Conn. venue shuttering after 'Holiday' ice perf
Gateway's Candlewood Playhouse snuffed
Producer John Hodge has opted to withdraw from the 600-seat New Fairfield theater following a scheduled Nov. 30-Dec. 3 run of "Holiday Spectacular on Ice '98."
Though it will no longer have a Connecticut venue, Gateway itself will continue to be alive and well on Long Island, where it's based at the Gateway Playhouse in Bellport, a flourishing venue for many years that has been sharing productions with the Candlewood Playhouse. Gateway also mounts touring shows, including "Holiday Spectacular," which will tour after it closes Candlewood.
Hodge is one of several producers at the Bellport venue. He's been producing at the Candlewood Playhouse since 1993.
During its six New Fairfield years, Gateway has mounted summer seasons of musicals at the Candlewood Playhouse, usually followed by brief fall seasons and a holiday attraction. This summer, for instance, one of its musicals was Mimi Hines and Phil Ford in "Hello, Dolly!"
Hodge is not the only producer to stub his toe on the Candlewood Playhouse. For whatever reason, its 32-year history has been more one of failure than success. It and Gateway's Bellport theater also had long-running friction with the musicians' union.
