The 122-year-old venue will open its doors to the community for the first time since 2020 after undergoing an extensive renovation to restore its historic charm.
After nearly 5 years, Irvington Theater — the 122-year-old performing arts venue located inside Irvington, New York’s historic Town Hall — is reopening its doors to neighbors throughout Westchester County and the greater New York City metropolitan area.
All fall long, IT will host and present a series of not-to-be-missed events, kicking off Saturday, October 26 from 2-4pm with the Irvington Theater Open House! Be the first to behold the completely refreshed theater space, explore the refurbished lobby and dressing rooms, and see the new color scheme and custom carpet in person! This free event will include light refreshments live music by multi-instrumentalist Miyuki Furtado, providing a wonderful opportunity for neighbors to connect with staff, the theater commission, and the Friends of the Irvington Theater. No registration required; just show up!
On Saturday, November 9 at 7:30pm, the theater will host “Laugh Out Loud: A Night of Comedy to Celebrate Irvington Theater’s Grand Reopening!” Leave the kids at home and grab your partner or a group of friends for a riotous night of all-star comedy in Irvington. Headlined by mainstay of the NYC comedy scene, Lenny Marcus (The Late Show with David Letterman, The Daily Show), the lineup also includes Ophira Eisenberg (NPR’s Ask Me Another
The Late Late Show), Mike Feeney (The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Last Call with Carson Daly), and Erin Jackson (Late Night with Seth Meyers, CONAN). Tickets start at $35 and are on sale now at www.irvingtontheater.com.
“I am extremely excited to open our doors up to the public again so they can see all the work that has gone on during our closure,” said Theater Manager Gregory Allen in a statement. “The excitement of our staff and theater commission is palpable as we work towards our Open House on October 25 and Grand Reopening on November 9. So many new people have moved to our Village since we’ve been physically closed, and we can’t wait to share with them all that that Irvington Theater has to offer.”
Like most arts organizations, Irvington Theater first closed its doors in 2020 due to the pandemic, triggering a multi-year pivot to a series of online and in-person, offsite events known as #IrvingtonAnywhere. When restrictions on in-person gathering began to ease, the doors to Irvington Theater remained closed; an interior facelift was well underway, which included replacing the audio console, upgrading the lighting and sound systems, refreshing the lobby and dressing rooms, and re-gold leafing the entire proscenium arch.
At that point, it had been more than 40 years since the theater had undergone a significant renovation, and the decades-old ventilation system couldn’t meet the standards of the moment. In 2021, thanks to the help of the Irvington Village Board, State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and the NYS Assembly, a plan to install a state-of-the-art HVAC system was approved, kicking off another major construction project that will allow the theater to operate year-round for the first time in its history.
In addition to the grand reopening events, IT will also welcome back its Arts Partners to the venue this fall, with productions like Clocktower Players’ The Color Purple in concert and Broadway Training Center’s Les Misérables (School Edition). In 2025, Irvington Theater will also host their own beloved offerings like As iFF (All Shorts Irvington Film Festival) and the Arts Incubator Short Play Fest at their historic performing arts space. Learn more about these events, and more to be announced, at www.irvingtontheater.com.
Irvington Theater is home to a diverse range of innovative programming that entertains, enlightens, and inspires, establishing itself over its 122-year history as the cultural heart of the Rivertowns. The theater produces original programming and, in collaboration with its Arts Partners, curates high-quality theater, music, film, comedy, and dance for the greater New York metropolitan area.
