Goodspeed Musicals will receive a $2 million grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration as part of its Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) program.

Goodspeed Artistic Director Donna Lynn Hilton and Managing Director David B. Byrd announced the grant to the non-profit theater company in East Haddam this week.

For the SVOG, a total of $16.25 billion was authorized by Congress to assist shuttered live venues, which have all suffered financially during the COVID-19 pandemic. To qualify for this funding, venues across the country needed to demonstrate significant lost revenues in 2020 versus 2019.

“We’ve been anxiously awaiting this grant since the program was announced last December. The official reopening of the Goodspeed Opera House this fall hinged on receiving these funds," Hilton said. “After a year and a half of pandemic shutdown, a safe and responsible return to live professional theater involves a significant amount of expense. With this critical funding secured, we can move forward with plans to welcome audiences back to the Goodspeed Opera House in September. This represents a big step forward on our long road to recovery.”

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Goodspeed Musicals has lost over $11 million in revenue, closed both of its theaters and was forced to layoff or furlough 75% of its staff. Through a combination of donations from its members, a grant from the State of Connecticut and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Goodspeed has been able to keep a skeleton staff partially employed, cover the health care premiums for its furloughed employees and maintain the historic Goodspeed Opera House, Terris Theatre and the many buildings that make up its musical theater campus in East Haddam and Chester. Some virtual programming, like its popular “Goodspeed From Home” series, was offered to the public at no cost.

“We are grateful for this large amount of financial assistance from the SVOG and sincerely appreciate the efforts of Senators Blumenthal and Murphy as well as Congressman Courtney and the entire Connecticut delegation,” stated Byrd. “We also must thank our members, donors and sponsors whose enormously generous support has sustained us throughout this awful time. Losing $11 million in revenue is devastating to a non-profit theater and every dollar of funding that we have received will allow us to rehire staff, reopen our doors and invite our audiences back to finally enjoy live theater once again."

All this summer, Goodspeed is producing a series of live concerts and musical events under a tent in the parking lot adjacent to the Goodspeed Opera House. Goodspeed by the River runs through the end of August. The Goodspeed Opera House will officially reopen on Sept. 24 with a new production of "A Grand Night for Singing: A Celebration of Rodgers & Hammerstein."