The Legacy Theatre in Branford is changing its top leadership only five years after opening its doors.
Keely Baisden Knudsen, the theater’s founding artistic director, has served since 2021 but spent many more years before that developing plans for the theater and overseeing massive renovations to the theater building, which had been dormant since 2009 and was previously known as the Stony Creek Puppet House.
Knudsen and co-founder Stephanie Stiefel Williams incorporated The Legacy Theatre as a new nonprofit on the shoreline in 2011, “working tirelessly to inhabit the historic Stony Creek Theatre and completely restore the building to a state-of-the-art professional regional theatre,” Knudsen said in a release.
On Jan. 19, she will hand over the reins to Eric Santagata, a Branford native who has several Broadway credits as a performer or choreographer. Santagata played The Judge in the Legacy’s sold-out production of the Stephen Sondheim musical “Sweeney Todd” last season. He has worked on major musicals but also has experience with smaller shows and new works. He was the associate director on shows helmed by the major Broadway directors Susan Stroman and James Lapine. He studied at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music and later returned there to chair its musical theater program. He also grew up on the same block as the theater on Thimble Islands Road in Branford. His grandfather ran a barber shop and a tavern in the neighborhood.
Knudsen is reportedly leaving for “other opportunities” and to spend more time with her family. She will continue to be involved with The Legacy Theatre as a member of its Board of Trustees.
“As I move on in my personal, professional and creative endeavors, I could not be more thrilled to pass the baton to Eric for what will assuredly be a fabulous new chapter in the Legacy’s book,” Knudsen said.
The Legacy Theatre’s inaugural artistic director Keely Baisden Knudsen is passing the torch of artistic director to Eric Santagata on Jan. 19. (Courtesy of The Legacy Theatre)
“We are thrilled that Eric has agreed to take the helm as Legacy’s new artistic director,” Stiefel William added. “He possesses an incredibly impressive pedigree in theatre as a performer, educator and an administrator. We are so lucky to have him return to his Stony Creek roots to help us continue the theatre’s mission.”
The Legacy Theatre appointed Jeff Zeitlin, who had been the theater’s house manager, as its new managing director in September.
Other theaters in the state have also gained new leaders in recent months. Most theaters have both an artistic director (who handles creative and programming decisions) and a managing director (who oversees day-to-day operations). Last summer, Constantine Pappas became the new artistic director, and Craig David Rosen the new managing director of Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury when the theater’s founder Semina DeLaurentis left after 35 years. Jacob Padrón is leaving the Long Wharf Theatre at the end of this season after six years as its artistic director. Long Wharf Theatre already has a new managing director, Meredith Suttles. James Bundy, who has been artistic director of the Yale Repertory Theatre since 2002, is stepping down in May, and Vanessa Logan became the new managing director of Goodspeed Musicals last May.
The 2026 Legacy Theatre season includes the convent comedy musical “Nunsense” from April 23 through May 17, the stage version of the MGM movie “The Wizard of Oz” from July 9 through Aug. 2 and Neil Simon’s “The Odd Couple” from Sept. 10 through Oct. 4. The theater also produces a holiday show (last year it was “Scrooge and Marley” and before that “A Christmas Carol”) and a popular series of Sunday afternoon cabaret concerts featuring major Broadway stars. This year’s Sunday Broadway Concert series begins with Matt Doyle on Feb. 22, followed by Patti Murin on March 8, Beth Leavel on Aug. 16, Adrianna Hicks on Aug. 30, Sam Gravitte on Oct. 18 and Norm Lewis on Oct. 25.
