Inside the Sterling Opera House (photo by Anthony Mullin).
DERBY – A newly created city committee is on a mission to restore the historic Sterling Opera House.
The Sterling Opera House Committee was approved by the Board of Aldermen/Alderwomen on March 9. Several members of the community had already met informally prior to being formally created by the Alders.
Mayor Richard Dziekan is expected to formally appoint members at some point, possibly at a meeting scheduled for April 13, though the item was not on an agenda. The Valley Indy reached out to the mayor and his chief of staff for clarification but had not heard back by 5 p.m. Thursday.
Resident Anthony Mullin, a local photographer who also serves on a neighboring committee in Ansonia to restore the Ansonia Opera House, is excited to get the ball rolling with the Sterling Opera House.
“I love history and historical projects,” Mullin said. “I love the challenge of getting these projects done for all the people of Ansonia and Derby. Hopefully someday soon we’ll have some awesome entertainment venues in the Valley.”
The Sterling Opera House, located at 112 Elizabeth St., was built in 1889.
It is named for Charles A. Sterling, founder of the former Derby-based Sterling Piano Company. In its heyday, celebrities including George Burns, Lionel, John and Ethel Barrymore, Harry Houdini and even Amelia Earhart appeared at the theater, prior to its final curtain call in 1945.
City Hall and the police station occupied the first floor of the building until 1965. The opera house was the first structure in Connecticut to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The city, for years, had been working to restore the Sterling back to its glory. Numerous grants were secured under the previous administrations of former Mayors Marc Garofalo and Anthony Staffieri for renovations. The majority of renovations, however, have been to the building’s exterior.
The newly formed committee will embark on a mission to seek more funding to ensure the interior gets restored.
In 2011, the Valley Community Foundation established an endowment fund for the opera house, donating $15,000 toward renovations.
Resident Dana Florenza Serna said a previous group, Save Our Sterling, was formed about 20 years ago and did a ton of work in terms of fundraising. Serna said that group — which according to documents found online haven’t met since 2008 — is onboard with the new group taking over the reins.
Serna said her daughter works next door to the Sterling.
“I kept driving there to pick her up and kept looking at this beautiful historic building and I can’t believe it’s just sitting there,” Serna said. “I posed a question on the Derby community (Facebook) and I got a lot of feedback.”
Serna said several residents stepped up to serve and were ultimately successful in getting the BOA/BOAA to approve the creation of the committee.
“My wish is to restore the Sterling Opera House back to what it was‑a live entertainment venue,” Serna said.
Both Serna and Mullin said some of the committee’s first tasks will be to see if the funding from VCF can be transferred to the new committee, look into obtaining a tax ID and 501c3 nonprofit status and start brainstorming ways to fundraise, as well as acquire grants to pay for interior renovations.
Mullin said having a couple of Aldermen serve on the committee, and being backed by the city, will go far toward helping the mission to acquire grants and other sources of funding.
Alderman Gino DiGiovanni said he envisions the theater being used for live entertainment, similar to the Palace Theater in both Waterbury and Danbury, which are smaller venues that host live music, comedians and smaller acts.
“Since COVID, people really don’t want to be in a 50,000-seat venue, they want more of an intimate venue,” he said. “We could look into bringing in a management company to lease the building from the city, and they’d be responsible for booking shows. Derby is right in a sweet spot for a venue like this. It would generate a lot of interest, money and bring people to the downtown businesses.”
Mullin cited the Thomaston Opera House, built in 1884, which has also been revived and is used for culture, arts and recreational activities, all while retaining its historical status.
In recent years, the Sterling has generated plenty of interest from area filmmakers and ghost hunters. During the pandemic in Feb. 2021, iconic crooner Harry Connick, Jr. shot a video for “Amazing Grace” at the opera house.
Serna said the committee plans to meet the second Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the Hotchkiss Hose Co.
The exterior of the Sterling Opera House (photo by Anthony Mullin).
