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e a Scherer Library of , Tony for the title role. A historic 1974 performance of n Aristophanes' The Frogs, performed at Yale Repertory Theatre n East Haddam Few institutions enjoy a physical setting as agreeable as that and scored by , is represented, made more ; , of the Goodspeed Opera House, which sits on a rise interesting through its listing of , Meryl Streep, r overlooking the picturesque section of the River and playwright among the members of separating Haddam and East Haddam. The building itself the chorus. The library also maintains aunique assortment of completes the picture, a carefully restored nineteenth-century theater advertising memorabilia, including View Master viewers structure built by magnate William H. Goodspeed in 1876 as, and disks, fans, and even embossed chopsticks-the last used y believe it or not, an opera house. The building was put to to promote Flower Drum Song. various other uses for years, until 1963, when its original The audio collection is also impressive: 4,000 CDs include e purpose was reestablished. Since that time, the Goodspeed the expected musical theater performances, as well as some e has become one of the principal venues for musical theater in from opera and cabaret theater. The 10,000 78 rpm-and • by Earl Ro), the country, and enjoys awell-earned international reputation. later records cover a larger range, including even more opera The Scherer Library of Musical Theatre, housed in a brick and spoken-word recordings. There is a sizable collection of building ashort distance from the theater, was established to audio cassettes (including arare 1955 recording of atelevision The size and serve as the archive of this institution. Materials documenting performance of Our Town with Frank Sinatra), video disks, the history of the Goodspeed are safely housed in acid-free and even some 8-track and reel-to-reel tapes. An area of the depth ofthe r containers, and include programs, photographs, promotional library is devoted to a listening station with several pieces of [Scherer} materials, scripts, and scores. Files are maintained on actors audio hardware. and other personnel, on the shows produced here, and on the The Scherer Library's holdings, with few exceptions, are collection is history of the organization. The archive not cataloged, though a database is maintained locally. Rhys exceeded only by also includes a complete file on the renovation of the opera knows well the advantage of providing online access to the f house and videotapes of all Goodspeed Opera House collection but doubts that such aproject can begin in the near the New York productions mounted after the 1960s. future, due to a lack of the necessary funds. At this time, Public Library The Scherer Library is much more than an archive, however. access is available only through him. Because of space In its relatively small building, shared with the Costume restrictions and continuing donations from lovers of musical for the Perform• Department, is housed an enormous amount of material: the theater, actors and production staff, and other interested parties, ing Arts and the size and depth of the collection is exceeded only by the New Rhys does not actively collect new materials, though journal York Public Library for the Performing Arts and the Shubert subscriptions are kept up-to-date. There is asignificant backlog Shubert Archive. Archive, both in New York City. Education Director Will Rhys, that demands his (and an intern'S) continuing attention. He has who has served as librarian here for a year, stresses that, placed a limit on the number of duplicates the library can despite its archival role, the Scherer is a working research accommodate and stores the rest off-site. library. Materials receive greatest use during the development The Scherer Library of Musical Theatre is open to the public, of shows at the Goodspeed Opera House, when staff members though Rhys recommends are most likely to investigate past perfonnances and production calling 860-873-8664 x373 methods. to make sure he is available The collection includes thousands of monographs, 19,000 when needed. The collection WHERE'S programs and 1,200 souvenir programs, 1,300 libretti, 1,600 does not circulate. More CHARLEY? scripts, and 1,200 scores, as well as many stage managers' information is available at calling scripts, posters, and ticket stubs. When the National www.goodspeed.org/library. Broadcasting Company chose no longer to support its fully Earl Roy is Catalog cataloged 17,000-piece Sheet Music Library, it was donated to Librarian for the Map the Scherer Library. The Gershwin and Hammerstein families Collection, History and Social have also donated works to the library, and the Scherer recently Sciences Team, Yale acquired the collection of the late character actor Max Showalter, University Library. If you which is currently being organized. know ofacollection that would Some theater programs are among the prized possessions interest our readers, please of the library. One is from Away We Go, produced at the contact him at TH~ ~t!Y~ltt Shubert Theatre in New Haven in 1943, which-after its New [email protected]. FOR THE ST.j-AMES THEATRE Haven run-was retitled Oklahoma. Another is from Where 's Charley, and is signed by Ray Bolger, who won the 1948/49

CONNECTICUT LIBRARIES· JULY/AUGUST 2004 • PAGE 7