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    Goodspeed Opera House

    4.4 (67 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

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    View of Godspeed Opera House at night before the show
    Joanne S.

    I was so honored to be able to finally get to see a musical at the Goodspeed Opera House tonight for Maggie the Musical. A friend of mine found out that the library in town gives tickets out seniors if you request them and I got to go with her. Maggie has been running since August 23rd and next week is the last week October 20th. If you haven't gotten a chance to see it it's definitely worth seeing. It's inspired by the true story of the power of the mother's love in the face of adversity. It is a celebration of the good that lives in all of us, and a reminder of the power of family and friendship. It's a great story of a single mother of three boys raising them in the year of 1968 in the mining town of Lanark, Scotland

    Playbill
    Dee C.

    I went to see A Chorus Line at the Goodspeed. The ushers and personnel were very kind and welcoming to the theatre production. They seated me. The cast was top notch with amazing voices and character. The musical score was lovely. It's as good as what I've seen on Broadway in NY C. I definitely would go again. It's 2 hrs and no intermissions and will keep you dancing in your seats.

    Scott G.

    Although I've passed by (and photographed) the Goodspeed Opera House many times before, I had never been inside until last night! I decided to go see A Christmas Story: The Musical, which is playing now until December 29th. I'm not really into plays and musicals, but this whole production was absolutely outstanding! Let's start off with the Goodspeed itself... the building is historic, built in 1876, and so walking inside you almost feel like you're going back in time! The theater is actually on the top two floors of the building, so once you walk inside, there is a grand red-carpeted staircase that you need to walk up, and then a second staircase that brings you to the orchestra-level seating. You can also take the elevator. For the balcony seating, you will have to climb a third set of stairs, and there is no elevator access for the balcony. Once I got into the theater, I was surprised at how small and intimate it was, both the seating and the stage. Now because this is an old building, the seats are tight and very close together (if you're claustrophobic, I'd recommend getting an aisle seat). The close seating didn't bother me though. The performance was an excellent adaptation of the movie A Christmas Story, and I was very impressed with the acting, singing, and dancing. The whole cast did an amazing job and are so talented! Back down on the first floor, you'll find the box office, bathrooms, snack bar/gift shop, and the bar. There's also a little back room with tables where you can sit and hang out. Again because this is an old building, the hallways are small and narrow, but it's to be expected with a building constructed almost 150 years ago. The snack bar has candy, pretzels, etc. as well as some small gift items, like hats, mugs, etc. The bar had a Christmas themed specialty drink menu, and all drinks can be poured into small plastic cups with lids that you can take into the theater. My only knock is that there are only a couple single-person bathrooms for guest to use as far as I saw, so there was always a line to use them. The parking lot is a short distance away, behind the Gelston House (a restaurant next door to the theater). There is a wooden bridge/path that you can walk to get to the theater. Last note, I was very impressed with how many staff members they had working to greet you, answer questions, and direct everyone where to go. And they were all very friendly! Overall, the Goodspeed Opera House is a really cool piece of CT history, and I would highly recommend going to see A Christmas Story or any other future productions!

    Alexandra T.

    What a lovely time we had at Goodspeed! My parents surprised me with a ticket to Christmas in Connecticut when I got off the plane yesterday. We came to the matinee, which was packed! The show itself was beyond phenomenal. Everyone who worked here was so sweet and helpful. The bar has reasonably priced cocktails (named after cocktails from the show--cute!), and very inexpensive (and delicious) coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. The opera house itself is charming and very well kept up, nestled on the Connecticut River. It's so beautiful. I can't wait to come back for another show!

    Jean Marie W.

    This was my second time seeing a show at Goodspeed - amazing experiences both times- seeing a matinee was so much fun because you can really enjoy the beautiful surroundings and enjoy a drink on their porch by the bar. We saw The Mystery of Edwin Drood which was outstanding - can't wait to return for more shows in the future!!

    Exterior
    Lenny G.

    Great place for regional theatre in this historic place. Free parking, but not to much in the way of dining options near the theatre.

    Summer Stock
    Lorraine G.

    Great spot in Haddam to see well orchestrated theatre performances. Relatively inexpensive. Well appointed theatre. Lots of activities in the area.

    Goodspeed Opera House!
    Tim S.

    Beautiful architecture, beautiful setting on the banks if the Connecticut River, great shows, good parking- what else could you ask for? Located just over the Swing Bridge in East Haddam, CT, this is a must go to place for anyone looking to enjoy some musical theater. Though maybe not on a par with such locales as Broadway, it certainly is a showcase for local talent as well as major star talent (see Peter Dinklage's appearances here in 2018). A must see!

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    The Opera House is a very special historical Victorian building on the CT river. Mostly musicals of high quality are performed there.

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    4 years ago

    Just amazing and has that ideal New England charm. Highly recommend- actors from all over the world to preform here!

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    8 years ago

    Fantastic productions at both the Goodspeed Opera House and the Norma Terris Theatre in Chester!

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    Ask the Community - Goodspeed Opera House

    Review Highlights - Goodspeed Opera House

    It is a small, intimate setting with unique historical architecture, placed right on the Connecticut river.

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    Wesleyan University - South College, the original academic building when Wesleyan was founded in 1831. It is connected to North College via a windowed walkway.

    Wesleyan University

    4.5(8 reviews)
    12.4 mi

    I have no idea why someone would use yelp to decide about attending or working for any college, but…read moresince it's here I'll add my opinion. I'm a grad and 3 in my immediate family are grads or current student. One English major, one molecular bio, one neuroscience + Korean double major, one still deciding but maybe comp sci/ astrophysics This is a magical school. Professors are excellent teachers and tops in their fields. They care about teaching and their students. More science funding than any other small school. More NSF funded professors than any other school. More foreign languages taught than any other school. Best film department in the country. Big telescopes. Yes it's weird and proud of it. Non- conformist students who want to create new ways of solving issues. Diversity university and proud of it. Read President Roth's books and articles. No core coursework outside the major Everyone here did well in high school and took advanced classes. Wes trusts its students to explore the curriculum. The academic freedom makes it easier to double major as well. The city of Middletown has enough to satisfy, but this is not a " college town" and wes knows that. So they provide so much to do that students don't want to leave on the weekend or evenings: theater, movies 4 nights a week, music series, dance series, lectures plus spring fling. Students pile on even more student-run music, dance, theater, clubs, parties. Best housing: more single rooms, more student housing options with kitchens, meal plan that you can use to buy groceries. Bathroom grade: A. Yep, they have plenty of gender neutral and ADA options.

    Since non-students are posting reviews about a school they never attended I'd like to partake in…read morethe fun too. First off prospective students should take these non-student reviews with a grain of salt. They're kinda silly and my review is no exception. Secondly it's unfortunate there are people in this world who hold a grudge against a potential employer simply because a job interview didn't turn out the way they intended. Can you say "sour grapes"? I doubt their employment seeking experience reflects the actual student experience at Wesleyan University in any way, shape or form. Now I don't pretend to know everything about this school. I'll leave that to the REAL students. But I will tell you that the harsh criticism of the school and the town of Middletown is undeserved. It's unfair. How an outsider can walk around a campus and a street for a few days and conclude that others should stay away is beyond me. It's unfathomable. Everyone I know who graduated from Wesleyan loved it. The school holds an exemplary reputation throughout the state of Connecticut. I sometimes hire for my company and I would personally hire a Wesleyan grad any day over some dumb Stanford or UPenn grad. It's a no brainer, especially after my recent experience in dealing with the ilk of people from those two schools. Newsflash for Chrissy; both schools were beat by Columbia in this year's US News ranking. Ha ha.

    Photos
    Wesleyan University - North College, the original dormitory in 1831. Now houses Wesleyan's adminstrative offices, such as the Registrar.

    North College, the original dormitory in 1831. Now houses Wesleyan's adminstrative offices, such as the Registrar.

    Wesleyan University
    Wesleyan University - 200 Church Street, aka "Social Justice House", a special-interest residence hall at Wesleyan University. (formerly the Chi Psi fraternity).

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    200 Church Street, aka "Social Justice House", a special-interest residence hall at Wesleyan University. (formerly the Chi Psi fraternity).

    Goodspeed Opera House - theater - Updated June 2026

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