It used to be the Wallace Auditorium on the former campus of the Reader”™s Digest in Chappaqua, named after Lila Wallace who, along with husband DeWitt, founded the venerable publishing company. Now, the finishing touches are being added as the auditorium is being prepared to begin its new life as the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center.
Lisa Katz, New Castle Town Councilwoman and chair of the New Castle Arts and Culture Committee, oversaw the acquisition of the arts center and subsequently negotiated its sale to the town. John Fanelli, who was previously associated with the Westchester Broadway Theatre and is artistic director for his own Standing Ovation Studios and Lighthouse Youth Theater, has been appointed the manager of the arts center.
The 425-seat venue will have its grand opening on Sept. 23 with the first of a dozen concerts, plays and performances scheduled for the fall. First up is French singer Cyrille Aimee, internationally acclaimed for her jazz stylings. Aimee won the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Competition in 2012. Also on the schedule: tribute concerts to Frank Sinatra and the Allman Brothers Band, presentations for children and movies.
An inaugural fundraising gala is scheduled for Nov. 4.
More information from ChappaquaPAC.org or 914-458-5143.
