A Tour Through Our Dramatic History

From Franklin Square Theatre to movie palace to a stage for Broadway’s best, The Hanover Theatre has a lush history that many might not know. In 1904, Ransom Taylor built the Franklin Square Theatre, and it was bought by Sylvester Z. Poli in 1912. He renamed it the Grand Theatre, and later expanded the theatre to become Poli’s Palace. Poli’s Palace, designed by Thomas Lamb, opened in November of 1926 and began presenting vaudeville acts along with silent films and remained open under a few name changes until 1998. In 2000, Edward P. Madaus and Paul J. Demoga bought the shuttered theater and began to restore it with significant financial help from lead donors The Hanover Insurance Group and philanthropist Mary C. DeFeudis. In March 2008, after a long and elaborate restoration, The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts opened its doors to the city of Worcester once again. For those curious about the rich history of The Hanover Theatre, you can now go behind the scenes and learn all about our beloved establishment! We host tours of the theatre on select dates throughout the year. Some highlights of the tour include viewing the beautiful and ornate chandeliers (some of which date back to the mid1920s), standing on a stage that Sarah Bernhardt, Maya Angelou, Aretha Franklin, Ringo Starr and BB King (amongst many others) have performed on and getting an exclusive look behind the curtains and below the stage. This tour is run by our exceptional volunteer docents. “Conducting the tours is an opportunity to bring The Hanover Theatre’s rich history to life. The docent team also explains what goes on behind the scenes to create the magic we see on stage,” notes Marshall Tate. Judith Rothbard-Tate also says, “I love seeing how amazed people are when they discover the inner workings of the theatre, from the stage, lights and flyers to below the stage, dressing rooms and beyond, all that is invisible when they see a show! People are always sharing stories of how the theatre played a role in their lives: coming here to see movies as a kid, first dates with their now-spouses and, for a few visitors, working on the 2008 theatre restoration.” Tour docent John Riccio added, “I enjoy sharing the history and secrets of the theatre, whether I am working as an usher at an event or giving a tour. It is

equally gratifying when people share their own memories

of the theatre, sometimes as far back as their childhood. The theatre continues to bring awe and enjoyment to audiences even after all these years and their memories of today will be the script of tours in the decades to come.”

This is certainly not an experience to miss! Tours are free for subscribers and members, and $10 for all others. Reserve

tickets online.

See page 5 or visit TheHanoverTheatre.org/events for upcoming dates and times of the tours. Learn more about the history of our theatre in our virtual brochure, “From Poli’s Palace to The Hanover Theatre.”