Academy of Music

Sarah Bernhardt slept here (in her coffin, no less). Harry Houdini had a trapdoor cut into the stage here to allow him to perform his amazing disappearing act here. Mae West bared all here (literally, according to some).

"Here," of course, is The Academy of Music Theatre. It's a special place, one with a long tradition of presenting local and international talent, both live onstage and on-screen.

The Academy of Music began as the dream of businessman Edward H. R. Lyman (1819-1899). Lyman was a Northampton native, and although he spent much of his adult life in New York City, he never lost his fondness for the town where he grew up, and he returned to Western Massachusetts after his retirement from his lucrative importing business. He purchased a property on Fort Hill Road and improved it into "a sumptuous home covering some 17 acres and including an 18-room main house, a gardener's cottage, a laundry, and garages." Lyman considered himself a "trustee" for his hometown, and he decided that one of the things he should do for the city was ensure that it had a place "suitable for lectures, concerts, opera, and the drama for the public good."

To accomplish that lofty goal, he purchased a choice property on the corner of Main and New South Streets and hired the architect William Brocklesby of Hartford to design and oversee construction of a new theatre. Work began in 1889, and the two-story theatre, complete with a Renaissance-style façade and what was then a state-of-the-art performance space, was finished in 1890.

The Academy of Music Theatre made its public debut on May 23, 1891, opening officially with a "Grand Inauguration Concert" that featured four soloists and the Boston Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Smith College professor B. C. Blodgett. The Daily Hampshire Gazette reported that the event was a "notable one for Northampton, marking the beginning of a new era in musical and dramatic attractions."

In November 1892, Lyman made a true gift of the theatre, transferring ownership of it to the City of Northampton, making it the first municipally owned theatre in the country.

When the Academy of Music opened, it was one of the best equipped theatres in the U.S., and it quickly became a favorite stop on the tours of leading troupes and big-name performers.

Many great performers have graced the stage at the Academy in addition to Sarah Bernhardt, Mae West, and Harry Houdini, including Ethel Barrymore, Lillian Gish, Boris Karloff, Basil Rathbone, John Philip Sousa, Jeannette MacDonald, George M. Cohan, and Ruth Gordon. From 1912 to 1919 the Academy was the home of the Northampton Players, a municipally supported theatre company that changed its live offerings every week and was paid for out of a line item in the city budget. William Powell, who went on to star in the Thin Man films was one of the most well known Northampton Players. The trap door that was cut in the stage for Harry Houdini’s disappearing act is still there, and the Tiffany windows in the Lobby were a gift from Mr. Tiffany to Mr. Lyman.

After a period of decline in the 1950’s and 1960’s the theatre was condemned, but was revived in 1971 by Managing Director Duane Robinson, who organized an effort to get the theatre back in shape. Days after he took the reins, the stage was condemned. Undaunted, Robinson spearheaded a renovation that saw the stage rebuilt and the building brought back up to code. The theatre began programming a mix of first run films and live theatrical events and quickly became a favorite spot for local moviegoers.

Over the past twenty years the Academy has become the home to the Northampton Arts Council’s 4 Sundays in February series, the Pioneer Valley Ballet, the Commonwealth Opera, the Young at Heart Chorus, the Northampton Film Festival, and to the many events of the Massachusetts International Festival of the Arts.

The Academy of Music is one of the historical, architectural, and cultural treasures of Northampton and the entire the Pioneer Valley. It remains true to Edward Lyman's original dream, and it has brought that vision forward to the 21st century, continuing in its mission to enrich greater Northampton's quality of life.

As we begin 2007, the Academy is entering a new period of transition and it will need the support of the entire community keep that dream alive, to maintain and upgrade its facilities, and to continue serving as an important cultural center. We appreciate the generous donations of the many individuals, businesses and educational institutions who have supported the Academy of Music through the years, and we hope you will continue to provide the support the theater needs to remain a jewel of the arts for the Northampton and the Pioneer Valley for many years to come.