Proposed Legislation Would Give Tax Credit to Certain Theatrical Productions in Connecticut

Advocates of the theatre are shining the spotlight on a bill in the state legislature that would establish a tax credit for certain performances.

They are supporting House Bill 6919: An Act Establishing a Tax Credit for Certain Pre-Broadway and Post-Broadway Theatre Productions. It would give a 30 percent tax credit, with a $10 million cap, to certain performances.

“What we see is people are employed locally, they put on the show, so things are for us, by us,” Rep. Treneé McGee, (D) West Haven, who brought the bill, said. “It's community building, it brings out unity. It offers so many different academic and educational opportunities for students. And it's interdisciplinary learning. As a teaching artist, I really truly believe in the power of theater what it can do for young people.”

It aims to draw technical productions -- shows that allow producers to fine-tune for about a month before a show goes on to Broadway or goes on tour nationwide.

"Little Orphan Annie" is a showstopper, and she was first introduced to the word in Connecticut. The musical’s world premiere was at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam in 1976.

This season, "Annie" returns to The Shubert Theatre in New Haven, a full circle in Connecticut’s rich theatre history.

“Shows like ‘My Fair Lady,’ ‘The King and I,’ ‘A Raisin in the Sun, ‘A Streetcar Named Desire,” Anthony McDonald, Shubert Theatre executive director, said. “We have a rich history of creating some of the best well-known musicals of generations.”

That deeply rooted theatre culture is why the heads of several performing arts centers are standing beside McGee. Representing The Bushnell Center, the Shubert and Palace theatres, and Garde Arts Center, they are supporting HB 6919.

With theatre tax credits already in effect in surrounding states, advocates of the bill say Connecticut is missing out on opportunities, potentially 15 to 30 productions every season.  

“We have had the luxury of presenting and actually doing technical runs of shows previously, but we've also found that it's been incredibly competitive to maintain those titles,” Frank Tavera, Palace Theatre executive director, said.

Tavera, like the other proponents of the bill, says not only would the tax credit put the limelight on the arts scene, but also the local economy.

“We’d see bigger titles, different names coming through our venues, but we also experienced the financial benefit from it,” Tavera said. “When we look at large scale technical productions that come through, they can not only employ 75 local artists and stagehands, but they can also carry 60 plus of their own.”

“Those employees will be working in our communities, will be taking advantage of the services within our towns, hotels, restaurants, etc.,” he said.

House Bill 6919 was raised out of the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee, and is expected to head to the House Floor.

As the theatre industry works to rebound from the pandemic, these advocates are hoping lawmakers will raise the curtain on new opportunities for Connecticut theatre.

“There's a huge upside in order to be able to be competitive in our country by having these tax credits passed,” McDonald said. “Instead of going to New York or to Rhode Island, they can now think about coming right here to Connecticut, to create these tours that are going to travel all across the country, but starting them right here in Connecticut instead.”