After a prolonged effort to secure ownership of the theater that hosts the Smithtown Performing Arts Center (SPAC), the playhouse is putting another call to action out to the community.
“Nine months ago, today on September 8, I stood here with all these same people in a plea to our community … to try and save this theater from disappearing together,” said Michael Mucciolo, a 25-year veteran of theatrical productions, including on- and off-Broadway productions.
“It gives me great pleasure to say that we have closed on the building,” added Mucciolo, “and none of that would have been possible without” the support of elected officials, community members and the press.
The board of directors for SPAC stated an ambitious plan to completely revitalize the theater from the inside out. The architectural renderings hope to retain many of the niche stylistic endowments, such as the stained-glass windows while improving the quality and longevity of the center. In fact, the SPAC shares the same interior designer as the Empire State Building and Rockefeller Center, so the preservation of this theater from 1933 certainly seems worth the cost.
Mucciolo also stressed the economic impact the theater draws with each production, theater camp, and comedy show they host. Supervisor Ed Wehrheim thanked Mucciolo and the board for their efforts to save the building from possibly being sold to an unscrupulous developer.
“We, the Smithtown elected officials, have a very aggressive downtown revitalization program in place for the future,” said Wehrheim. “This theater is a mainstay and has to be preserved.”
Wehrheim committed to the group and the town that “We will continue to work with the theater group in every way we can, fiscally, plans for redevelopment, we will be there for them because as goes this theater goes the revitalization of the Smithtown Business District – and we are confident that this will ultimately be a thriving business district, as it should be.”
“The journey isn’t over yet. This building, although converted to a performance and live arts space for entertainment almost 20 years ago, it was never restored,” said Mucciolo. “At this point, much of what exists here hasn’t been touched since the 70s if at all.”
Summarizing the importance of the SPAC, Legislator Rob Trotta (R-Fort Salonga) stated that “this is the heart of Smithtown.”
Trotta cheekily added “I’d like to apologize, in 1972, I dumped some popcorn on some people right there,” as he pointed below the balcony, communicating his close connection to the theater.
“Yes, this will become the jewel of Smithtown,” triumphantly stated Executive Director Barbara Franco. “We are going to support this theater through all the painstaking passages that we are going to go through. We are going to fill this theater, as we fill this town with our wonderful restaurants and business, and we thank them so much for taking this herculean task.”
Outside of the sheer economic impact, a theater has on a community, as seen in villages and business districts across Long Island, the SPAC has other tangible benefits to the community. The programs offered for children build confidence and love of performance, while also accommodating individuals on the spectrum. The inclusive programs offered provide community and friendships to all participants.
The venue also gives ample opportunity for future or new actors, actresses and comedians to test their chops as they develop their craft.
