September 9, 2014 NORWALK, CT -Wall Street Theater announced the hiring of Fairfield County native Bob Kennedy as its inaugural Executive Director. Mr. Kennedy is tasked with establishing the theater as a preeminent regional entertainment and conference space with state-of-the-art multimedia capabilities. Bob Kennedy brings with him a lifetime of experience creating and producing special events, including meticulously planned intimate corporate events.
“The Wall Street Theater aims to be the most innovative and accessible arts, culture and community facility in the region,” Frank Farricker, of Wall Street Theater, said. “Bob, with his vast and comprehensive hands-on experience, truly embodies Wall Street’s mission to become a theater where significant live acts want to play, while also being a go-to location for conferences, school and church events, and even community and government functions.”
Mr. Kennedy has produced and directed international events and major stateside events in some of America’s most famous locations, including New York City’s Central Park, San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, and The National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Mr. Kennedy is additionally credited with helping to develop the standard model for producing a modern large-scale music festival; he has worked with such world-class acts as Eric Clapton, Bruce Springsteen, the Dave Matthews Band, Sting, Mumford & Sons and many, many more.
“This is completely full-circle for me,” Mr. Kennedy said about his new post. “I started my career in the early ’90s as an intern at the Globe Theatre – in this very building. To direct the effort that will make this space everything I always thought it could be is a really special opportunity.”
About Wall Street Theater:
Wall Street Theater is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation with the purpose of revitalizing and operating the theater at 71 Wall Street, formerly known as the Globe Theatre, in Norwalk, Connecticut.
The final result of ongoing renovations will be a multi-use theater with state-of-the-art technical capabilities. A key element of the modernization is the installation of digital streaming technology, the placement of fixed camera positions throughout the theater (with additional mobile cameras possible), and sound equipment with high quality digital conversion already enabled. Once completed, streaming an event or creating digital content from any performance at the theater will be seamless. Several innovative design applications to both the interior and exterior of the location, including a historic period renovation, will make the 750-seat theater a beautiful place to spend a day or an evening.
Wall Street Theater is expected to open in the spring of 2016.
About Bob Kennedy:
For over twenty years, Bob Kennedy has championed special event management and is a trusted leader in the production and direction of many of the nation’s premier events. Mr. Kennedy has curated for dozens of celebrated productions, including Earth Day on The National Mall, the Green Apple Festival, Mumford & Sons’ Gentlemen of the Road Festival, Wilco’s Solid Sound Festival, and the Boston Calling Music Festival. He is the co-founder and served for 15 years as co-producer of Gathering of the Vibes, Bridgeport’s seminal music and arts festival.
Selected Credits:
Senior Producer – Earth Day on The National Mall, Washington, DC
Senior Producer – Earth Day Morocco, Rabat Morocco
Senior Producer – Wilco’s Solid Sound Festival
Festival Director – Boston Calling Music Festival
Festival Director – Mumford and Sons’ Gentlemen of the Road Festival, Portland Maine
Festival Director – Grace Potter’s Grand Point North Festival
Co- Producer and Co-Founder – The Jammy Awards – The Theater at Madison Square Garden
Co-Producer, Co-Founder, Talent Buyer – Gathering of the Vibes Festival, Bridgeport, CT
Board Member – Sono Arts Celebration
Charity Work: Global Poverty Project, New York Food Bank, Central Park Conservancy, Robin Hood Foundation, China Care Foundation, Earth Day Network, Headcount
