The Bardavon 1869 Opera House (pronounced /ˈbɑrdəvɒn/), in the downtown district of Poughkeepsie, New York, USA, is the oldest continuously-operating theater in New York State. Eponymously built in 1869, it served as a venue for various performing arts, as well as community meetings and celebrations, until 1923; it largely resumed this heritage by becoming a general performing-arts facility in 1976. In the interlude period from 1923 to 1975, it s...
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The Bardavon 1869 Opera House (pronounced /ˈbɑrdəvɒn/), in the downtown district of Poughkeepsie, New York, USA, is the oldest continuously-operating theater in New York State. Eponymously built in 1869, it served as a venue for various performing arts, as well as community meetings and celebrations, until 1923; it largely resumed this heritage by becoming a general performing-arts facility in 1976. In the interlude period from 1923 to 1975, it served as a cinema, although there were some live performances, especially vaudeville, during this period. Originally called the Collingwood Opera House after its owner and operator James Collingwood, the theater featured an unusual two-stage dome. Between 1869 and 1921, many notable figures of the day graced the Bardavon's stage, including Sarah Bernhardt and John Barrymore.
The Bardavon was designed by prominent Poughkeepsie architect J. A. Wood and built by James S. Post, the latter notable for designing or erecting architectural structures...
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