New Helvetia Theatre

A crowd of several hundred gathered last Saturday night at the Crest Theatre to celebrate the debut of Sacramento’s newest professional company, the New Helvetia Theatre, with, appropriately enough, Celebration. A staged reading (or staged singing) of the 1969 musical by the authors of the long-running phenomenon the Fantasticks was the first offering of the troupe and an occasion for fundraising.

While the climate for theater in the area has taken a financial drubbing, apparently no one told Connor Mickiewicz, founder and artistic director of New Helvetia, his colleagues or his supporters. Over drinks and gourmet hors d’oeuvres, a number of checks from contributors made their way into Mickiewicz’s pocket.

The plan for New Helvetia might just be recession-proof. According to Mickiewicz’s press, New Helvetia will fill a musical niche with overlooked plays and outreach to communities underserved by local theater. With a number of local talents and a visiting boost from a soap-opera star (Bradford Anderson, who plays Damien Spinelli on General Hospital), New Helvetia may have enough friends in the wings to take flight.