Spectacle's new staff look forward to community partnership at Colonial Theatre

LACONIA — There are some new faces at the Colonial Theatre.

Spectacle Live, the management and booking company operating the restored theater since its reopening in 2021, has brought on many new hires in the past few months.

Nicole Ferland-Kemper joined the team as manager of theater operations in April. Having previous experience in business ownership and event management, Ferland-Kemper was more than prepared for the role.

Ferland-Kemper started and ran Little Dog Paper Company out of her home for five years, before opening a store on Main Street, in Meredith. After about 12 years growing her business and a successful greeting card line featured in Barnes & Noble, the store closed, and Ferland-Kemper moved on to work at the Common Man, managing weddings and other large events.

“The two together, the business experience and then the event management, kind of meshed together when I got this job,” Ferland-Kemper said. “It's really been helpful to have that experience in my past, for running the shows here.”

“I think I've already learned so much, and it's only been a week-and-a-half,” said Laura Riggle, Spectacle’s new social media and press coordinator. “So just learning in general is my goal, especially working in such a dream industry. The entertainment industry is something I've always dreamed of, and so it's really cool to just dive in.”

Riggle is a recent graduate from Southern New Hampshire University, and helps run the company’s social media accounts and channels. Although she is only three weeks into her role, as she progresses further, she will also begin filming content, which she looks forward to the most.

Kristen Mansur, senior marketing manager, is also new to the Spectacle team. Mansur started in her role three months ago. “My absolute favorite part about live events is that there really is no typical. At any given moment, you can be switching from writing social posts for a comedy show, to ad plans for a theater show, to coming up with content for a rock concert. You're constantly switching gears, which really makes things exciting.”

Stepping into this role, Riggle said she was not aware how much collaboration there would be among the marketing, booking, and ticketing teams. Mansur emphasized the team’s constant collaboration.

Working for Spectacle Live, Mansur is eager to carry out her goals for the team. “It's really to build up a lot of the narratives and the story lines for our venues, not just the shows that are going in there, but the venues, and the history that's behind them, and the community that supports them. And really create that narrative for each venue, in each market.”

City collaboration

Shortly after she began managing front-of-house operations at the Colonial, the City of Laconia took ownership of the building, and now handles major maintenance issues. Ferland-Kemper said just last week, City Manager Kirk Beattie and staff from parks and recreation met with her, to go through the building with a “fine-toothed comb,” and determine what the city will be responsible for maintaining, and what Spectacle will be.

“It was really great. It was really positive for everybody involved,” Ferland-Kemper said. “So, I think we're moving in a good direction.”

As she settles into her new role, Ferland-Kemper wants to ensure the building is heavily used by locals, not just large, touring acts.

“I want to do more community-based events. We just had one with the library last month, and it was really awesome. They had a great turnout, and it's like, 'Well, if the building is here and not being used, we should be doing more things like that,'” Ferland-Kemper said. “So, I really want to see that impact on this building, to not just be here for those huge shows, but also be here for a book signing with the library, or who knows.”

Ferland-Kemper, Riggle, and Mansur all emphasized the importance of growing local engagement.

“First on Laura and I’s list is to delve in and involve ourselves in a lot of the different community events and aspects. I know that the Concerts on Canal are going on, which we want to be involved in, and we are going to be involved in some way,” Mansur said. “It is first on our list to definitely make sure we're engraved in the community.”

As important as it is to attract guests with events and shows, Ferland-Kemper appreciates the theater’s historic charm, and hopes guests will admire it, as well.

Ferland-Kemper, a Lakes Region native, has fond memories of the Colonial Theatre. Back in the 1980s, when the building was divided into five movie theaters, she would go see films as a young child. She noted her favorite part of the building was the fire curtain. A handpainted Venetian water scene separates the stage from the auditorium when it’s pulled down. It was there on her first visit to the Colonial Theatre — and far before her time, dating back 112 years, to 1914, when the theater first opened.

“I'm in awe every time I walk in here, of the job that they did when they renovated. It's unreal.”

Ferland-Kemper looked around the theater, pointing out the paint job and remnants of original fresco that remain, further adding to its historic charm.

“We can kind of mold this room into whatever they need,” Ferland-Kemper said, gesturing to the 761-seat theater. “It's been really fun meeting all of the different people. That's been a really cool thing, because it's something different every time.

“I’m just looking forward to being here, and making a positive impact on the theater, and on the community.”