Submitted Photo Rick Davis has been the executive director of the Fredonia Opera House since 2006.

The Fredonia Opera House doors have been reopened for almost the last 30 years. In those three decades since its historic renovation, Rick Davis has become the longest tenured executive director the Opera House has had in that position, originally taking over in 2006.

Davis has been at the forefront of a lot of change over the last 17 years, and helped the Opera House thrive during the good times and survive during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Originally from Fulton, Davis lived in Jamestown in the ’80s and ’90s working at the Chautauqua Institution, as he had always been involved in the arts during college. He attended Utica College of Syracuse for public relations, journalism, and marketing, and felt that the Institution gave him a good outlet to combine all of his interests, at least until he needed to start making more money.

“The Institution was a way for me to combine my education with my passion,” said Davis. “So I was there for a few years until student loans kicked in, when I needed to make more money than working for a non-profit allowed.”

Davis then began working at Alltel telephone company in Jamestown, and was moved to Charlotte, N.C. when the Jamestown office closed. Davis would stayed in North Carolina in 2004, until the timing made sense to go back to Chautauqua County.

“I moved back here because my husband had family here,” said Davis. “His mom and my mom were both having health issues at the same time and even job wise, the timing was right to move back to the area and start something new.”

While he originally did freelance work after making his return to Chautauqua County, Davis found the opportunity at the Opera House and took it, becoming the fourth executive director. In those years, Davis said the average events per year has increased by a third of what it used to be, as they are now up to 153 per year. These events include satellite programming from the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, known as Live at the Met, which was a contract during Davis’ tenure, live music, including a variety like classical, folk, and tribute bands, movies that are shown almost every weekend, live theater, and much more. The satellite they use to broadcast Live from the Met also allows them to broadcast programming from all over, which a few years ago included a Monty Python reunion tour performed in London and Broadway shows like Newsies, Kinky Boots, and 42nd Street.

“Our audiences in Western New York wouldn’t necessarily get to see these things,” said Davis. “We can provide programming that places in Buffalo don’t even have.”

Despite all of this programming, Davis said he is surprised at how many people either don’t know about the programming the Opera House provides, or how many people don’t even know about the Opera House at all. One thing that has helped out with that is the new marquee on the front of the building, which was made possible by the Empire State Development Grant the Village of Fredonia applied for. Davis said the marquee has already served its purpose in the short time it’s been up.

“It was a long time coming and very needed,” said Davis. “We owe a debt of gratitude to the village of Fredonia. It’s making people aware that there is a theater and what’s going on inside it. We got a phone call about a show the day after we turned it on.”

Davis said the biggest struggle he’s encountered during his tenure is funding. The theater is a non profit, which makes funding challenging to begin with, but during the COVID-19 pandemic it became especially poignant. Davis said community members did a much appreciated job of showing their concern during the pandemic and helping to keep the theater functioning well.

“We have wonderful members and supporters who, particularly during the pandemic, were very supportive,” he said. “We would get donation checks from people, including someone donating a large part of their economic stimulus money to us. We’ve had wonderful people in the community who have been supportive since we opened and the support came through during the pandemic. People were concerned we wouldn’t be able to continue and withstand being closed for so long, and they helped out.”

And while the Opera House survived the pandemic, attendance has been slow to return. More people are coming back to the theater, and while it is slow, Davis thinks they’re coming, and in an effort to bring back a broader audience, programming has expanded further, and now includes new things such as the Chautauqua County History Lecture, which will have six presentations this year, each focused on a local topic. This year’s speakers will include Jonathan Weston, who owns Panama Rocks, will be coming to talk about the history and geology of Panama Rocks, a group presenting on the Brotherhood of the New Life Cult that was in Chautauqua County, and Rick Barrum, who published a book filled with letters from a Civil War soldier who lived in Fredonia.

Additionally, the Opera House is also helping students at SUNY Fredonia by giving them a different space to perform their recitals in. These recitals are an hour long and will feature six students performing their pieces. The recitals, the History series, and the other programming are all efforts to help not only an audience return, but a broader one.

“A good chunk of the clientele is senior citizens but the audience has broadened a bit,” said Davis. “We’re really pleased that we have worked to provide something for everybody with the variety of programs we have, and that’s been a very intentional thing so we can attract the broadest audience possible. That is paying off now.”

Going into the future, Davis said two things come to mind in terms of expanding programming and the reach of the Opera House. For one, he’d like to be able to bring bigger names into the Opera House. While the seating capacity being limited to 444 seats creates difficulty in terms of ticket pricing, Davis said the goal is to get names that don’t need as much marketing. The other thing Davis mentioned is the Opera House’s podcast, Notes from the Aisle Seat, which is produced by the Opera House and hosted by Tom Loughlin. The podcast focuses on all the arts in Northern Chautauqua County and includes various stories from people affiliated with the Opera House and beyond. The podcast is biweekly and can be found on the Opera House’s website or anywhere podcasts can be found.

Davis was happiest to express his love of the Opera House, the community around it, and the staff that has been with him on this journey, a few of which have been with the Opera House longer than him.

It’s a wonderful facility for the community, not just because I’m connected to it. If I weren’t connected, I’d be there all the time,” said Davis. “We have wonderful supporters and members who have helped us grow over the years and the community really supports it and it wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for the community. When the Opera House was restored 30 years ago it was done so by citizens in the community. They raised money, provided volunteer work and labor to restore the theater and many of those folks are still connected as supporters. The community continues to support us and for that we’re grateful.”

“I may be the longest serving executive director, but I have the shortest tenure of the three employees. Marsha, our box office/business manager, has been here from the beginning, and Dan, our tech director, has been here 23 years,” Davis said. “Their contributions are invaluable. It takes all three of us to make the theatre operate smoothly.”

In addition to the marquee, the Opera House also has expanded public restrooms in the basement of the building, upgraded heating and air conditioning, and there is an automated external defibrillator in the Village Lobby. The Fredonia Opera House is also available for rent for things like weddings and memorial services.

More information about the Fredonia Opera House, including events and a link to their podcast, can be found on their website https://fredopera.org/