Page 34 - AAA Every Day – AAA Hudson Valley – September/October 2022

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
A Night at the Theatre
Caroline Innerbichler (Anna) and Caroline Bowman (Elsa) star in “Frozen.”
Growing up in the arts, I was always drawn to performance. Singing and dancing meant more to me than just watching musicals on TV; my dream was to
be Annie on Broadway one day. Fortunately, I grew up in a place that was within driving distance
of New York City, but also very close to
Proctors Theatre, a historic theatre in
Schenectady.
Opened in 1926, this theatre was
originally constructed for vaudeville productions. In 1930 with the help of General Electric, Proctors became the site of the first public demonstration of television. A commemorative plaque can still be found inside the Arcade. Making it through many different eras, including the Great Depression, the golden age of cinema, World War II and the introduction of TV sets to individual homes, Proctors was eventually added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
As a young lady, I was lucky enough
to get to perform there in my annual
dance recital. Not quite Annie, but
it’s OK. In the early 2000s, Proctors
underwent a renovation that expanded
its main stage and made it possible to get some of the biggest touring shows, including my personal favorite, Andrew Llyod Webber’s “Phantom of the Opera.”
Photo by Matthew Murphy / Murphy Made Photography
Some of my most memorable experiences are afternoons and evenings spent immersing myself in big fantastical productions. In recent years, I have been
in the audience for many incredible shows like “Les
Misérables,” Rogers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella,” Disney’s “Newsies” and “Frozen,” “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Beautiful.” “Frozen” actually built its
set and started its tour in Schenectady when it came in 2019; how cool is that?
Proctors continues to uplift and support the arts and world of theatre today. Thankfully, after a brief shutdown because of the pandemic, the theater
is back up and running. After all, the show must go on! Combined with the Capital Repertory Theatre, the company hosts the annual Broadway Series. This season, the Proctors audience will get the chance to see “Hairspray,” “Tootsie,” “Jagged Little Pill,” “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations” and fan-favorite, “Hamilton.” I’m waiting in the wings for Disney’s “Aladdin” which also kicks off its tour here on
Oct. 11, 2022! It’s sure to be filled with phenomenal cosmic powers.
Get a full list of shows and dates for the Broadway Series and more info at Proctors.org.
34 I SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2022
Emily Gnacik is the Editor of AAA Every Day Magazine.