>The Opera House

The Newport Opera House, rebuilt in 1886 after a fire, has, over the years, been the center of this community’s cultural and civic activities. At one time known for the finest acoustics and largest stage north of Boston, it has held everything from plays and movies to basketball games and wrestling matches; fashion shows and campaign speeches to dances and concerts. The Newport Opera House Association, formed in 1974, is a non-profit organization dedicated to continuing this tradition of encouraging and promoting the performing arts for the enjoyment of the citizens of Newport, the Lake Sunapee area and beyond. 

Please join us in our quest to, through the arts, educate and up-lift the spirits, moral and sense of participation for all the citizens of our area as we continue to produce entertainment to delight both young and old, for years to come. 

Culture Builds Community! 
 

By Jana Marx 
Editor, Argus-Champion 
June 20, 2007 

NEWPORT - Charles Massey isn't going anywhere. 

The Newport Opera House Association has come up with the funds to make Massey's executive director position full-time, allowing him to work solely for the opera house, according to NOHA President Lori Barnes. 

Scheduled to resign from his position June 30, Massey came to the realization while in Asheville, N.C., where he intended to move, that the opera house position was not the stress factor that led him to leave. 

"The decision to leave was more about saving myself. I was being selfish for once," Massey said. "I could not admit what was beating me up. It was running to school to teach and then running to the opera house. I wanted to find a way to do (the opera house) without the other." 

Massey had been teaching English at Newport Middle High School part-time, which supplemented his executive director income. 

Office Manager Meg Cowan, who was also set to leave June 30, has decided to stay as well. 

Both Cowan and Massey have stated that the workload for both of them was heavy and overwhelming at times, but Massey said he didn't think there was an option before. Now that Massey can devote his time to the opera house, they both expect a lot of growth in the organization. 

"We now have the potential to go to the next level, obtaining more grants, offering more programs," Massey said. 

"We will double our output with half the stress," Cowan said. 

Barnes said she quickly took up the task of finding a way to keep Massey full-time after he called her to ask her if there was the possibility. 

"It seemed like a simple solution," Barnes said. "It isn't a big amount of money." 

She said it does mean taking a risk for the board, but it is a calculated one. The board will just have to encourage more people to get involved in the opera house and they will need to fill every seat, every time, she said. 

Barnes likened the state of the opera house to any business model, and something she's always learned is that "anything you start takes five years" to come around. The first three years at the opera house have been a lot of cleaning up and straightening out, and the next two years will be their chance to show what they can really do with it. 

"We're moving ahead with creativity," she said. 

Massey said the board recently went on a retreat to discuss short- and long-term goals for the year. While they don't have a set plan for this year's programming, they will be discussing it at length at subsequent meetings. Massey points to the recent "Music Man" production in May as an example of what they can offer. 

"'The Music Man' was an event," he said. "It was a banner day for this town." 

Cowan said she saw tears in people's eyes during the finale, when everyone marched to the common to watch the Londonderry Marching Band perform. Barnes said more than one person came up to her and said, "I'm so proud of this town." 

"The community theater aspect was not our main mission," Barnes said of the board. "But it has become one." 

She said many of NOHA's events, including humorist Tim Sample and "Joey and Maria's Wedding" have been well-received, but the things that have the most meaning are when people from the community get on stage. 

While this change of plans has stirred up the summer for NOHA, one plan remains intact. The board will dedicate the opera house stage to Massey, naming it the Charles H. Massey stage. Barnes said the board decided to do this to honor Massey before he left for North Carolina, but will go ahead with the plan because "the stage is very special, and especially to him. The stage is his." 

The date for the dedication has not been set, but Barnes plans to direct a revue of all the shows Massey has been a part of this time around at the opera house, back to "Oliver!" in 2003. 

Office Manager
 

In early March of 2004, Meg Cowan came on board as the Office Manager for the Newport Opera House Association.  Meg grew up locally in Wilmot and is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire.  She comes to us with many years of experience as Office Manager of the Winnipesaukee Flagship Corporation, home of the M/S Mt. Washington.  Playing the part of Mrs. Sowerberry in N.O.H.A.'s 2003 production of OLIVER! and as an ensemble member with a cameo appearance as Mrs. Sylvia Potter-Porter in the '04 production of ANNIE GET YOUR GUN, she also brings with her years of acting experience.  In the early '90s, Meg appeared at the Opera House in the part of Lady Tiang when the Main Street Players did their production of THE KING AND I. She has appeared in several more N.O.H.A. productions in recent years; Ouiser Boudreaux in STEEL MAGNOLIAS, Kate Jerome in BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS, Mrs. Edwin Metcalf in STATE FAIR, Norma Hubley in PLAZA SUITE, Mabel in THE PAJAMA GAME and Cookie Cusak in RUMORS.  Meg states that her new position with N.O.H.A. puts together many pieces of her life that, at first glance, are unrelated; office management, New Hampshire tourism and an ever-present passion for the theatre. 
 
 

Returning to New Hampshire after an absence of almost thirty years, Charles H. Massey is once again working in the Historic Opera House that he helped to restore in 1974.  While a teacher at Newport High School, Charles was introduced to the Newport Opera House by well-known Barn Playhouse actor Charlie Jobes.  Charlie and Charles had appeared together in productions at the New London Barn Playhouse in the summers from 1966 through the mid 1970’s.  When Jobes discovered that the Apprentice from North Carolina was going to move to New Hampshire to become an English teacher, he drove him to his own hometown of Newport and introduced him to the Opera House. 

Massey recalls being completely blown away by the jewel of a theatre hidden away on the second floor of the Town Hall.  At that time the facility was only used a few times a year for voting, Town Meeting and Winter Carnival.  It was dirty and in great need of repair, but the beauty of the architecture was obvious to the wide-eyed Massey.   

Years later when he was tired of producing plays and musicals in the school gym, Massey remembered the dirty old theatre located in the middle of town.  He talked to town officials and the Editor of the Argus Champion, Ed DeCourcy, who all encouraged him to look into the possibilities of restoring the facility as a center for the arts in the community. 

Soon the Newport Opera House Association was founded and fund raising and cleaning began.  Citizens from all areas of town life donated countless hours of labor and love to bring the hall back to its former glory.  Money was raised for new curtains, stage lights and equipment.  A dramatic chandelier became the focal point of the new hall.  It was actually found in the building and was restored and installed by Sturm Ruger and Company.  The newly renovated Opera House opened with a production of THE MUSIC MAN on June 4, 1976.  There is a framed page from the Argus Champion hanging in the lobby of the theatre today that lists all of the community members who worked to make the dream a reality.  Once again, the Newport Opera House would shine as a center for the arts and humanities in the Newport community. 

In the spring of 1978 Massey headed to New York City in search of a career in the entertainment industry.  What followed was a series of jobs as Theatrical Agent, Casting Director and Theatrical Manager.  He moved seamlessly from position to position in a natural progression of moving up the ladder of show business.  He kept his ties with New Hampshire and often took his summer vacations to return to the Barn Playhouse in New London to direct a show.  He never lost contact with his Newport friends and thirty years later found it very easy to pick up right where he left off. 

With more interest in the business of show business, Charles headed west in 1990 to see what California had to offer.  He landed a job in one of the most prestigious talent agencies in Hollywood and soon went to work representing actors for voice-over, animation and celebrity endorsements.  Life in L.A. was not all that Massey had expected.  He found it a vast wasteland where very little attention was placed on talent.  It was an industry only interested in product.  The bottom line was always money.  He wanted more, and he also wanted to experience the change of seasons again.  He was homesick for his native North Carolina and his family.  At his father’s suggestion he explored possible opportunities in New Hampshire.  He again joined forces with Norman Leger at the Barn Playhouse and served as associate producer/artistic director for two seasons. 

 While still working at the Barn, Bill Wightman tried to talk Charles into returning to the Newport Opera House to direct a musical.  At first Charles was not interested, he actually questioned whether he could still direct community theatre.  Bill’s insistence finally paid off and Charles said yes.  Soon they were working together on OLIVER!   With Wightman as musical director and Massey as Director and Designer the production took shape with a cast of over fifty community members.  Full houses greeted the return of Community Theatre to the stage of the Newport Opera House, and Massey was at the helm again.    

It was about this time that he met Marilyn Brannigan who convinced him to return to teaching after all these years.  Wanting to remain in the area, Massey accepted the job with serious reservations.  Once a teacher, always a teacher…the year flew by as the old teacher experienced many new challenges.  He remained active in the life of the Opera House and was soon directing a production of ANNIE GET YOUR GUN. 

A full time teaching assignment did not allow Massey the time he wanted to devote to the Opera House, and when he was offered the position of Executive Director of N.O.H.A. by President Betty Maiola, Massey accepted. Betty had been on the original Board Of Directors of the organization and well understood Massey’s passion for the Opera House.  The following year he found time to teach a Theatre Arts class at the high school and still work full time at the Opera House.  After all, it was the High School that first led him to the Opera House, and he wanted to be sure that the two were still closely related. 

Accompanied by Office Manager, Meg Cowan, and a strong Board of Directors, Massey worked to create a season of events that would entertain the Newport community.  The overwhelming support of the community and merchants made the first season a success.  The organization has continued to grown and become more financially independent since that time.  Lori Barnes became the new President of the organization in 2005, and she and Massey started to explore new options for programming and fund raising.  At the present time, the organization has more members that anytime in its history.  Sponsorship has been acquired for all of the season’s events, and programs are up and running. 

As for Massey, he is busy directing the fall production of RUMORS.  He is thrilled to be back in Newport in this beautiful Victorian Opera House that he loves so much.  His greatest joy comes from working with so many talented and devoted people who all like to take part in the process.  It is the process, not the product that brought Massey back to New Hampshire.  Massey loves the fact that he has re-connected with so many of his past students, many of whom are active in the Opera House organization. This spring he will once again direct THE MUSIC MAN, the show that first opened the renovated Opera House in 1976.  Listen closely and you will be able to hear the sound of those seventy-six trombones.