 
Assembly Resolution No. 1411
 
BY: M. of A. Finch
 
        COMMEMORATING   the   60th   Anniversary   of  the
        Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, Inc.
 
  WHEREAS,  The  arts,  in  whatever  form,  are  central   to   human
expression;  they  are truly a universal language and their contribution
to the development of friendship and  understanding  among  all  peoples
cannot be underestimated; and
 
  WHEREAS,  It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize and
commend those artistic  organizations  which  have  brought  outstanding
entertainment and cultural enrichment to the citizens of the great State
of New York; and
 
  WHEREAS,  Attendant  to  such  concern,  and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this  Legislative  Body  is  justly  proud  to
commemorate  the 60th Anniversary of the Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, Inc.;
and
 
  WHEREAS, Widely  known  as  "Broadway  in  the  Finger  Lakes,"  the
Merry-Go-Round  Playhouse,  located in Auburn, New York, is the region's
largest professional musical theatre; and
 
  WHEREAS, The Merry-Go-Round Playhouse was founded  in  1958  as  the
Auburn  Children's  Theatre  (A.C.T.) by Susan Riford and members of the
Auburn Service League; and
 
  WHEREAS, Initially, the venue provided weekend dramatic classes  for
local children, and, in 1961, an in-school program was added; and
 
  WHEREAS, The Auburn Children's Theatre's in-school program grew into
a  state-wide  touring  theatre by 1965, and in 1974, it became known as
the Merry-Go-Round Youth Theatre Program; and
 
  WHEREAS, The Merry-Go-Round  Playhouse  gained  its  name  from  the
organization's  use  of  an  old carousel building in Emerson Park along
Owasco  Lake;  the  building  was  cleaned  and  painted  by  dozens  of
volunteers  after  the merry-go-round was removed, and a stage was added
to the east side of the building; and
 
  WHEREAS, The Merry-Go-Round Playhouse further evolved  to  become  a
professional  summer  stock  theatre  in 1975, and much of the casts and
artistic staff traveled up from Manhattan  for  the  first  professional
summer season; and
 
  WHEREAS,  Over  the  years the Merry-Go-Round Playhouse continued to
grow, with attendance rising from 9,000 in 1982 to over 60,000 annually;
the budget of the Playhouse and Youth  Theatre  additionally  grew  from
$180,000 in the early 1980s to over $5 million; and
 
  WHEREAS,  The Youth Theatre program became one of the largest in the
country, providing performances for over 125,000  students  each  school
year  in  74  districts  and  23  counties  in  Central  New  York; this
well-respected program offers workshops and performances to students  in
 
grades  K-12,  with  each opportunity tailored to the grade-level of the
participants; and
 
  WHEREAS,  The  Youth Theatre program at the Merry-Go-Round Playhouse
additionally  has  a  partnership  with  Nazareth  College,  which   was
initiated   to   enhance  training  and  educational  opportunities  for
students; this partnership will create an intensive  professional  track
training program to rival many national programs of its kind; and
 
  WHEREAS,  In  2004,  a  $3  million  renovation was completed at the
Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, which allowed for a remarkable  transformation
of  the  facility  to  provide greater comfort and accessibility for all
audiences; the renovation included an expansion of seating capacity from
365 to 501; and
 
  WHEREAS, In  2004,  the  Merry-Go-Round  Playhouse  finished  formal
agreements  with  the  Actors Equity Association, American Federation of
Musicians, and the Society of Stage  Directors  and  Choreographers,  to
perpetuate the high caliber of shows produced by the Playhouse; and
 
  WHEREAS,  In  2012,  the Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, Inc. launched the
Finger  Lakes   Musical   Theatre   Festival,   featuring   off-Broadway
productions  and  The  Pitch  series - a generation of new musicals; the
Festival presents classic and  contemporary  works  and  in-school  arts
education for a diverse audience to spur social awareness, cultural, and
economic  development  in  the  Finger  Lakes  region and in the City of
Auburn; and
 
  WHEREAS, The Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival is a  multi-venue
operation,  utilizing  space  additionally in the newly renovated Auburn
Public Theatre and the Carriage House Theater; and
 
  WHEREAS, In its 60th Anniversary / 2018  season,  the  Finger  Lakes
Musical  Theatre  Festival  will  present  "Mamma  Mia!", "Anne of Green
Gables", "Holiday Inn", "Murder for Two," and "Beehive"; and
 
  WHEREAS, For the past 60 years, the Merry-Go-Round  Playhouse,  Inc.
has been presenting quality theater to the Central New York area; and
 
  WHEREAS, A vibrant arts community encourages collaboration, instills
local  pride,  draws  people together, and is essential to a community's
vitality; over the past six decades, the Merry-Go-Round Playhouse,  Inc.
has  contributed to the richness of Central New York's cultural palette;
and
 
  WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when artistic
societies of such noble aims and  accomplishments  are  brought  to  our
attention,  they  should be recognized by all the citizens of this great
Empire State; now, therefore, be it
 
  RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its  deliberations  to
commemorate  the 60th Anniversary of the Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, Inc.;
and be it further
 
  RESOLVED, That a copy of this  Resolution,  suitably  engrossed,  be
transmitted   to   producing   artistic  director  Brett  Smock  of  the
Merry-Go-Round Playhouse.
Commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, Inc.

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