Matt Oestreicher, executive director of the Sacred Heart Community Theatre, is creating a hub for creativity and entertainment at the university.
A Fairfield native, Oestreicher spent his childhood watching movies at the theatre’s downtown location on 1420 Post Rd.
“I grew up in Fairfield. I took classes at Sacred Heart when I was in high school. My theatre to see movies as a kid was either the Trumbull mall or the community theatre, as it was known at the time,” said Oestreicher.
The SHU Community Theatre has been an integral piece of Fairfield for over 100 years. First opened as a vaudeville house in 1920, the theatre was renovated and reopened through a joint effort by Sacred Heart University and Kleban Properties in May 2019.
It now serves as a local hub for film screenings and live entertainment, offering events for students and local residents alike.
“The theatre was always part of my life and an important place for me,” said Oestreicher. When Sacred Heart made the bold move to restore it and give it a whole new life, I had just moved back to Fairfield and got very interested.”
Oestreicher became the director of the theatre in 2021, bringing his vast industry expertise and local knowledge to the role. As an impresario, producer and musician, his career has spanned a multitude of genres, both on stage as a performer and behind the scenes as a producer.
He began his journey in Boston, attending Tufts University and the New England Conservatory of Music for dual degrees in liberal arts and music.
“New England Conservatory was a great hub for musicians. People would come there to recruit,” said Oestreicher. “My first job was playing on a cruise ship all around Mexico and Hawaii. I was travelling the world and getting paid for it. I said, this is a great opportunity, I’m going to follow it.”
Follow it he certainly has. He has since worked on Broadway and appeared on TV shows such as The Today Show, The Macy’s Parade on NBC, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and the Wendy Williams Show.
Oestreicher has also performed on a number of globally recognized tours, including Lady Gaga’s Monster Ball Tour and Weezer/Blink 182’s reunion tour.
In 2018, he was awarded a “Man of Vision” honor by Rev. Al Sharpton and the National Action Network for his non-profit work empowering young artists from diverse backgrounds.
Source: Sacred Heart University photo by Tracy Deer-Mirek
One of his most memorable moments came on Aug. 28, 2012, when the Curiosity rover played the will.i.am single “Reach for the Stars” via radio transmission on Mars. This was the first song in history to be broadcast from a different planet.
“I got to work with will.i.am from the Black-Eyed Peas on a song that was played when the Mars rover landed. We were hired by NASA to create this song. When the Mars rover landed, it played to NASA and it played on Mars as well,” said Oestreicher. “It’s nice to be a small part of those cool moments and collaborations.”
Oestreicher has been a consistent presence at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, working as a keyboardist/guitarist/arranger for the internationally acclaimed Wednesday night show, Amateur Night at the Apollo. Established in 1934, the weekly event is widely known for its status as America’s longest running talent show.
He said, “Through the Apollo, I’ve met Alicia Keys, Stevie Wonder, Snoop Dogg, Jamie Foxx. It’s a real beacon, particularly of the African American tradition, which is a lot of the American musical tradition. From jazz artists like Ella Fitzgerald who came through there to Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson, James Brown, it goes on and on. It’s shaped my view of what music can be.”
The theatre’s impact on worldwide pop culture is immense, playing a major role in the development of jazz, swing, bebop, R&B, gospel, blues, soul and hip hop. It stands as the largest performing arts venue dedicated to Black culture and creativity, becoming the first cultural institution to ever receive a Kennedy Center honors award this July.
“Every week I go there, I can’t believe I’m there. A lot of what we do there, I try to bring in small ways to the SHU Community Theatre in Fairfield,” said Oestreicher.
In 2022, he brought Joseph Gray, the Apollo’s opening act and head of stage for over 30 years, onto the Sacred Heart team.
“The staff at the theatre is stocked with industry professionals, people with long careers in the arts, and I think that’s what’s made the theatre able to do the 200 events a year we do now,” he said.
With 13 different series currently running, the theatre presents everything from brand new blockbuster movies to classic rock concerts. They take pride in their diversity of events offered, bringing in performers and films from all over the world. The 500-seat theatre is open Monday through Sunday and provides countless opportunities for students looking to get involved.
“I want the students to know that all movies are free for students. Our business is in collaborating and creating communities. When students reach out to us, they want to check out a show, they want to come in and work with us, they want to see how things work, we love that and try to make it work with every student that reaches out,” said Oestreicher. “We hope to be an artistic beacon for the community.”
