Season Subscriber spotlight: Pamela Matt
When Pamela Matt and her husband, F.X. Matt III, moved to Utica in 2002, she wasn’t sure what to expect. A native of Pittsburgh, Pamela, along with her husband and their five children, had uprooted their lives to start fresh in Upstate New York. Determined to immerse herself in her new community, Pamela discovered a vibrant cultural gem in the heart of downtown: Broadway Theatre League of Utica.
“I joined Broadway Utica as a way to get to know the area and see what Downtown had to offer,” Pamela recalls with a warm smile. “It was a great opportunity to experience the arts and meet new people in a place I was just beginning to call home.”
Over two decades later, Broadway Utica remains a cornerstone of Pamela’s life. One of her favorite recent productions was Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, a performance that struck a deeply personal chord.
“As a survivor of domestic violence in my childhood, it was profoundly moving to see Tina Turner’s story on stage,” Pamela shares. “Her resilience, her energy, and the way she turned her struggles into something that impacted the world—it was incredibly inspiring.”
Pamela’s passion for the arts runs deep. Though she minored in art history, she humbly admits she’s no actress. “I can’t act, but I love how theater weaves together dance, music, and storytelling into something transformative. Every show is different, yet every one has the power to educate, inspire, or surprise.”
Surprise has been a recurring theme in Pamela’s theater journey. She values Broadway Utica’s subscription model, which introduces her to shows she might not have chosen on her own. “Sometimes you see a show on the schedule and think, ‘That’s not for me.’ But you go anyway, and it changes you,” she says. One such revelation was Hadestown. “I might not have picked it myself, but it ended up being unforgettable.”
Beyond the stage, Pamela is quick to applaud the Broadway Utica team for their hard work in bringing world-class theater to the Mohawk Valley. “The staff and board are amazing. The work they do—researching shows, promoting them, and creating new ways to engage the community—goes far beyond a single performance. It’s about creating shared experiences that bring people together and enrich the area. It’s so much bigger than just a night out.”
Pamela has even turned her love of theater into a way to stay connected with family. Her daughter-in-law, a vibrant actress in Cincinnati, is her go-to playbill partner. “Every time I see a show, I send her a picture of the playbill. It’s become a fun way for us to bond over something we both love.”
It’s also a cherished date night tradition with her husband. “We’re both busy professionals, but going to a show forces us to pause, connect, and just enjoy the evening. We’ll have dinner at the Fort Schuyler Club, see the play, and then talk about it the whole way home.”
But Pamela is perhaps most animated when she speaks of what Broadway Utica offers to the community at large. As a former executive director of the Greater Utica Chamber of Commerce, she knows the ripple effects of vibrant cultural institutions.
“Theater at the historic Stanley Theater brings everyone together, from youth to seniors, sharing this incredible space and experience,” she says. “It’s a unique energy—education, entertainment, and community all rolled into one.”
After 20 years, Pamela’s perspective as an “outsider” has given her a deep appreciation for Utica’s unique cultural offerings. “People born here don’t always realize what a treasure they have in Broadway Utica. You don’t have to go to New York City for great theater—it’s right here, and it’s extraordinary.”
For Pamela Matt, Broadway Theatre League of Utica has been much more than a subscription; it’s been a doorway to discovery, a love letter to the arts, and a testament to the transformative power of the arts.
