Infinity Hall facts for kids
Infinity Hall is a cool place where you can watch live music and performances. It has two main locations in Connecticut: one in a really old building in Norfolk, Connecticut, and another in a more modern spot in Hartford, Connecticut. Both are run by the same company, bringing great shows to people.
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Infinity Hall in Norfolk
A Look Back: The History of the Building
The building where Infinity Hall in Norfolk is located was built a long time ago, in 1883. When it first opened, it was called the Norfolk Village Hall. People often called it the Norfolk Opera House. It was a busy place, working as an opera house (where plays and shows happened), a barber shop, and even a saloon. A famous architect named George Palliser designed it.
For many years, until the late 1940s, the Norfolk Opera House was a popular spot for vaudeville shows (a mix of different acts like comedy, music, and dance) and other plays. After that, it changed uses and became a restaurant and a grocery store for about 40 years. The building then closed its doors in 1994 and stayed empty for four years.
In 1998, two people who wrote and produced plays, Maura Cavanaugh and Richard Smithies, bought the building. They spent a lot of money, about US$650,000, to fix it up and bring it back to life. They even rebuilt a tall observation tower that was part of the original design! They renamed the place the Greenwoods Theater and started putting on plays and musical shows again. The Greenwoods Theater was open until early 2007, when it had to close due to money problems.
New Beginnings: Infinity Hall is Born
On February 3, 2007, a person named Dan Hincks bought the building. He was the boss of a printing and publishing company. Dan Hincks had a big vision for the old theater. He spent even more money to make the inside and outside of the building look amazing. He added a new restaurant called Infinity Bistro, a fantastic sound system, and comfortable spaces for performers. He also made the seating better and expanded the lower level.
All these changes turned the building into a modern performing arts theater with about 300 seats and a restaurant. Dan Hincks decided to call the new venue Infinity Hall. He said he chose the name "Infinity" because "the sky is the limit" when it comes to bringing people together with music.
Infinity Hall officially opened on October 17, 2008, with a concert by singer Kenny Rankin. Many other famous musicians, like Melissa Manchester and Todd Rundgren, played there soon after. The in-house restaurant, Infinity Bistro, opened in May 2009. In its first two years, Infinity Hall hosted over 400 concerts and welcomed more than 80,000 visitors! In 2010, Yankee magazine even voted Infinity Music Hall the Best Music Hall in New England.
Infinity Bistro also received awards. In 2010, a poll by Connecticut Magazine voted it the Best New Restaurant in Litchfield County and second best in the whole state.
Starting in 2012, TV channels like Connecticut Public Television and American Public Television began filming live musical performances at Infinity Hall. These shows became part of their popular Infinity Hall Live television series.
Infinity Hall in Hartford
The second Infinity Hall is located in Hartford, Connecticut. It's a modern building found on 32 Front Street, in an area known for entertainment. This venue is larger than the one in Norfolk, with about 500 seats in total. It has 415 seats on the main stage level and 90 more in the mezzanine (a balcony area). For shows where people stand, the hall can hold up to 750 people!
See also
- Lists of theatres
- Music of Connecticut
- Theatre of the United States
