Bucks County Playhouse will hold a ceremony on Thursday, October 19, at 10:30 a.m. to officially reopen and rededicate New Hope’s historic Parry Barn as the Bill Harris and Jay Manas Playhouse Barn. There will be a special performance by Ashley Blanchet, who appeared on Broadway as Elsa in “Frozen,” “Beautiful,” “Annie,” and “Memphis.” She will be accompanied by Bob Egan, who created the Cabaret of Odette’s, the famed New Hope nightclub where he entertained for 21 years.
The barn, one of the oldest stone structures in New Hope, is being named for two long-time residents of Upper Black Eddy in Bucks County who were not only partners of more than 30 years, but also were well-known and loved in the community. Manas died almost three decades ago, and Harris passed away last year after a lengthy battle with Parkinson’s disease.
The gift is part of a trust established by Manas and was directed to the Playhouse through Bill T. Nolan, a long-time friend of the couple and the sole Trustee.
“Bill Harris was an avid theatergoer, not only in New York, but especially in Bucks County, where he never missed an opening night,” says Nolan. “Longtime supporters and subscribers of the Playhouse, William Tomai and John Sebesta, always made sure that Bill Harris was part of their Playhouse subscription group — helping to keep Bill’s love of the theater alive, specifically his love for the Playhouse.”
The gift from the Manas trust represents one of the largest gifts from an individual to the Playhouse to date. The gift will provide funding for the renovation of the Playhouse Barn, as well as supporting young artists and future programming within the newly renovated building.
Renovations to the barn included creating an intimate performance space that will host events like a cabaret series, spoken word/poetry, classic music and other performances by established and emerging artists. There will also be flexible-use spaces for education programs, a patron lounge, and exhibits from the archives of both the Playhouse and New Hope Historical Society. When not in use for mission-based programming, the building will be available for business meetings, private celebratory dinners, small weddings and rehearsal dinners.
“Allocating these funds to the Playhouse in honor of Bill Harris, is something both Bill and Jay would have wanted,” says Nolan. “They cared deeply about their community and wished to support the arts in Bucks County. The Playhouse is the center of the arts and theater scenes in the area and is essential to its cultural life. I have confidence that the community will benefit from this renovated venue and give opportunity to artists and genres that may not necessarily be suitable for the larger Playhouse stage.”
Originally built around 1790, the barn was part of the Parry family property, sitting between the Parry Mansion and Bucks County Playhouse, the site of Parry’s New Hope Flour Mill. The Parry family kept horses in the barn until it was purchased by the New Hope Historical Society in 1958, saving it from demolition. Originally intended as an exhibition hall/cultural center, the barn quickly became the main source of revenue for the society as a retail space that supports its restoration of the Parry Mansion Museum and archives. Last year, Bucks County Playhouse signed a long-term lease for the barn with the historical society after the retirement of the proprietors of its tenant, Celt-Iberia Traders Gift Shop.
“Expanding our campus to include the Parry barn is a dream come true for Bucks County Playhouse,” says Playhouse Producing Director Alexander Fraser. “Last year, when we first announced our desire to preserve this building — one of New Hope’s most beautiful and historic — we could not have imagined an angel like Bill Nolan would share our vision and bring support on behalf of Jay Manus and Bill Harris. This funding has added modern, accessible amenities in keeping with the building’s extraordinary history and will now welcome our community into the entire building for new Playhouse programming, with a special emphasis on intimate cabaret as an art form… giving the greats a chance to perform and, once the program gets on its feet, mentor early career cabaret artists.
Although separated today by a bustling Main Street, the Parry mansion, barn, and playhouse have histories that are intertwined. Known by many as the father of New Hope, Benjamin Parry, and his family virtually built the town — living in the mansion across the street from his stables, and the water-powered mill that also powered his wealth. One hundred years after his death, that mill became Bucks County Playhouse.
