Colonial Theater Funding 2026
 

It seems like the Colonial Theatre will be a topic of discussion again.

The LDS article of late hints at the need to make money.

The debt service cited in the article is a big number.

Are the taxpayers of Laconia on the hook for that if the cards all fall down?



I love the theatre and have enjoyed some shows there but...

SHOW ME THE MONEY!

Some of the city wants to go upscale, and the others want to go downscale... so should be interesting what they come up with.

The article reads like it is a municipal bond that funded part of the restoration. If that is the case, no doubt the town/taxpayers are on the hook. But that is whether the theater is operating or not. The article does not indicate whether the definition of losing money is before or after the debt service. If the theater is cash positive before debt service, which is very likely, there's no doubt the best thing to do financially is to continue to operate

Or...

Go back in the time machine and not do the project. :eek:

Sure, do not do the project and have downtown slide deeper into the cesspool it was becoming. (This is sarcasm by the way)

On a serious note, the resto of the theater is just one part of the things the city needed to make it a destination again and not just a city overrun by drug clinics. Since the theater was redone folks now go out of their way to go 'to' downtown instead of going out of their way to go 'around' downtown.

And yes, it will die if the momentum of revitializing downtown dies, not because it was bad to do.

Looking at the schedule of shows on the Colonial website, it looks like they have 21 shows in the next six months. That's fewer than one show a week. Perhaps the revenue problem is from underutilization of the property.

Don’t believe those numbers will cover the operating costs and bond the city is paying. But, at night the lights look pretty!


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This is exactly what I thought the biggest challenge would be, keeping enough things booked.

In my youth, most cities had an "Auditorium" and that's where events were held. Most of them are gone or in extreme decay because of low utilization.

I love going to the Colonial. I'm just not convinced it will be a commercial success over time.

Nashua now has the Center for the Arts and Manchester has the smaller (than the Palace Theater) Rex, which seem comparable—I wonder how they're doing, and if we're doing to see a resurgence in local venues.

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Don't those places have many more people within an easy drive for 9 months of the year?

For sure, but they also have significantly more options for entertainment, right?

I've gotta think Laconia can get people in there with the right acts.

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It would seem to be a difficult balance.

Getting the right acts might draw better for the Colonial but what if the right acts prefer to play bigger venues or ones with a better return on their show?

I agree. The Pavillion gets it done for only 4-5 months because it's an open (to the weather) venue. The Colonial can do this all year. Tupelo's in Derry does well and caterers to a lot of cover bands. Granted, they are within a higher populated area with better highway access but I believe it's the acts that create the draw. Plenty of cover bands around, many with some original members.

Agree. Who or what is responsible for booking the entertainment schedule appears to be lacking something. Does anyone know of “what qualifies as a book able act” in the Colonial?


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The 4-5 months is "in season" when the population swells here.

We live in the Weirs and have never been to the pavilion due to the ticket prices. We also don’t like the idea of sitting on lawn chairs so we would want to be under the pavilion and we heard getting out of the parking lot is very difficult and we refuse to wait an hour or two to get out when we live just 10 minutes down the road.

As for the colonial, only been there once. There was barely ever anything playing there that interested us. Cover bands are so “yesterday”.

We do like going to the Flying Monkey in Plymouth occasionally.

Prices at the Bank Pavillion have certainly spiked since they were bought out. I haven't been in a few years because of it but it's a pretty nice venue to watch a show.
I have never been to the Colonial Theater, but I have been to the Flying Monkey. They draw similar acts, mostly cover bands or older performers trying to make a comeback or hang on a few more years. It can be hit or miss with the music acts. They certainly don't compete with the Bank Pavillion.

We need to be reminded that the Lakeport Opera house books similar acts and is in my opinion a better venue than the other two mentioned here.
For the Colonial Theatre to be successful it must be enlarged and modernized.


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How so?
The City Council, or others, might be looking for any ideas that the public has to improve the draw.

I know that having fine dining within walking distance can help.

More importantly, the Lakeport Opera House was renovated for a fraction of the cost of what it took to renovate the Colonial Theater and with private funding. Going through the old threads, I think my skepticism on the viability of the Colonial Theater proved to be true. That said, it does look nice. Too bad the rest of downtown doesn't match it.

Improved parking and safety is a large piece. Personally, I would purchase the department store for a fair price! Demolish it for public parking and upgrades to the theater. Without both I just can’t see it working.


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I don’t think the size is a problem. The Colonial is bigger than The Palace in Manchester and The Palace is booked all the time. I think City Hall Parking combined with the other lot across from the theater are adequate. More restaurants are needed within walking distance, like in Boston’s Theater District and Elm Street in Manchester. Hector’s is Hector’s but Main Street is essentially barren of restaurants except for the Flip Side on Friday nights. A couple more upscale restaurants would do the trick a la O’s, Fratello’s, Bernini’s, etc. Less thrift shops.


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Couldn’t disagree more. Parking is a dark walk away and during the winter months just add to the inconvenience. What needs to be larger is the stage and act prep areas. Seating is okay. Current acts need modern lighting and equipment. Today you don’t have that, but the other locations do.


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It all comes down to the acts that are booked. People will drive to Laconia if it's a band they want to see. Before and after Meadowbrook shows there is a line of cars on Rt. 11, Rt. 3 and 106. There is plenty of parking in the Municipal lot, on the streets and in the parking garage. All a short walk to the theatre.

As we seek to perfect the Colonial Theatre with the intent of drumming up more revenue...

CAN WE JUST NOT USE ANY MORE TAXPAYER MONEY? :eek:

Depends on whether they can attract the customer base.

I've got to say, I don't frequent downtown Laconia very often, but when I have, it's not a very inviting atmosphere. The people that hang out there are creepy so I think it would take more than just good acts, JMO.

They did let it slip a little too far.

But Hanover Street, if I remember correctly, was never well lit and could be slippery in the winter time.

It sounds like Laconia got stuck with a white elephant, and the original plan to have the Colonial theater succeed and help revitalize downtown did not come to fruition.

This is a common scenario now playing out across the country, i.e. the diminution of importance of once vibrant, central downtown areas.

Downtown needs foot traffic, it needs to have a mix of restaurants, sports bars and pubs, some of them need to be upscale. A cafe or two is always a plus but they need to serve exceptional coffee, food and pastries and be warm and inviting. You need store fronts for people to go shopping, a chocolate store, a kitchen store, toy store and upscale clothing & boutique type stores. Last, but not the least, you need an upscale hotel to help support it all, Best Western is a start but now you need something more upscale.

During the summer months (tourist season) many won’t leave the lake. Those areas on the lake are packed. Downtowns are not. It’s not just Laconia, few want to climb the hill in Meredith Center. If your establishment isn’t on the water you’re just dealing with locals. Plan accordingly


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What's wrong with providing entertainment and restaurants for the locals? We count too. You are right that the tourists flock to the hot spots around the lake. The downtown is for us. The Colonial has shows year-round, not just in the summer. The restaurants rely on the locals in the off season.

Absolutely nothing, however the locals don’t spend enough to support every establishment. The establishments make their nut during the summer months and survive the off season


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These are all excellent suggestions. The Colonial shows draw from beyond Laconia so those people would also go to the restaurants and sports bar before and after shows.


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So who is willing to risk their capital to bring these businesses into the city center?

Bring back the old Army / Navy store: a draw for folks of all socio-economic classes.

Some already exist.

Look at Exeter, NH and Amesbury, MA for an example. Exeter is right next to Hampton and the beach and almost equal in distance to Portsmouth, NH and Newburyport, MA, yet Exeter has the shops, the restaurants and coffee shops that help support foot traffic. Go to Amesbury, MA not so much, they have the restaurants but no cafe, zero hotels, no theater very few shops. By dumb luck, I got to talk to a lady who had been involved in the cities chamber of commerce a couple of years ago. I asked her why there was very little foot traffic in the center and she looked at me and said this is Amesbury honey people don't come here when you have Newburyport right next store. I told her, I'm sorry you view your own city that way because I see missed opportunity, all your restaurants are thriving, yet people come and go from their cars, then I said to her explain something to me, why is Exeter able to generate visitors being so close to Hampton Portsmouth and Newburyport. She didn't know what to say after that, I told her if you expect nothing you will get nothing, Amesbury could be a city worth visiting if you put effort into it. The restaurants themselves are already pulling people in, but you have nothing to keep them here before or after. She didn't like talking to me after that and left. The same could be applied to downtown Laconia.

First and foremost you have to make it feel safe. My wife and I went to downtown Laconia to walk around last summer, we did not feel safe. We had numerous homeless people come up to us and ask for money. I didn't see anything that would make me want to return.

Exactly


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More important, and much happier(!), than money that's already been spent, Robert Cray will be at the Colonial on Feb 27. He's an excellent blues guitarist--if you are in the area and have any interest in blues, guitar, rock, R&B, soul--you should go!

I'm looking into catching that show, but with camp closed it'd be an hour+ drive both ways.

I've seen him half a dozen times and don't totally love his later music, so I'm on the fence. One of my very favorite shows, however, was seeing him at Meadowbrook back when it was just flat metal seats and an open field. A storm rolled in and soaked the place, but the band played on (and would until "things start to short out")...my seats being greatly improved with the departing audience!

If anyone reads this and has tickets they want to dump, reach out—price is a great motivator!

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Well......

It's nice to know that MY MONEY makes others Happy!

I can't take my family out to dinner because I am working.... I am "happy" that others can....!

I went to Hall and Oates at Meadowbrook.

The first song was just starting when a venue official took the mic from Hall and told us the show was being paused due to severe T-storms nearby.

Hall just looked at the guy and said "WTF?"

After fifteen restless minutes they cancelled the show "for our safety".

They sent the audience out into the parking lot where a tempest of a thunder storm was fully underway.

The risk to us sure seemed greater out in the parking lot!

We were refunded our full ticket price.

I wonder who lost their shirt on that, the venue or the talent.

Anyway, in the words of Daryl Hall... WTF ?