The Sterling shines as a symbol of Derby's vibrant past

DERBY - Preserving the fascinating history of the stately Sterling Opera House should be enough reason to support a major project to renovate its interior.

An ornate balcony railing stands out in this view taken from the first floor.

Built in the Italianate Victorian style in 1889, the opera house graces Elizabeth Street in downtown Derby.  

The exterior has been restored and in 2011 a new cupola, which is illuminated at night, was installed.

The opera house was the first building in Connecticut to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and it has an interesting history, for sure. 

Entertainers ranging from John Barrymore and Harry Houdini to Milton Berle, Bob Hope, George Burns and Gracie Allen all appeared there.  

Amelia Earhart spoke at the opera house, and John Phillip Sousa performed on its stage. The structure has what has been described as amazing acoustics.

It was used as a theater from 1889 until 1945. The lower levels housed municipal offices and the city jail for two decades before it was closed in 1965.  

The long-vacant building is filled with energy of the spirit kind. The theater has been investigated by numerous paranormal groups and time and again ghostly entities have made their presence known to visitors.

  

I've been fortunate enough to tour the interior on several occasions, and have witnessed several inexplicable paranormal happenings while there.
Each time I leave filled with enthusiasm about what the opera house could become.

On Monday city officials announced the receipt of $150,000 in federal funds to go toward the renovation of the interior. Cost estimate of the project is between $3 and $4 million.

U.S. Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-3, secured the money. She had also secured $150,000 for the project in 2009. 

We who love the opera house thank DeLauro for her support of a project that will revive the building and bring it back to its former glory.

I took this photo from the Derby Green in August 2010. The cupola was replaced in February 2011.

'Ghost' captured outside Sterling Opera House

Derby resident Alexis Pudimat, 11, took this photo of the front door of the Sterling Opera House with her iPhone before the Haunted Lantern Tours last week. The shadow in the center seems to be wearing a long coat and a Derby bowler hat.

The Sterling Opera House on Elizabeth Street in Derby will be featured at 3:30 p.m. today on The Travel Channel show, "Destination Fear."

Happy Halloween!


Photo and information about the opera house's "first outside spirit" were contributed by Derby Cultural Commission co-chairman Rich DiCarlo.

Annual event offers folks some spooky fun in Derby

Who knew that the Grim Reaper uses a wheelchair?

This creepy fella is actually my husband Ralph. He and I had a great time Saturday night getting into the spirit and telling a scary story outside the Edward F. Adzima Funeral Home on Elizabeth Street in Derby.

We were part of the Derby Cultural Commission's second annual Haunted Lantern Tours event, which by all accounts was a big success.
The walking tour stopped at several downtown locations where stories about "The Dark Side of Derby" were recounted. 
The tour ended with people getting a chance to go inside the historic (and haunted?) Sterling Opera House across from the Derby Green.

We hope those who took the haunted tour and heard the spooky stories enjoyed themselves as they learned some Derby history and legends.

 

A 'graveyard' was set up on the Derby Green.

Before the tours the Cultural Commission sponsored a "Fright Night" for kids 12 and under, which featured a Halloween costume contest, magic show and more.

To see photos from the daytime event visit the Cultural Commission's page on Facebook.

Sterling staircase shimmers with spirit

Opera house orbs obvious in unretouched photo

Staircase at the Sterling Opera House, Derby, Ct.

I took this picture Friday afternoon.You can read more about the visit here.

Stay tuned for a spooky story ...

Opera house always has something to offer

 Ghosts? Spirits? You be the judge

 

I was lucky enough to visit the historic Sterling Opera House this afternoon for an almost-Halloween story.

Isn't it a remarkable building? It is filled with energy, say those who can feel those sorts of things. I just know that I feel "something" indescribable when I go inside the 19th-century structure on Elizabeth Street in Derby.

The architectural detail is magnificent, even if the ornate railings along the first balcony seen here are not high enough to suit me.
I had to walk in the second row up so as not to feel like I would fall to the floor below. 

After I uploaded this photo on the computer I saw what I can would call a mist in the balcony.
Do you see what I mean? What do you think that could be?

Stay tuned for a story in the paper about the Sterling Opera House...  

Tours to teach Derby history, tell tales of haunted spots

                                                                                       STERLING OPERA HOUSE.

(note: the flier got cut off - the Sterling Opera House is the last stop on the lantern tour)

The event is sponsored by the city's Cultural Commission.

I'll be in downtown Derby that evening, will you? 

Portraits paint story of Sterling Opera House

On Derby Day Saturday members of the Valley Arts Council unveiled a dozen portraits of some of the stars who performed at the stately Sterling Opera House on Elizabeth Street in Derby. The building, built in 1889, was used as a theater until 1945.
The portraits now grace the windows facing Elizabeth Street and the Green, as well as those on side doors that face a walkway.

A $1,000 grant from the Valley Community Foundation funded the project.

Here Valley Arts Council vice president Steve DiRienzo of Derby stands next to his creation, an oil and acrylic painting of the legendary band leader John Philip Sousa, who wrote several patriotic marches, including "Stars and Stripes Forever."
His band played at the opera house in the early 1900s.

DiRienzo said Sousa, garbed in a bright red band uniform, may have been the inspiration for the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper character on the cover of their 1967 album, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."
He said the tuba-like musical instrument called the sousaphone was named after Sousa, and the person who may have been the first to manufacture the sousaphone was named J.W. Pepper. Coincidence? Who knows?

DiRienzo said, "It's an open-ended exhibit geared to draw attention to the building." He said he'd like "to eventually have (the portraits) in the gallery, and have a reception for the artists." 

Shelton artist Len Grayeck stands next to his painting of the legendary comedian George Burns, who performed on the opera house stage in the glory days of vaudeville.
Behind him is a fabulous fiber-art portrait of Burns' beloved wife, Gracie Allen, created by Shelton fiber artist Karen Loprete.

Grayeck said Burns' round eyeglass frames and cigar "are almost iconic." He said he chose to capture Burns' look from the 1980s.
"I like the fact that he did it all," Grayeck said. "He started in vaudeville, went to radio, and then did TV and films." 

The project took about six months, from concept to installation last week, DiRienzo said. 

These 12 portraits created by 11 artists (council president Rich DiCarlo who came up with the original idea created two) are truly outstanding.

They're definitely worth a trip to downtown Derby to see!
This exhibit almost makes me want to get some paints and try my hand at dabbling on canvas. Almost.

Since the artwork will be up for awhile, I plan to photograph the rest of the photos and share them here at a future date. Stay tuned.