Fire Damages Mac-Haydn Theatre

The Mac-Haydn Theatre, which since 1969 has been bringing musicals to life in a unique 350-seat theatre-in-the-round, where every seat is less than 30 feet from the stage, suffered damage from a fire this week.

An announcement, which went up on the theatre's website, reads: "JULY 13: ONE OF OUR CAST HOUSES HAS BURNED AND A DOZEN PEOPLE ARE WITHOUT CLOTHING AND PERSONAL ITEMS. CAN YOU HELP WITH EITHER OF THOSE THINGS, OR A DONATION OF $? CHECKS CAN BE SENT TO THE MAC-HAYDN THEATRE, P.O. BOX 204, CHATHAM, NY 12037. CREDIT CARD DONATIONS ARE BEING ACCEPTED AT THE BOX OFFICE AT 518-392-9292. EMAIL MACHAYDNFIRE@GMAIL.COM FOR MORE INFO. THANK YOU!"

The theatre began in a barn on the Columbia County fairgrounds. Now, it is at home on a hill overlooking Chatham, New York, 2 1/2 hours from both New York City and Boston.

Mac-Haydn audiences see new releases, as well as the sterling repertoire of Broadway's Golden Age. Broadway musicals take on a new life with the innovative, distinctive Mac-Haydn style. For more information, visit www.machaydntheatre.org.