Page 4 - BusinessWest November 14, 2022

4 NOVEMBER 14, 2022 FEATURE BusinessWest
The Next Stage
Momentum Is Building on Victory Theatre Project
WBy George O’Brien
hen asked how many tours he’s given of the Victory Theatre in Holyoke, the landmark that went dark in 1979, Donald Sanders gave a hearty laugh — something he
does often — and just shook his head. That was his way of saying ‘more than I could count.’
Those tours have been given to elected officials, economic-development leaders, city department heads, arts groups, members of the media ... you name it. They’ve all been in for a look at this piece of history that a city, and a region, have been des- perate to renovate and make a part of the future, not merely the past.
And while the tours given today are essentially the same as those given years or even decades ago — they go everywhere from the front lobby to the mezzanine to the stage area — there is a new sense of urgency, optimism, and, yes, momentum — with these visits, said Sanders, executive artistic direc- tor of MIFA Victory Theatre, which has been at the forefront of efforts to restore the theater for the past 20 years.
Indeed, over the past several months, there has been a new tone to the discussions about restor- ing the 1,600-seat facility back to a Broadway-style theater. Specifically, there is a growing sense, after more than 40 years of talk, that this project is real.
“I’ve always been optimistic that this could hap- pen, but now, there is greater reason for optimism,” said Sanders, noting that MIFA (the Massachusetts International Festival of the Arts) acquired the Vic- tory Theatre from the city in 2009 and has been committed to its revival since because it region’s best option for bringing large Broadway shows back to the Pioneer Valley. “There is a greater sense of momentum now than perhaps ever before.”
Several factors have contributed to this momen- tum — everything from a visit to the theater by gubernatorial candidate Maura Healey back in late June to a recent bus trip to Schenectady, N.Y. to take in the restoration of the Proctors arts complex, a project that is similar in many ways to the Victory initiative, to progress with the closing of a persis- tent funding gap thanks to federal ARPA money.
Some of that money has been aside for “trans-
Donald Sanders, executive artistic director of MIFA Victory Theatre