Bob Dylan makes Bardavon his secret rehearsal space

Tuesday July 3, 2012 4:53 PM By Chris Serico

Photo credit: Getty Images | Bob Dylan recently prepped for an upcoming tour at the Bardavon Opera House in Poughkeepsie.

It's not often that Bob Dylan performs to an empty auditorium, but that's exactly what he did last week at the Bardavon Opera House in Poughkeepsie.

Before you beat yourself up over missing the chance to score tickets, you should know that the former Woodstock resident and his band merely had closed rehearsals to prepare for his European tour, which kicked off Saturday in Kent, England.

It’s not the first time Dylan has pulled that routine. According to Bardavon spokesman Chris Silva — one of the few to witness last week’s rehearsals from the wings — it was the fourth time in the past six years Dylan has used the 944-seat theater as his private rehearsal space. During that span, he has spent 16 days there to practice material for his tour and his “Modern Times” album, according to Silva.

It’s also not unusual for other celebrities to use the facility to practice their craft. Al Pacino, who owns a home in Rockland County, rehearsed his Broadway production of “Salome” within its confines.

Dylan fans can also take solace in knowing that he’ll be more open to playing for a local audience soon: He'll be headlining a show at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts at 8 p.m., Sept. 2 (200 Hurd Rd., Bethel; www.bethelwoodscenter.org). Ben Harper is slated to open the show. Tickets, which range from $31.50 to $141.50 apiece, will go on sale at 10 a.m. July 9.

Tags: Bob Dylan , Poughkeepsie , Bethel , Woodstock , Dutchess , Ulster , music , concerts