To Greatness

To the Editor:

Newtown is home to a bona fide Fairfield County hidden treasure: the Edmond Town Hall Theater. I spent the first 25 years of my life just a few towns away in Wilton, and yet I’d never heard of the Edmond until I moved to Newtown in 2007. I can’t imagine living without it now.

You don’t have to have much of an imagination to picture how the building would have looked when it was dedicated in 1930. Simply put, it probably looks a lot now like it did then, for better or for worse. The Edmond conjures up nostalgia for old-fashioned New England even as it cries out for 21st century amenities. It means so much to so many people, and yet I think it has the potential to be so much more.

Picture how the movie-going experience there would be enhanced with a new Blu-Ray projector. Not only would the image look a million times better, but the Edmond would be able to play many more films than it can now via this technology. Imagine how much more vibrant the live music experience would be with state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems. An overhaul of the electrical system, new paint, new stage curtains...the list of needed improvements is extensive.

Over the past year, I have developed the idea for a live music series at the Edmond for the Edmond. The first show on Friday, June 17, at 8 pm, will showcase acclaimed Providence, R.I. indie folk-rock quartet, The Low Anthem. This is a group on the rise, evidenced by their multiple appearances on David Letterman, and their recent tours with Iron & Wine, Emmylou Harris, the Avett Brothers, and Mumford & Sons. The warm, rustic Americana that runs through their music is very appropriate for the Edmond at this point in time: the sounds of a by-gone era infused with modern influences.

Every dollar of profit from this show will go towards updating and restoring the Edmond. It is my intention that this will be the first show in a larger series devoted to this cause, but I can’t make this work without your help. Please come out on the 17th, support one of our town’s landmarks, and enjoy an evening of awesome music.

Tickets are available at www.edmondtownhall.org/thelowanthem.

Hayden Bates

6 Key Rock Road, Newtown                                              May 27, 2011