but then my wife Barb and I heard about this new theater opening up in West Springfield,” he said.

The Heberts decided to check it out, and, although he wasn’t expecting much, he was blown away, Ted Hebert said. He was even more impressed that the actors were in many cases local to Western audience base back to what it was pre-pandemic, with the hope that enough people are vaccinated so that COVID, RSV, the flu will become just very common illnesses with little impact,” he said.

Earlier this month, the Chester Theatre Group, which began back in 1990, announced plans for a four-production season (plus a workshop presentation) that begins in mid-July and runs through August at the Town Hall theater. Most performances will be mask optional but encouraged, according to the announcement. Two performances of each show’s run will require everyone in the audience to be fully masked.

Majestic has endured now for 25 years, and, while the pandemic certainly cast a temporary pall over the future, it has not dampened audiences’ thirst for live theater.

Massachusetts.

After the first show Hebert introduced himself to Eaton and told him he wanted to sponsor the theater. Eaton proceeded to take out a booklet and said ads werenavailable for either $25 or $50 in the program

“I said, ‘No, no no, I want to be your major sponsor,’ but Danny said that they didn’t have that sort of thing. I said, ‘Yes you do. I am now your major sponsor,’” Hebert recalled with a laugh. Majestic has endured now for 25 years, and, while the pandemic certainly cast a tem- porary pall over the future, it has not dampened audiences’ thirst for live theater.

“Of course, we were completely shut down for over a year. Grants kept us financially viable,” Eaton said. “And we’ve been very protective of our audiences with vax requirements and masking, although things are loosening up slowly.”

This season’s debut production of “Mama Mia” recorded sold-out shows.

While Eaton could recall any number of highlights, he mentioned one aspect of his career as a special one.

“I’d say developing and presenting new plays — several of them my own,” he said. “I’ve often mentioned to customers that every play they have ever seen, no matter when or where, was at one time brandnew.”