Guests at The Goodwin have at their ready disposal one of the great performing arts venues in Connecticut just a few blocks away: the handsome and historic Bushnell.
The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts has brought world-class music, theater, dance, and other onstage artistry to downtown Hartford for more than eight decades. It’s both a heritage landmark and a vital, dynamic element of the Connecticut capital’s arts-and-culture scene—and well worth checking out the next time you stay at our boutique hotel here on Haynes Street!
Introducing the Bushnell
Situated at 166 Capitol Street about a half-mile from The Goodwin, the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts—managed by a non-profit that serves as Connecticut’s largest arts organization—opened back in 1930, a “beacon of hope,” as it was called, in the midst of the Great Depression. Installing a top-quality venue for concerts, plays, and other productions in Hartford’s downtown was the inspiration of Dotha Bushnell Hillyer, who also saw the building as a tribute to her father, Horace Bushnell, a minister and intellectual who designed Hartford’s Central Park.
The Bushnell has expanded beyond its original building, Mortensen Hall, to include the Maxwell M. and Ruth R. Belding Theater and other spaces. Some of its outstanding features include the country’s largest hand-painted ceiling mural, Drama, and the resplendent Austin Organ, both in Mortensen Hall, as well as Ode to Joy, a Dale Chihuly chandelier in the Aurotino Great Hall that references the inaugural piece of music played at the theater.
Upcoming Shows
The Bushnell hosts a wide range of productions, as a survey of its upcoming events indicates. On July 19th, for instance, Dan and Phil bring their World Tour 2018, Interactive Introverts, to the Bushnell stage. From August 1st through the 19th, the Broadway musical adaptation of Disney’s The Lion King will immerse Bushnell audiences in the royal dramas of the African savanna.
On September 12th, meanwhile, the Irish musical group Celtic Thunder visits the Bushnell on its Celtic Thunder X tour, which celebrates its 10th anniversary. On September 23rd, renowned Italian tenor Pasquale Esposito performs, followed up September 25th through the 30th by the highly successful (and highly hilarious) British production The Play That Goes Wrong.
Appreciating the Bushnell During Your Downtown Hartford Stay at The Goodwin
Even if you’re not able to catch a show at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts during your stay with us here at The Goodwin, you can always take a free backstage tour to soak up the history of the building and learn about some of the legendary performers who’ve taken the stage here. We’re certainly proud to put our guests in such convenient proximity to this Hartford treasure—a historic icon of the city just like our hotel!
