Category: Renovation Updates
Year-Round Performing Arts Venue Coming to Saratoga We can’t believe opening night is almost here. Universal Preservation Hall has come a long way — from a crumbling, historic church to a spectacular year-round performing arts venue right in the heart of downtown Saratoga. We like to call UPH our beautiful... Read more » ... Read More
This was a big week for Universal Preservation Hall in the news. Check out some of our featured articles: U.S. World Report & News, “Work Begins to Turn Old Church into Performing Arts Venue,” December, 7, 2018. WAMC Northeast Public Radio, “Construction Underway at Universal Preservation Hall,” December 6, 2018.... Read more » ... Read More
What’s Your Story? For the past 12 years, my life has been intertwined with UPH. Hundreds have shared stories with me about the importance this building has had in their lives including baptisms, weddings, nursery school, girl and boy scout meetings, dance classes, and AA meetings. This building has been... Read more » ... Read More
Dear Readers, Good news for UPH: We are officially a hard-hat only building. I’m excited to tell you that construction has begun and our contractor (Bonacio Construction Co) is hard at work. Never having been through a project like this, Mary Beth and I are learning all about the renovation... Read more » ... Read More
Renovating a 150 year old building is not a simple undertaking. There are many factors to consider: historic preservation, functionality, building codes, safety, longevity, aesthetics, and even visitor experience. While Universal Preservation Hall has always been a gathering place, in its new functionality as a state of the art performance facility, every... Read more » ... Read More
Throughout its long history, says Campaign Director Teddy Foster, Universal Preservation Hall has been a community gathering space. It was built, in fact, as a venue that could host speakers like Frederick Douglass, Theodore Roosevelt and William Jennings Bryan in addition to being a Methodist church. The ground floor Community... Read more » ... Read More
Local live music fans will fondly recall the Starlite Music Theater, which began its life as the Colonie Musical Theater in 1958, before taking the more familiar Colonie Coliseum name in the early 70s. Located just off Route 9 in Latham, the Coliseum began—like Chatham’s still operating, but much smaller... Read more » ... Read More