Dear Friends,
It’s only been four and a half years since The Hanover Theatre’s grand opening in March 2008, and in that short time we’ve come such a long way. Pollstar recognizes us among the top fifty theatres worldwide for number of audience reached; our Broadway series has expanded to a greater number of performances and bigger shows; our subscriptions and memberships have both increased more than 20% in the past year alone. We have built a solid reputation as one of central Massachusetts’ premier cultural institutions, and we’ve become an integral part of our city’s ever more vibrant downtown.
Even though we’re such a young organization, it’s important for us to take the long view – to build a strong foundation that will ensure that The Hanover Theatre remains a favorite destination for generations to come. The hallmark of our success has been our ability to offer a world-class experience – not only in the quality of performances on our stage, but also in each step of a visitor’s interaction with the theatre. It begins with hearing about a performance and buying a ticket on our website or box office, to being greeted by our lobby concierge and ushers, to a follow-up email soliciting feedback after a performance, we aim to keep our customer service sharp. A significant part of that world-class experience is in the beauty and grandeur of our historic theatre. We must protect and preserve the architecture that we so carefully restored, in order to continue to offer that same level of quality in the future. With the printing of this report and our fourth Annual Meeting in November 2012, we are formally launching the Securing the Future capital campaign, with a $5 million fundraising goal to provide for the long-term care and preservation of the theatre. To date we’ve secured approximately just over half that amount, through the generosity of the foundations, corporations and individuals recognized on these pages. Over the next eighteen months we intend to accelerate the now public campaign to reach our goal. Another important new initiative this fall is our switch to renewable energy sources. Beginning in October 2012, approximately 80% of the theatre’s electricity is being generated by a 5-acre solar farm in Leicester, Massachusetts, built specifically for us. We’re the first performing arts center in the country to utilize solar energy for the majority of its power needs, and we hope that many others will follow. This report shows another year “in the black” – despite a challenging economic climate – and affirms our commitment to fiscal responsibility and long-term strategic planning. We’re proud of that, and of all that goes on behind the scenes, but most of all we’re proud to be a part of the new Worcester, a city on the move. Sincerely yours,
photo: Scott Erb
2 | Taking the Long View • TheHanoverTheatre.org
James D. O’Brien, Jr. Chairman
Troy Siebels Executive Director