CLIFTON FORGE — Since Virginia was granted statehood on June 25, 1788, the Commonwealth of Virginia has designated only four entertainment venues as Virginia’s official entertainment entities during its entire 233-year history.
Barter Theatre, established on June 10, 1933 in Abingdon during the throes of The Great Depression, is the oldest, longest-running professional Equity theatre in the United States due to the Broadway lights going dark.
Robert Porterfield, a prominent actor, returned to his rural home in Southwest Virginia. He established a troupe of actors, and such famous thespians as the late Ned Beatty, eventually honed their skills at Barter Theatre. Porterfield allowed theatergoers to pay with vegetables because money was so scarce, thus the name Barter Theatre.
Gov. William M. Turk, the 55th governor of Virginia, signed the bill in 1950 to designate Barter Theatre as the State Theatre of Virginia.
In 1996, Barter Theatre underwent a $1.7 million restoration project, and the stage size was increased from 28 feet to 60 feet and the balcony was extended to include more seats. Also, new lighting and sound systems were added and heating and cooling systems were upgraded.
Famous stars other than Beatty who have performed at Barter Theatre are Kevin Spacey, Ernest Borgnine, Patricia Neal and Gregory Peck, to name a few.
The second venue to gain the Commonwealth of Virginia’s official status was Richmond Ballet. It was designated the State Ballet of Virginia at the beginning of Gov. L. Douglas Wilder’s term in 1990. Wilder was the nation’s first black governor and the 66th governor of Virginia.
Richmond Ballet, State Ballet of Virginia, was founded in 1957 by Richmond residents, Marjorie Fay Underhill, Robert C. Watkins Jr. and Donna Comstock Forrest.
The Richmond Ballet, State Ballet of Virginia, has performed abroad in such cities as London, England and Beijing, China.
Governor Wilder, a Democrat, holds the distinction of being the only governor of Virginia to have signed bills into law that have designated two entertainment venues as official Virginia performance entities. During his last year in office in 1994, he signed the bill that passed Virginia’s General Assembly by a unanimous vote to designate the Virginia Opera as the Official Opera Company of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
The Virginia Opera was founded in 1974 by a group of Norfolk volunteers, and its first production was held in 1975. Prior to COVID-19, the company had a $5 million annual budget and staged 30 productions per year.
The founding chair was Edythe C. Harrison, and the first two productions were held in the Norfolk Center Theater, and such famous singers as Luciano Pavarotti and Beverly Sills have performed during the company’s productions.
Productions such as “Man of La Mancha,” “West Side Story,” The Pirates of Penzance,” “Carousel,” “The Mikado,” “Oklahoma” and Sweeney Todd” have been produced over the years.
The fourth entertainment entity to be designated as an official entertainment entity of the Commonwealth of Virginia came 26 years later on March 31, 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic when Governor Ralph S. Northam signed “Senate Bill 283” that Senator R. Creigh Deeds introduced on January 8, 2020. The bill passed the Virginia Senate by a 40-0 vote and the Virginia House of Delegates by a 93-6 vote.
The Virginia Opry, a country music show that made its debut on October 17, 1992 in The Historic Masonic Theatre (operating as the Historic Stonewall Theatre at the time), opened its 30th consecutive performance season on August 27 by staging “The Virginia Opry’s Hootenanny” to honor the late Jessie Morris, an original member of the troupe.
An outreach of Appalfolks of America Association, The Virginia Opry has grown from a troupe of ten performers, including Ray Tucker, the first director, to 41 official members who comprise nine bands.
Appalfolks owned and operated the Historic Stonewall Theatre from 1991 till 2003 when the non-profit organization based in Clifton Forge donated the theatre to the Town of Clifton Forge. The Town of Clifton Forge still owns the theatre but leases it for a dollar per year to the Masonic Theatre Preservation Foundation that raised more than $6 million from 2010 till 2016 to complete the restoration project that Appalfolks began in 1992.
The Virginia Opry has established a Resort Performance Home at the Natural Bridge Historic Hotel where the first Virginia Opry production will be staged on October 15. The production will feature Michael Hoover performing “Memories of Elvis” and the Glen Shelton Duo as the opening act.
Hoover set the box office record for The Virginia Opry performing “Memories of Elvis” at The Historic Masonic Theatre when patrons purchase $4,558 worth of tickets for the production that Congressman Morgan Griffith attended.
The Virginia Opry’s next show will be at The Historic Masonic Theatre on Sat., Oct. 9, at 8:00 p.m. when the Glen Shelton Duo performs as the headliner and four duos open for him: Bill Wade, Jr. Duo, Corbin Hayslett Duo, Gentlemen South (a duo) and Brian Buchanan Duo. Jana Allen will emcee the production, and tickets can be purchased by contacting the box office at (540) 862-5655 or by visiting www.historicmasonictheatre.com.
On Feb. 17, 2017, the Commonwealth of Virginia General Assembly passed “House Resolution No. 397” honoring The Virginia Opry for completing 25 consecutive years of producing country music shows in the Alleghany Highlands, and three of the original 10 members of The Virginia Opry continue to perform as members of the troupe.
Ironically, all four of Virginia’s official entertainment entities were designated during the terms of Democrat governors, and official designations have occurred on the average of one every 48 years during Virginia’s history.
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