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A
GRAND CULTURAL CENTER
For
Downeast Maine
The easy answer when someone
asks “What is The Grand?” is to say, well, it’s a theater
that shows both movies and stage performances.
But it’s much more than that…
First, it’s a survivor. The
Grand was born out of the ashes of the great Ellsworth fire
of 1933 when the entire downtown was destroyed. It took
five years, but The Grand opened to great fanfare in 1938.
In the 70 years since it
opened, it’s survived floods, financial peril, almost
devastating neglect of its physical plant and the prospect
of the wrecker’s ball. (See Grand History.)
In its early years, it was a
showcase for the movies that were defining the period—“Gone
With The Wind,” “Bambi,” “The Wizard of Oz” and during World
War II, “God Is My Co-Pilot,” and “Stage Door Canteen.”
The Grand was the sports
arena for Friday Night Boxing during the 1950s and came back
to be a theatrical showcase for national talent like Mahalia
Jackson and Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul and Mary.
In the mid-1970s, with a
physical plant in atrocious condition, men of vision
realized The Grand had its best days ahead of it and made
the necessary repairs and improvements to make it the
incomparable stage production facility it is today.
Today, the Grand still shows
movies, but not just the usual Hollywood blather. Instead, the film fare includes fine art films from all over
the world; exciting sports films that are available in only
limited distribution throughout the
U.S. and the occasional
blockbuster entertainment flick.
In addition, everything from
ballet to operettas to musicals to straight theater trods
the Grand stage. And many, if not most, of these
productions are produced, directed by and performed by local
talent.
The Grand Performing Arts For
Children (PAC) program brings not only the pleasure of
viewing live theater to Downeast school kids, but the
excitement of performing to kids from grade school to high
school age. For a child who’s barely said “hello” to
relatives at family gatherings, learning to deliver lines in
front of an appreciative audience of hundreds is a huge
thrill and learning experience.
The result of having local
talent learn some of the craft of performing on the Grand
stage means The Grand has become an important step up for
many local budding thespians. A young man who started
performing on the Grand stage when he was 10 is currently
the Phantom in the national touring company of Phantom of
the Opera. Another local actor has begun to make his mark on
the Broadway stage with a leading role (and Tony Award
nomination last year) and a break through role forthcoming
this year. A young female singer who 4 years ago was in the
chorus of the local Gilbert & Sullivan troupe is currently
giving concerts, acting in local summer stock and shooting
for a breakthrough onto the Broadway stage
While all this is happening
inside the auditorium, the lobby is a showcase and selling
platform for a multitude of local artists—a place to get
known and sold right here in Ellsworth.
So what is The Grand? It’s
much more than just an auditorium to show entertainment.
It’s a survivor; it’s a showcase; it’s a training ground;
it’s a school; it’s an important financial contributor to
downtown Ellsworth; it’s an invaluable thread in the fabric
of the City of Ellsworth; it is, in fact, the Cultural
Center of Downeast Maine!
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