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2015 | Doing Business in Connecticut 81 By Carol Latter F or one of America's smallest states, Connecticut packs a huge cultural punch, offering some of the finest arts and culture venues in the country. World-class art exhibits of art abound statewide — from New Haven's Yale Center for British Art (housing the largest collection of British art pieces outside of the United Kingdom) to the wealth of impressionist paintings on display at the Wadsworth Museum of Art in Hartford and the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme, known as the home of American Impressionism. e New Britain Museum of American Art, "widely considered to be the first mu- seum in the world dedicated solely to Ameri- can art," according to the Connecticut Office of Tourism, "is renowned for its preeminent collection spanning three decades." Connecticut is also home to diverse mu- seums exhibiting everything from dinosaurs in New Haven and carousels in Bristol to puppets in Storrs — in fact, UConn is the only university in the country to offer a Master's degree in puppetry. e state boasts myriad historic homes and attractions, including the Mark Twain House and Gillette Castle. ere are countless musical events and venues, fairs and festivals, and dance performances ranging from ballet to modern. e state is also known for its presti- gious live theaters, including Hartford Stage, Goodspeed Musicals and the Westport Country Playhouse — all of which not only welcome internationally known thespians to their stages but regularly graduate actors, technical experts and original plays to the bright lights of Broadway. e state's arts and culture sector is a huge economic driver, injecting $653 million into the economy each year. A 2012 study called Arts & Economic Prosperity IV, produced by Americans for the Arts, said "this spending – $455.5 million by nonprofit arts and culture organizations and an additional $197.5 million in event-related spending by their audiences — supports 18,314 full-time equivalent jobs, generates $462.5 million in household income to local residents, and delivers $59.1 million in local and state government revenue." Michael Gennaro, who took the helm of Goodspeed this year following the retire- ment of longtime executive director Michael Price, couldn't agree more. He says people who come to enjoy productions at the Opera House in East Haddam and Norma Terris eatre in neighboring Chester not only take in the shows but oen stay in the area to soak up the beautiful scenery, have lunch and dinner, and enjoy local attractions, like a river cruise. Travelers from afar may also stay the night at a local hotel or inn. e same thing happens in Hartford, says Mike Stotts, now in his ninth year as managing director of Hartford Stage. People who go out to the theater in the evening oen make a night of it, with dinner and drinks beforehand, or aerwards. Stotts noted that Hartford Stage also has a direct economic impact on the economy, beyond the money spent by patrons. "We have an $8.5 million annual budget, and we spend most of that in Hartford – we pay our landlord, our employees, our talent and our vendors, and we hire people to build our sets and make our costumes," he said. "For every dollar spent on the arts, it pumps $4 into the local community, so we pro- vide a very good economic benefit to the city." At Goodspeed, the annual budget is $11 million. "I believe we probably have the largest budget in the state – at least for a performing arts organization, not counting the Bushnell," said Gennaro. "We also have the largest subscription base in the state: 15,000 people. We at- tract about 120,000 people per year to both theaters. Michael Price said that last year was one of the best years in the history of the theater." Hartford Stage, which last year marked its 50th anniversary, has also been riding high. "Over the last four years, we've had enormous success," said Stotts. "One of our shows moved to Broad- way and won a Tony Award, we had another on national tour, and a lot of others have gained broad attention in Connecticut and beyond." In fact, last June, "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder," which was developed and premiered at the Hartford Stage in 2012, won four Tony Awards in the musical category: best musical, best costume design, best book, and best direction, with the latter going to artistic director Darko Tresnjak. e Stage also had great success with "Man in a Case" featuring Mikhail Baryshnikov, a show that subsequently went on tour. "at also helped our presence on a more national basis," Stotts noted. "It benefits Hartford Stage here locally but also creates a tremendous amount of pride in the commu- nity that the work is being celebrated beyond just Hartford. And of course, that translates to increased subscriptions, corporate sponsors want to be engaged, and audiences are enthusi- astic about work we're producing, reaffirming our position as one of the leading theaters not only in the state but in the country — and that's good for Hartford." He said none of it would be possible with- out support from government and the business community; in addition to state funding, the Stage receives generous financial support by area businesses and corporations. "Our princi- pal production sponsors are extremely gener- ous and supportive – and have been, histori- cally, since the beginning of Hartford Stage." e theater also partners with local busi- nesses. "We've got a lot of different partnerships with various vendors. All of the restaurants within walking distance benefit from our pres- ence here and are also generous partners for ca- tering events for us," Stotts said. Dish restaurant hosts all of the theater's opening night parties. Michael Gennaro succeeded longtime executive direc- tor Michael Price at Goodspeed this year. Staging Success In Connecticut, show business is big business PHOTO|GOODSPEED MUSICALS Tourism, Arts & Culture INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT › Continued on page 84 >