Bucks County Playhouse

A rustic mill-turned-theater must fend off bankruptcy, developers, and other perils to ensure the show goes on. Sounds like the plot of an old Hollywood movie, right? But with a few changes, this could be the story of the historic Bucks County Playhouse, in New Hope.

The rambling, barnlike structure on the Delaware River was built as a grist mill in the late 18th century. When the mill closed, the building might have been demolished if not for a group of New York artists who saw its potential as a performing arts space.

At the time, Broadway theaters closed for the summer, May to October, due to the broiling city heat (this was the pre-air conditioning era). But actors needed to eat, so they hit the straw-hat circuit, barnstorming at community theaters across the northeast.

For decades, the Bucks County Playhouse was a showcase for established stars (Helen Hayes, Kim Hunter, Howard Keel, Zero Mostel), and a proving ground for stars on the ascent (Grace Kelly, Liza Minelli, Robert Redford, Bernadette Peters).

Playwrights George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart performed here in their hit, The Man Who Came to Dinner. Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy teamed up in the tender romance, The Fourposter. American master Thornton Wilder starred in his own plays, Our Town and The Skin of Our Teeth.

The same stage presented shows headed to New York, like Barefoot in the Park and Come Blow Your Horn, and the first stock production of Lorraine Hansberry’s classic, A Raisin in the Sun.

But times and tastes change. By the early 1960s, with air-conditioning widespread, Broadway became a year-round destination. Many summer-stock theaters closed. The Bucks County Playhouse kept going, but the audience dwindled, and the building fell into disrepair. Finally, in 2010, the curtain came down. The venerable old theater went up for public auction.

Again, an angel appeared. Producer Jed Bernstein, onetime president of Lincoln Center, asked for six months to raise the estimated $5 million it would take to salvage the playhouse. But five months later, he had only collected $500,000.

It looked like the final act, until philanthropists Kevin and Sherri Daugherty rode to the rescue. They funded an end-to-end restoration, and the beautiful new Bucks County Playhouse reopened in 2012.

But its struggles were far from over. “We’d have Tuesday-night audiences with 40 people in a 400-seat theater,” recalls Alexander Fraser, Tony Award-winning producing director, who came on in 2014 with his partner Robyn Goodman, also a Tony winner. “I’d have to go backstage and rally the actors who didn’t want to go out there.”

In time, however, the creative team found a winning formula: a mix of crowd-pleasing musicals, new works, concerts, and seasonal fare.Explains Fraser, “The audience is attracted by two things: a title they know, like Grease, or a star they know, from movies or TV. Of course, it’s kismet if you can give them both. So over time, we slowly grew.”

Shows like Mamma Mia, Guys and Dolls, and 42nd Street pulled in the crowds, and “allowed us to do other things that are more challenging,” says Fraser. “I’d love to do more new work, introduce the audience to things they don’t know with actors they don’t yet know. To me, there’s always more potential.”

This year’s season kicked off with the rousing Buddy Holly Story, recreating Buddy’s final concert with the Big Bopper and Richie Valens. Coming up: two new musicals, The Apple Boys (May 2–25) and Leader of the Pack (June 20–July 20). For the holidays, there’s Elf (November 1–January 4). The popular visiting artist series includes Good Witch, Bad Witch, a concert of “diva showstoppers”; plus, tributes to James Taylor; and the return of Well-Strung—according to BuzzFeed, “a hunky quartet that will give you a new reason to love classical music.”

The cherry on top is a production of the lesser-known musical She Loves Me (August 15–September 14). You know the story, based on the 1940 film The Shop Around the Corner, which in turn begat You’ve Got Mail. Two lonely shopkeepers clash on the job, unaware that they are each other’s devoted pen pal. Broadway World has called it a “nearly perfect” little show. Don’t miss this one.

While there are loads of great eateries to choose from in New Hope, why not try the Playhouse Deck, which adjoins the theater? Since 2018, the friendly restaurant and bar has served up excellent American fare in a relaxed environment, indoors and out, with matchless river views.

On a recent visit, my companion and I tried the heavenly truffle mac and cheese, and, at our server’s suggestion, ordered a delectable cocktail, the Celesta, made with plum-infused vodka in a glass rimmed with lavender sugar. The dessert was rich and satisfying: ube cheesecake, made with purple sweet potatoes doused in caramel sauce and topped with crumbled Oreo cookies. Then, just steps away, was the door into the theater. Too easy.

Through thick and thin, with a few intermissions, the Bucks County Playhouse has earned its reputation as a grand dame of regional theater. It’s worth a day trip.