Opera House, Newport

Opera House, Newport

In 2007, a group of Newport citizens came together to form the Newport Performing Arts Center (NPAC) with the vision of restoring The Newport Opera House. Built in 1868 as a musical theatre venue, the Opera House had been converted into a triplex cinema by the late 1900′s. The Board of NPAC asked The Field Organization to do a Business Plan for the Opera House which would outline a sustainable operating model. To complete this task, TFO held interviews or meetings with some fifty community members, presenters, business representatives and board members and facilitated a retreat for the Board to agree on an operating model for the Opera House. The completed Business Plan, issued in April 2008, included an Economic Impact Study showing the quantitative benefit to the Newport Region as well as an examination of comparable New England venues.