Beautiful, Fascinating, Stunning: The Hershey Theatre
I can count on one had how many theatres I’ve had the opportunity to tour, during Sweet Welcome Weekend we had the opportunity to visit the Hershey Theatre for a Spotlight Tour. It was beautiful, fascinating, stunning: The Hershey Theatre was simply amazing. There was so much beauty and intrigue to see during the tour but what stuck out the most to me were the architectural elements and the breath-taking designs. The building was built during the great depression. From 1929 – 1933 the theatre was a part of Mr. Milton Hershey’s “Great Building Campaign.” A campaign in which he was able to create nearly 600 jobs for men who had been previously unemployed.
There are so many great things I could share with you about the Hershey Theatre but I’ll just show you some of the design elements that really stuck out to me. If you’re interested in taking the Spotlight Tour of the Hershey Theatre it costs $8.00 for adults and $6.00 for children ages (3-12). Tours are held on Fridays: 11 AM Year Round (No tours on Christmas and New Year’s Day) & Sundays: 1 PM (Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day). To schedule a tour, please call 717-533-6299 or email Lisa Balanda, Tour Coordinator.
My favorite part of the whole theatre was the inner foyer. Before you head to your seat when visiting the Hershey Theatre be sure to look up and ejoy the beauty Mr. Hershey left for guests to enjoy.
Hershey Theatre Tidbit: The inner foyer’s “canopy of gold” arched tile ceiling was patterned after St. Mark’s Cathedral in Venice, Italy. Two German artisans labored for two full years to create the beautiful blue and gold pin-point mosaic design leading to the main floor seating area.
This ceiling is from the Chocolate Avenue Box Office. This section has it’s own unique design flair but meshes well with all the other parts of the theatre. Here’s an insider’s tip. When you are going to the theatre for a show check to see if the Chocolate Avenue entrance is open it’s usually less busy and it has prime parking and perfect for leaving after the show. It’s the road less traveled I guess.
When enter the Hershey Theatre the Grand Lobby is stunning in it’s own right. According to our tour guide there’s so much history and possible hidden stories in this lobby. He shared a few theories with us and even shared some other guests had shared with him. I would highly suggest you take a few minutes to appreciate all the beauty in the lobby and see if you have any theories of your own.
Can you guess the God in this photo? Tell me in the comments.
My Hershey didn’t skimp on the mythical when designing the Hershey Theatre either. You can find all kinds of mystical creatures all around the theatre.
Hershey Theatre Tidbit: When next visiting the Hershey Theatre, count the number of lions that the architect placed throughout the theatre. Hint: There are more than eighteen!
Sitting inside the auditorium you get a feeling of being outside. It has to do with the design that looks like the outside of a castle. I wish I could have gotten a good photo of the ceiling because it was created to look like twinkling stars.
Hershey Theatre Tidbit: Hershey Theatre’s “stars-and-clouds” ceiling is suspended from the roof. Utilizing the radiance of colored lights, the sky changes scenes from sunset to dusk, from dawn to sunrise. Within the hanging ceiling, 88 small holes are fitted with 10- and 25-watt light bulbs. When lit and twinkling, patrons can feel as if they are indeed outside of a huge castle, awaiting a royal performance, passing the time by stargazing.
Hershey Theatre Fire Curtain
The Hershey Theatre fire curtain was simply stunning. It look so simple but this beautiful canvas is all there is to protect the theatre in case there’s a fire backstage. Thankfully they’ve never had to use it since it was installed and I hope they never do. It’s a beautiful piece of the history and life of this theatre. Can you guess how much this fire curtain weights? Check out my tidbit below.
Hershey Theatre Tidbit: At times, the theatre’s six-ton fire curtain is lowered, displaying an amazing water color picture of the city of Venice, with the Grand Canal flowing past the Doge’s Palace.
These are just a few of the beautiful things we saw inside the Hershey Theatre. If you’re ever in the area and you think you want to take in a show. Be sure to check out their calendar of events for any shows. This year they have had a few Broadway Shows visiting. Some may have already passed but you can certainly check out the rest of the shows for the year below:
Annie
Date: July 21 – 26, 2015
Time: Tuesday – Thursday: 7:30 PM
Friday: 8:00 PM
Saturday: 2:00 PM & 8:00 PM
Sunday: 2:00 PM & 7:30 PM
*ASL Interpreted performance will be on Sunday at 2:00 PM
Once
Date: September 15 – 20, 2015
Time: Tuesday – Thursday: 7:30 PM
Friday: 8:00 PM
Saturday: 2:00 PM & 8:00 PM
Sunday: 1:00 PM
Please note, there is no Sunday evening performance.
*ASL Interpreted performance will be on Sunday at 1:00 PM
Matilda The Musical
Date: November 10 – 15, 2015
Time: Tuesday – Thursday: 7:30 PM
Friday: 8:00 PM
Saturday: 2:00 PM & 8:00 PM
Sunday: 1:00 PM & 6:30 PM
*ASL Interpreted performance will be on Sunday at 1:00 PM
Rudolph The Musical
Date: December 8 – 9, 2015
Time: 7:00 PM
Coming to the Hershey Theatre in 2016:
Buddy (The Buddy Holly Story)
Date: January 19, 2016
Time: 7:30 PM
Cinderella
Date: January 26 – 31, 2016
Time: Tuesday – Thursday: 7:30 PM
Friday: 8:00 PM
Saturday: 2:00 PM & 8:00 PM
Sunday: 1:00 PM & 6:30 PM
*ASL Interpreted performance will be on Sunday at 1:00 PM
Ragtime
Date: April 26, 2016 – May 1, 2016
Time: Tuesday – Thursday: 7:30 PM
Friday: 8:00 PM
Saturday: 2:00 PM & 8:00 PM
Sunday: 1:00 PM & 6:30 PM
*ASL Interpreted performance will be on Sunday at 1:00 PM
Interested in a show. You can purchase a Broadway Series Subscription that includes four shows: Once, Matilda the Musical, Ragtime and Cinderella. There are lots of great benefits of purchasing a subscription and prices vary starting from $100. Hurry and purchase now. So the next time you want to spend a night out on the town, dress up and take in a show at the beautiful, fascinating, stunning: The Hershey Theatre.
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Nickida
Nickida is a first-generation Trinidadian American wife and mother of four. She enjoys sharing recipes from her childhood growing up in Trinidad with her readers. Nickida has a son with Autism and shares posts around traveling with a child with special needs to help other families like her own. She loves television, movies and is a true 80's baby.
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