By Dirk Langeveld

BRIDGEPORT — With the Downtown Cabaret Theatre set to close next month, advocates of the performing arts venue have launched a petition effort to try to keep the organization going.

The petition on Change.org asks for the theater to be saved before its anticipated closing following a final performance on June 28th. It calls on Mayor Joe Ganim, Connecticut state officials, and the building’s owner to “find a path forward and keep the Downtown Cabaret Theatre alive.”

The theater recently announced the planned closure, with Executive Director Hugh Hallinan citing a 65 percent drop in ticket revenues over the past two seasons as the primary driver of the decision. The theater derives approximately 85 percent of its revenues from ticket sales, and Hallinan said the organization’s modest financial reserves had been depleted over the past six months.

Hallinan said he has contacted Ganim directly with a request to find a possible way to save the Downtown Cabaret Theatre from closing. He said he was later supported by Councilwoman Eneida Martinez, who contacted Ganim, senior administration officials, and Bridgeport’s Office of Planning and Economic Development.

Hallinan asked supporters of the theater to continue advocating for a solution as well. As of Wednesday afternoon, more than 4,600 people had signed the petition.

“The Cabaret community has always shown up when it mattered most,” he said in an email. “I’m asking you to do that once more.”

Possible solutions floated

The petition suggests that while the Downtown Cabaret Theatre continues to enjoy strong support from patrons, the economics of running the venue have become unsustainable. It notes how the theater’s rent is $120,000 annually while the table-style seating only offers a capacity of 250 people for each performance.

The petition also cites a statement from Kiumarz Geula of Pillar Property Management, who told media that he wants the site — a former YWCA on Golden Hill Street — to remain as a performing arts venue.

Advocates suggest three possible solutions: having the city purchase the building, having a nonprofit or anchor institution take it over, or finding a way for state arts funding to close the revenue gap.

Hallinan voiced his support for the city purchase option in his email to Downtown Cabaret Theatre patrons. He said this step would help preserve a home not only for the theater but also for two other arts organizations: Neighborhood Studios and City Lights Gallery.

Economic impact cited

Advocates for an intervention to save the Downtown Cabaret Theatre also argue that it has had a significant impact on the city’s economy. Hallinan said more than 2 million patrons have attended a performance during its history, producing more than $90 million in local economic activity. He said the organization has also supported thousands of actors, musicians, technicians, designers, and other staff.

The petition on Change.org says the theater’s closure “will ripple through the entire downtown,” with an impact on restaurants and businesses. It says this would be a particularly harsh blow after the loss of another significant local institution, the Bridgeport Islanders. The professional hockey team is relocating to Ontario for its next season after more than two decades in the city.

Final performances and final campaign

Downtown Cabaret Theatre is offering two one-night performances — Red Velvet Burlesque tonight and comedian Joe DeVito on May 29th — before closing with a run of A Chorus Line from June 5th to June 28th. 

The organization first debuted in 1976, although it briefly shut down in the spring of 1980. A fundraising effort by Hallinan’s father Richard, who had been invited to join the theater and became a longtime leader of the organization, helped revive it. An extensive $1.3 million renovation of the theater was completed in 1995.

Alongside the petition effort to avoid the closure, Downtown Cabaret Theatre is attempting to raise funds to preserve archival video, photographs, posters, programs, and other materials from its history. Donations are tax deductible and will be matched by the Charitable Gifts Fund of Jen, Cory, and Bob Donnalley up to $20,000. 

“This is our final campaign — and our final opportunity to make sure the Cabaret’s story is not lost,” Downtown Cabaret Theatre states.

Donations can be made here.

Expanded coverage of Fairfield County cultural events is made possible with support from the Fairfield University Quick Center for the Arts

Dirk Langeveld

^{_{Dirk Langeveld has worked as a news reporter, content marketing specialist, and freelance writer. He is the author of “The Artful Dodger: The 20-Year Pursuit of World War I Draft Dodger Grover Cleveland Bergdoll” and has contributed to several books on Connecticut history.}}