
"The whole motivation behind it is that we're selling out we need more seats," said spokesman Dan McMahon. The new theatre would not only have a larger auditorium (allowing more people to see shows), it would have a larger stage house to accommodate Broadway-sized physical productions. Works first staged in the tiny opera house now have to be redesigned and rebuilt if they are to move on. One of the reasons for the new building is to help make new shows ready for moving to commercial runs elsewhere. The new building would also house the staff of the theatre (and possibly its extensive musical theatre library) and complement the Goodspeed season. This excursion operates Rain or Shine but the the Company reserves the rights to delay, postpone or cancel the excursion.Goodspeed Musicals is expected to be a three-venue complex in and around East Haddam, CT, in the next few years as the Tony Award-honored musical theatre company explores building a $35 million new theatre.Ī spokesman for Goodspeed Musicals, which gave Annie, Man of La Mancha and Shenandoah early productions before Broadway, told Playbill On-Line the hoped for site of the new 700-seat theatre is a car dealership two doors down from the historic Goodspeed Opera House. Tickets are non-refundable but can be exchanged for another date/time if done so 48 hours prior to your scheduled excursion. Advance purchase is strongly suggested walk up ticket purchase availability is not guaranteed. Please arrive 30 minutes before your departure time and check in at the Essex Station Ticket Window. In February and March, the majestic Bald Eagle is the star of the show when it migrates south to the Connecticut River Valley from Canada and Maine. The train travels near the tidal wetlands of Pratt Cove and Chester Creek - bountiful, natural habitats for birds including Cormorants, Ducks, Swans, Greenland Geese, Blue Heron, Egrets, and Red-winged Blackbirds.

Essex Steam Train offers unique access to several coves and preserves, immersing passengers in an on-board eco-excursion. A natural highlight is the undeveloped Selden Neck State Park, accessible only by boat. The steam locomotive pulls vintage coaches through the quintessential New England towns of Deep River and Chester. Essex Steam Train & Riverboat’s 2 1/2-hour train and riverboat or 1 hour train only journeys begins at the historic 1892 Essex Station for a 12-mile, narrated round-trip into the heart of the unspoiled Connecticut River Valley.
