By MELINA BOURDEAU
MONTAGUE — At long last, the local performing arts group, preschool and driving school Ja’Duke Center for the Performing Arts has completed a significant expansion years in the making.
On Saturday, Sept. 14, there will be an open house from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., as well as a review show called “Celebration” with shows on Friday, Sept. 13 and Saturday, Sept. 14, both at 7 p.m.
With an opening date of Friday, Sept. 13, Kimberly Williams and her father, Nick Waynelovich, of Ja’Duke, are completing “a dream that started in September of 2017.”
The current location on Industrial Boulevard past Franklin County Technical School has been Ja’Duke’s home for the past 12 years.
It has increased not only in size, but in capacity, with a 22,000-square-foot additional building connected to the “Green Room” that will feature a 550-seat theater, two multi-use rooms, classroom space, four entrances and more than 200 parking spaces.
The theater has a ticket booth, a concession stand, an area for live recordings of shows, bathrooms and stadium seating to view the 50-foot deep, 100-foot wide stage, which Waynelovich said is the “highlighting feature.”
“It’s one-third bigger than Greenfield High School’s stage,” Waynelovich noted. “It’s the biggest stage in Franklin County.”
Other additions include online ticket purchasing software, moving the driving school from Greenfield to Montague, an additional driving school car, and becoming the home of Next Level Music Academy and Next Level Sounds recording studio.
Throughout the project, Franklin County Technical School students from the landscaping and electrical shops landscaped the facilities and installed wiring.
Electrical shop teacher Todd Weed said the project was great for the students.
“Nick (Waynelovich) was patient with the kids and they really got a good experience out of it,” Weed said.
Ja’Duke teaches about 60 children a day in its four classrooms. Students who are at least 4 years old prepare for kindergarten in the “Yellow Room,” while 3-year-olds about to turn 4 use the “Blue Room” to learn how to share and follow classroom routines.
Older toddlers learn potty training and self-help skills in the “Green Room,” and infants and young toddlers get used to being separated from their parents in the “Orange Room.”
The two multi-purpose rooms have recently been licensed for child care allowing for more full-time infant and toddler spots, as well as part-time pre-school. Spots are available, Williams said.
The downstairs part of the building holds the classrooms and offices, as well as a large-scale printer for banners and backdrops. Props, backdrops and costumes are stored upstairs.
As the finishing work is being done on the expansion, Williams said “it’s been a whirlwind.”
“There’s a lot happening all at once, but we want to thank all of the volunteers who have helped us,” Williams said.
“We’re very excited,” Waynelovich said. “This is our dream come true. This provides so much potential for the arts for children and adults in Franklin County.”
For tickets, go to jadukeshows.com.
Reach Melina Bourdeau at mbourdeau@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 263.