It's showtime for Maumee Indoor Theater

5/7/2004

The Maumee Indoor Theater reopens this weekend with festivities including a ribbon-cutting ceremony, a gala, and an open house.

The sold-out ribbon-cutting ceremony takes place at 7 tonight at the theater at 601 Conant St.

Other events include a $55 black-tie-optional fund-raising gala at 7 p.m. tomorrow with live music by the Homewreckers at 8 p.m. and a performance by the Villagers, a variety troupe, at 9:15 p.m.

A free open house takes place from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Performers are vocalist Melissa Walters at 12:20 p.m.; Pattrick the Magician at 12:30 and 2:50 p.m.; On Stage Studio at 1 p.m.; Maumee Senior Center Choir at 1:30 p.m.; vocalist Erin Beaber at 1:50 p.m.; Manhattan Dance Studio at 2:30 p.m.; vocalists Natalie Kissinger and Erin Wiley at 3:10 and 4:30 p.m.; Catz Dance Academy at 3:30 p.m., and the Maumee High School band at 3:50 p.m.

The theater was built in 1946 and opened in 1947, according to Kirk Kern, Maumee's commissioner of community development. It was last operated in 1996, and was entered on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. The city of Maumee bought the theater in 2000 for $300,000. A $3 million renovation preceded the reopening this weekend.

Kern said second-run movies will be shown in the facility's 125-seat smaller movie theater beginning on Monday with Cheaper by the Dozen. Movie prices will be $3 per person. The site's main theater seats 494, and includes a stage for live performances and a movie screen.

The Maumee Indoor Theater, 601 Conant St., reopens this weekend. Tonight's 7 p.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony is sold out. Tickets for tomorrow's 7 p.m. $55 black-tie-optional fund-raising gala are available at Maumee's administrative office on the second floor of the municipal building, 400 Conant St. Gala ticket information: 419-897-7100. If available, tickets will also be sold at the door during the evening of the gala. Sunday's noon to 5 p.m. open house with community entertainment is free. The theater's new number is 419-897-8901.