2009 is drawing to a close and the countdown to a special new year begins. 2010 will mark the Music Hall’s 125th anniversary, as well as the 30th anniversary of its rescue from the wrecking ball.
This would have been the end of the story had it not been for The Friends of the Mozartina, the non-profit organization that purchased the theater on Valentine’s Day in 1980. The rescue was a risky one, for not only was the theater located in what many considered a depressed area, but it was also not operational due to a leaking roof, frozen heating pipes, insufficient electrical power, and other problems. The purchase and renovations were made possible through a mortgage arranged by Stephen Byelick, Vice-President of The Bank of New York, and Berthold Ringeisen, a Founding Board Member who, convinced the theater was important for the Village, put his home and life savings up as collateral. As there was no money available for a staff, the theater was completely operated by volunteers for twenty-three years, and Berthold and his wife, Helen, did most of the work themselves while continuing to work at their full-time jobs as a college language professor and a piano teacher respectively. They dedicated their lives to a building they did not even own. The 80s and 90s were a struggle and there were instances when the Ringeisens almost lost everything.
As ticket sales alone do not cover the costs associated with operating an historic theater, recent public support secured by Congresswoman Nita Lowey, New York State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, The Westchester County Board of Legislators, and The New York State Council on the Arts, along with donations from The Thursday Club, The Junior League of Westchester-on-Hudson, JP Morgan Chase, M&T Bank, Lucy R. Waletzky, MD, and others, have been instrumental in bringing the Music Hall closer to its full potential. In addition to programming and operating the theater, the staff has been closely working with architects and consultants, and plans for the Music Hall’s overall restoration project are well under way.