Hudson River Music Hall Productions, Inc. (HRMH), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, was founded in December 2010 by musician/ composer Jonathan Newell, record producer Stu Kuby, Business Professor Nicholas Buttino, and Community member Judith Johnson.
Its mission is “to create community through music and the related arts” in the Village of Hudson Falls, NY. Its objectives are “to enhance the quality of life and the surrounding communities by providing performance and educational opportunities through music, dance, theater and the visual arts” and to “attract economic development and opportunities for our community.”
Since its first production on December 19, 2010 in the former Washington County Courtroom, HRMH has brought over 150 events per year to the public; live music, art gallery openings, dance seminars, theatrical productions, private gatherings and many more opportunities for the community to gather through the arts.
In 2011, the Board and members of HRMH purchased the historic former Bell Telephone Company building. The 1881 structure became home to a music performance space, black box theater with movie screen, a visual arts gallery, a dance studio and music library. The building became the community arts center; offering music lessons, dance, yoga, karate, art exhibits and live performance.
Through this venue, HRMH nurtured local talent; offered affordable space for artists to work at their craft and realize their potential; and became an incubator for creativity and entrepreneurship. Besides touring professionals, it hosted local talent showcases and offered Open Mic Night every Wednesday evening.
In 2013 HRMH partnered with the village board of Hudson Falls to create an outdoor amphitheater, now known as Grace Park, to showcase the natural beauty within the village.
In a short time HRMH began to outgrow its space at 10 Maple Street and sought to accommodate the surge of performers and students with a larger performance venue. In 2014, the Town of Kingsbury offered to sell HRMH the Town of Kingsbury office building, which had been housed in the former 1923 Strand Theater building in downtown Hudson Falls. HRMH commissioned architectural studies and cost models, an Economic Impact Analysis, and other feasibility studies, and met with its members and supporters to see if this could be done.
On October 7, 2016, the Hudson River Music Hall Productions, Inc. purchased town hall and immediately began work to re-convert it to a legitimate theatre. Within 3 months the first concerts were held in the lobby. Within 6 months the first concerts were held in the Theater Space. Phase 1 – the theatre, lobby, entry foyer, and coffee shop; was completed in October 2019, 3 years after purchase, and culminated with 2 sold out shows by Hudson Falls grad and International jazz star Tony DeSare.
The theatre has been lovingly restored by community volunteers of all ages and all skill levels. The project has been funded by hundreds of individuals, local foundations and state grants. Musicians, actors, dancers and artists participate in dozens of fundraisers each year.
Strand Theatre Hudson Falls has a 350-seat auditorium with a 32’x24’stage for music performance, dance, theatre production and film, a professional concert sound system, a 9’ Steinway concert grand piano, a WiFi coffee shop, an art gallery/lobby and education/rental space.
The Strand Theatre will help to fulfill the goals of HRMHP; to create a destination in downtown Hudson Falls, to attract new business, and to impact the quality of life for residents of upstate New York.
HRMH presents all genres of music from rock to folk, country to classical, jazz and world music, modern pop and more. We mostly host music events but we also host 6-10 theater productions and 6-10 dance performances per year, monthly classic films, a World Cinema Series, Silent Film Festival, a weekly open mic, lectures and more.
