PTPA BUYS THE J.J. FERRARA CENTER
The Pennsylvania Theatre of Performing Arts is proud to announce that they are the new owners of the J.J. Ferrara Center, located at 212 W. Broad Street in downtown Hazleton. The center was sold to the PTPA by The Greater Hazleton Philharmonic Society.
The PTPA has been the premier performing arts company in Hazleton since its establishment in 1997. Since then they have performed in many venues, including their old facility on Laurel Street. More recent endeavors have involved productions at The Strand Roller Rink and The Factory in Nuremberg.
The Ferrara Center has been the home of PTPA since the 2007 season. Due to hard economic times, the Philarmonic was no longer able to make the venue a successful venture. The PTPA made an offer to purchase the center from them, and the rest is history!
In 2010, the first year as full owners, the PTPA will be providing patrons with a nine-show season, with wonderful productions including blockbusters such as Grease, Fiddler on the Roof, Chicago, Annie, and Little Shop of Horrors. PTPA will also be launching a new rehearsal studio, as well as a new kitchen and catering facility by the spring of 2010. Also in the works is a new sound system that will be in place by March of 2010, providing audiences and renters with a more professional and enjoyable experience.
Through this purchase, the Pennsylvania Theatre of Performing Arts hopes to make the Ferrara Center more accessible to the public by offering affordable rental packages for events of all shapes and sizes. From a small corporate meeting for 25 to concerts seating 625, the Ferrara Center offers competitive pricing compared with other local and out-of-town venues.
Working on a platform that was laid by Father Joseph Ferrara some 25 years ago, the PTPA hopes to allow the Ferrara Center to remain the cultural and artistic cornerstone of the Greater Hazleton Area for many years to come.