In another true sign larger entertainment venues are finally awakening from a long slumber forced by a global pandemic, Bearsville Theater hosted its first concert with an in-person audience May 21 and Bearsville Center plans many long-overdue upgrades.
Hudson Valley One caught up with complex owner Lizzie Vann, who was busy helping with and overseeing preparations for opening night with The Restless Age, a Hudson Valley-based band whose members have backed Amy Helm, Donald Fagen, John Sebastian and Graham Nash and were Kate Pierson’s touring band.
“Did you know we’ve been closed since 2018? Can you believe that,” said Vann as she was looking over the merchandise table in the lobby of the painstakingly renovated Bearsville Theater.
In 2019, Vann purchased the property, which includes the theater, Todd Rungren’s former Utopia Studios, the Little Bear and the Bear Cantina restaurants and the Peterson house.
Much of the property had fallen into disrepair after years of neglect by the former owners.
Vann, the founder of the Organix baby food brand in England, has invested millions into rescuing the theater and other buildings from rot caused by leaking roofs and pipes that froze and burst when the electricity was disconnected.
Renovations began in earnest and by April 2020, Vann and her staff were ready to show off the progress with an open house. Then the COVID-19 pandemic shut down all indoor venues.
A handful of live-streamed shows originated from the theater in the last year and Bearsville Center hosted a series of weekend concerts in the lawn next to the theater, but the interior has been largely closed to the public since before Vann purchased the property. The complex has gradually come back to life with the reopening of a renovated Little Bear and more recently the Bear Cantina taking the place of the former Bear Cafe. Offices for the complex have taken over the space formerly occupied by Radio Woodstock WDST-FM. The radio station has moved to a former church on Route 28 in West Hurley.
Vann said exciting things are in store for the former Utopia Soundstage, but she couldn’t divulge any details while negotiations are pending.
With the renovations to the buildings complete, focus is now on making improvements to other parts of the complex, such as lighting expanded parking and resurfacing of existing parking areas, none of which meet town code.
The Woodstock Planning Board held a public hearing May 6 and approved a draft site plan. Some adjoining Wittenberg Road residents expressed concerns about the noise levels and Vann said she will work to address everyone’s concerns. Steps have been taken, including moving the outdoor stage further from the property line and using decibel meters to monitor the music volume.
The Planning Board received around 30 emails and letters in support, the most chairman Peter Cross has seen.
The improvements are pending the approval of the Planning Board and the board will decide on the matter at an upcoming meeting.
Additional parking should eliminate the need for patrons to park along the shoulder of Route 212 on busy nights and new lighting will make it safer to navigate the lot after shows.
In a post-pandemic era, more people will prefer to be outdoors, so plans include the grassy area known as Paul Cypert Park to be open to the public more permanently and be the site of acoustic music and weekend barbecues with a fixed outdoor bar and stage area.
Coming soon to the Peterson House, also home to Nancy’s Artisanal Ice Cream, is the Utopia Cafeand pending town site plan approval will be music in the patio area between the theater and Peterson House.
“We’re trying to now just do acoustic music outside and hoping that that won’t be too disturbing,” said Vann. I think if there was a chance that we would do music outside for longer, then we’d build a bandshell, but I’m not sure.”
Vaccination or testing required for a safe indoor venue
Vann is excited for live music to return to the theater and she wants all concertgoers to be able to have an enjoyable time and be mask-free. To accomplish that, all patrons entering the theater will have their temperature checked and must provide proof of vaccination. Those who haven’t been vaccinated must take a COVID-19 rapid test and have a negative result before entering. The charge for the test is $15.
The point of the charge is not to make money on the test, but to recover the cost, Vann said.
“As long as they’re vaccinated or they’ve taken the test and they’re clear and their temperatures are in the right zone, then we can have up to 250 people,” Vann said.
Initially, tickets sales are light as people adjust to lifting restrictions and venues reopening.
“People are still a little bit hesitant,” Vann said.
“We have some people that say they don’t want to come because other people aren’t wearing masks. And some people are saying they don’t want to come because they don’t want to have to get vaccinated,” she said.
“So, I mean, you can’t win with everyone. I don’t know what we can do about that.”
For more information and a schedule of events, check out bearsvilletheater.com.
Read about the theater COVID-19 protocols at bearsvilletheater.com/covid-protocols.
Join the family! 
