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Opera House event marks 25 years of entertainment

Photo by Andrew David Kuczkowski Representing the Bach & Beyond Baroque Music Festival is Fr. Sean Duggan, piano; Bryan Eckenrode, cello; and Brian Walnicki, viola/octave mandolin. The group performed in the “Fredonia on stage — 25 years later” variety show at the 1891 Fredonia Opera House and Performing Arts Center on Sunday.

The 1891 Fredonia Opera House announced Sunday afternoon during its 25th annual variety show that it added to its name, changed its logo and had completed restoration of an iconic piano with the assistance of a donor, who preferred to remain anonymous.

The announcement came during the “Fredonia on Stage – 25 years later” show, which hosted eight acts that varied from music to theater.

The now-named 1891 Fredonia Opera House and Preforming Arts Center’s new logo is like its predecessor, which resembles the top-left quarter of a flower with pedals. The pedals now, however, are rounder and give a modern look.

Rick Davis is the executive director at the opera house and performing arts theater.

“It truly represents what we do here,” Davis said of the name change. “We are not just an opera house; we are not just a movie theatre; we are not just a concert venue.”

The 1891 Fredonia Opera House and Performing Arts Center announced its official name and logo change as well as the restoration of its 1918 Steinway Piano. Pictured is the new logo and name.

The logo was enhanced by Dan Allen, who dubs as the technical director.

Davis, who emceed the show, stated the theater also had finished its restoration of the 1918 Steinway Piano. The piano wasn’t in prime shape and it showed during its last Fredonia High School recital.

In the performance, one of the pedals of the piano broke, emphasizing the need to restore the piano.

“We could never have afforded to do that ourselves,” Davis said of the opera house.

After the recital, however, a donor came up and offered money to fix the piano to what it once was.

In its return debut, 16-year-old Trevor Napoli of Fredonia performed “Fantastie Impromptu” by Frederic Chopin. Napoli was at the recital where the piano almost met its end.

“It is completely different now than it was then,” Napoli said. “Every piano has its own soul, I guess to say, and with the rebuild, you never know what you’re going to get. So, we’re very lucky for it to be a lot better than it was before.”

Davis preferred not to say how expensive the restoration of the piano was.

The variety show’s inaugural show was two days after the theater reopened. Now, 25 years and going strong, Davis sees its history and growth really solidifying its spot in the village of Fredonia.

“There were many (people) in the village 35 years ago, when the restoration started, who said, ‘You shouldn’t even bother to spend the time to restore this theater because there are already too many art centers and theaters in this area,'” Davis recalled. “We don’t need one more theater, but the people that were committed to it had a vision. The vision was to be a cultural gem in downtown Fredonia and I truly think that’s what it has become.”

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