Milford Small Business Spotlight: Pantochino Productions Inc.

Every local business has a story worth sharing with the community. And that’s the belief behind this exciting series — to shine the spotlight on all our favorite local businesses, and to learn a little about the ones we may not know that well.

Business: Pantochino Productions Inc.
Owners: Bert Bernardi & Jimmy Johansmeyer
Website: www.pantochino.com
Address: Center for the Arts, 40 Railroad Avenue, Milford, CT

How did you come up with the name?

Pantochino is a word we created! “Panto” comes from the traditional family theatre in England called Panto (short for pantomime) where familiar stories are given a wild twist and performed for audiences of all ages. “Chino” is our mascot monkey! Pantochino is a word as unique as our 100 percent original productions.

Why start a business in this town?

We wanted to create a family friendly theatre company in the Greater New Haven area and we are the only professional company producing work for family audiences!! We were invited by the Milford Arts Council to host our productions here, and we find Milford the perfect place! It has a charming ‘downtown’ and we love being in the center of all the action!

What business are you in?

Pantochino produces 100 percent original musical theatre for young audiences and their families! We also offer classes, camps, After-School Drama clubs, Teen Theatre, Touring shows and more!

What’s the most difficult challenge you’ve faced as a business owner?

Pantochino is a 501 (c)(3) non profit organization. We rely on ticket sales and donations to fund our projects. The most difficult challenge is to get corporations and business to take note of us and grant us sponsorships.

What’s been your proudest achievement since opening?

Watching our audiences grow and our performances sell out makes us very proud! Word is out, Pantochino is the best family theatre company in Southern Connecticut. Our tickets are most affordable and our shows superior. We’re a hot ticket, and that makes us proud! We’ve also won the BroadwayWorld Connecticut award for Best Regional Theatre in Connecticut, 2014! How great is that?!

How does your business give back to the community?

We’re here to entertain, enrich and enlighten young audiences. We spark their imagination! In our classes, camps and school programs, our work inspires young people. We love watching them discover, learn and grow.

Would you like to see your small business showcased in this series? Email wendy.mitchell@ patch.com.