Colonial Chorus Players originated from a group of people who had been participating in the late 1950’s, in the presentation by the Birch Meadow P.T.A., of Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. One of these people, George Nicholaides, had a dream: to create a community musical theater group. He aroused enough interest that on May 22, 1961, an organizational meeting was held at The Old Hose House on North Main Street in Reading, MA, and on that spring evening, the Colonial Chorus Players was born. Don Mitchell, Reading’s Fire Chief at the time, was elected its first president. For the next eleven and a half years, the group operated from space that was rented from the community center in Reading. Then on December 14, 1972, papers were passed on “The Old Hose House.” They now had their first official home.

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The Colonial Chorus Players was incorporated as a non-profit organization dedicated to “bringing musicals of a more advanced type” to the Reading-Stoneham vicinity and surrounding area. Its first venture was an original show called Music for the Left Elbow. Its resounding success encouraged the group to go on to greater endeavors. So began a long series of Broadway shows from the very first Pajama Game to its upcoming production in Spring of 2008, My Favorite Year. CCP has graced the stages of many local schools with such memorable shows as Oklahoma, Carousel, Guys and Dolls, Kiss Me Kate, South Pacific, Music Man, Mame, My Fair Lady, Fiddler on the Roof... the list goes on and on.

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Today, Colonial Chorus Players is comprised of talented people from many North Shore communities. Besides the main productions, they have had acting, dancing, and technical workshops, a summer children’s theater workshop, and smaller troupes which have entertained various local organizations. Having acquired a permanent home and an admirable reputation, one can rest assured the voices of this group will continue far into the future for the benefit and pleasure of local theater-goers.