New Executive Director Michael Gennaro Promises Fresh Visions For Goodspeed Musicals

For nearly fifty years, the artistic direction of East Haddam, Connecticut's famed Goodspeed Opera House, where Broadway-bound musicals like MAN OF LA MACHA, SHENANDOAH and ANNIE were first tried out, was guided by its founding leader Michael Price.

So give Goodspeed Musicals' new executive director, Michael Gennaro, a bit of time before his influence is truly felt.

"My history has been going into organizations that have been financially troubled and turning them around," he tells CT Now. "This is far different and more exciting to me because it's not about that. A lot of things here don't need fixing."

Gennaro's career in running the business end of theatre has taken him from Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre to the Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey, and, most recently, Trinity Repertory Company in Providence.

But, as the son of Broadway choreographer Peter Gennaro, Goodspeed seems like a perfect fit.

"Coming to a place like Goodspeed, where it was all about musical theater is, as corny as it sounds, like coming home."

His father's contribution as choreographer of Goodspeed's 1976 production of ANNIE, and the subsequent Broadway transfer, helped establish a huge gush of royalty money immediately afterwards, and with a $23 million dollar endowment, the company's financial stability seems secure.

Coming into his position with a season already in place, Gennaro's first year consisted primarily of seeing how the organization ran and planning for sustaining its healthy financial status in the future.

The only major issue to handle was that the producers of the Broadway-bound musical, THE HONEYMOONERS, scheduled to have its world premiere at Goodspeed in the fall of 2015, decided instead to go straight to Broadway.

After a bit of scrambling, the musical A WONDERFUL LIFE, based on the classic Frank Capra movie, filled in the slot. The theatre received financial compensation and the well-received A WONDERFUL LIFE, has been playing an extended run that will finish December 6th. THE HONEYMOONERS has yet to announce a definite Broadway opening.

But with the first full season under his directorship announced, Gennaro is tackling the business of establishing a more significant use of Goodspeed Musicals' Norma Terris Theatre in nearby Chester.

"(The Norma Terris Theatre) should not be seen as a second stage but rather where we do other types of work," he says. "It's important to find the bridge between the two theaters."

Part of that plan involves the expansion of relationships with artists and the commissioning of new works in which Goodspeed could nurture and share in rewards.

"We're providing a safe harbor for a lot of young writers, and it's healthy when there's a continuation of that relationship."

Relationships will be nurtured with producers, as well.

"There needs to be a stepping-stone for commercial producers to take things on and we provide that. You have to have a place where you can fail. And that's what makes regional theater great for the commercial world."

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The New Goodspeed Opera House season will begin with ANYTHING GOES (April 8 to June 16), followed by BYE, BYE, BIRDIE (June 24 to Sept. 4) and CHASING RAINBOWS: THE ROAD TO OZ (Sept. 16 to Nov. 24). The Norma Terris Theatre will present THE ROAR OF THE GREASEPAINT - THE SMELL OF THE CROWD (May 20 to June 26) and A SIGN OF THE TIMES (July 29 to Sept. 4). Tickets, subscriptions and information: 860-873-8668 and goodspeed.org.