Norwood Theatre

109 Central Street,
Norwood, MA 02062

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Showing 26 - 38 of 38 comments

johnag18
johnag18 on May 10, 2006 at 5:02 pm

I am the House Manager at the Fiddlehead Theatre in Norwood. The theater is scheduled to reopen this summer starting with it’s Fiddlehead Junior summer camp program followed by the 2006/2007 season show lineup. For more information go to our website www.fiddleheadtheatre.com

Ron Newman
Ron Newman on March 27, 2006 at 3:20 am

I have no news to report about this theatre, but here are some recent photos.

James Fisher
James Fisher on January 20, 2006 at 6:58 pm

I did learn the company moved back to the boston area but iam uncertain where and the theatre is still vacant due to roof damanges Boston firm owns the building

Ron Newman
Ron Newman on January 20, 2006 at 11:19 am

This is from April 2005: Norwood Cooperative Bank Donates $2,500 to Norwood Theatre Facade Improvement Campaign. Has a photo of the facade, with the bank president and Fiddlehead’s director standing side-by-side.

Ron Newman
Ron Newman on January 19, 2006 at 6:59 pm

The following article appeared in the Norwood Bulletin on August 25, 2005. I am reposting it here with permission from the newspaper’s editor. The Bulletin has not published any more articles on the subject since then … but maybe they’ll follow up on it now, after getting my phone query this week.

An Uncertain Curtain Call
Fiddlehead Theatre plays at a standstill; Un-Common alliance quashed

By Cathy Maloney
Correspondent

Fiddlehead Theatre fans may be heartened by the marquee change at the historic downtown theater recently. The Bye Bye Birdie billboard, in place since the show ended in April, was removed to announce a one night concert by Norwood’s own Harry and the Potters.

But a theater alliance announced in June between Fiddlehead and a Mansfield theater group was called off by Fiddlehead just two weeks after it was announced. And Fiddlehead’s own performance schedule is silent, with no auditions announced.

The Un-Common Theatre of Mansfield, a youth theater production company, was to have done three performances at Fiddlehead â€" two this year and one in the spring of 2006. In addition, a combined holiday musical production with Fiddlehead was planned for December of this year.

Fiddlehead Theatre founder and president Meg Fofonoff recently confirmed that the planned alliance had been called off, but declined further comment. She also declined to comment on plans for Fiddlehead’s upcoming season.

The Fiddlehead web site has no specific information yet on the 2005-2006 season, and no calls for auditions.

When the alliance was made in June, Fofonoff had plenty to say in a statement.

“Theater is at its best when you can create a symbiotic relationship like the one we are working on here,” she said. “The costs of theatrical productions are soaring and more theater groups are looking to help each other by loaning each other sets and costumes.”

Chris Lowey, Un-Common Theatre president, said she was informed by Fiddlehead that the alliance was off two weeks after the June announcement was made.

Un-Common’s first production at Fiddlehead, Bat Boy, was scheduled to be performed the last weekend of July. Lowey was able to secure a location in Bellingham in time for the show.

As for why the alliance was called off by Fiddlehead, Lowey said it was “for their own reasons” and that Fiddlehead’s “situation changed.”

Lowey did acknowledge that it’s a tough time for community theatre groups.

“I don’t have people to manage along with a building,” she said. “There is a simple solution â€" money.”

Unlike Fiddlehead, which is privately owned, Lowey’s theater group leases space for its productions.

“We don’t have the pressures that those who own and manage properties do,” Lowey said.

Until this year’s arrangement with Fiddlehead, Un-Common performed at the Orpheum in Foxboro and other locations.

Royalties for live productions are paid based on seating capacity. Fiddlehead has a 514-seat main stage, as well as 210 seats upstairs.

Children’s theater classes were held this summer, the last session finishing up Aug. 19.

Fiddlehead Jr. Theatre’s summer program included five sessions which had the children working on productions such as Les Mis Jr. and Little Shop of Horrors.

Ron Newman
Ron Newman on January 18, 2006 at 5:57 am

This is the Fiddlehead Theatre Company website, which as you can see hasn’t been updated since April 2005. I called both the town hall and the town library, but wasn’t able to find out anything about why this company closed. I’ve also phoned both of the town newspapers (neither of which have a web site), and hope to learn more from them.

James Fisher
James Fisher on January 18, 2006 at 3:55 am

YES THE CINEMA IS CLOSED I DROVE BUY THERE ON NEW YEARS

Ron Newman
Ron Newman on January 18, 2006 at 1:31 am

The web site hasn’t been updated with new shows since April 2005, and the phone is disconnected. This is not good. Anyone know more?

James Fisher
James Fisher on January 17, 2006 at 6:57 pm

I HAD READ THE THEATRE CLOSED DUE TO SOME ROOF DAMANGE I SURLY WOULD HAVE LOVED TO TAKEN THE THEATRE OVER AGAIN jIM

James Fisher
James Fisher on November 4, 2005 at 5:21 pm

Norwood Cinema my second theatre i loved to run i was a manager in this Cinema for just under two yrs in 1987-1989 i had to prove i could make a go at running this cinema and showing a profit which i did in order for me to return home to the Union theatre, to reopen the theatre that had been closed for two yrs i enjoyed this cinema this had well beyond the walla all the orginal i wanted to be the one to redo this theatre and have fun! how ever money was the factor there so i moved on what i did for Norwood was removed 100 seats down stairs and
78 seat upstairs to allow for wheel chairs this cinema had some kinda power i sold the theatre out on March 1 1988 with three men and a babe and good morning vietnam a night from hell sorta speek i was the manger / projestionist and my other help had called in sick so i ran the whole show including conccession stand However thru my door pass the nicest people in the world MY Patrons time change and as i look back i miss the cinemas alot!Check out the A/c and heat units below the cinemas floors wow

David Wodeyla
David Wodeyla on October 23, 2004 at 3:30 pm

The Film Daily Yearbooks list the Norwood Theatre with 1200 seats. There were two other theatres in town, the Guild with 600 seats, and the Southern with 360. Any information on those would be interesting. Both the Guild and the Norwood were owned by the George Giles Co., which later merged with Phil Smith’s Theatrical Enterprises. In the early 1950’s, this Company became known as General Drive-In, and later, General Cinema.

johnlu15
johnlu15 on February 22, 2004 at 7:53 pm

I work at the Fiddlehead Theatre/Norwood Theatre. When the Norwood Theatre was a single screen movie theatre it did not seat 1195 people it sat 724 people. 210 upstairs, 514 downstairs.
Where did you get your information?

William
William on November 20, 2003 at 3:31 pm

When the Norwood Theatre was a single screen movie theatre it seated 1195 people.