SANDUSKY — The Sandusky State Theatre is still on track to open this year. The theatre has been closed for four years after a storm destroyed half of the building in 2020.
Meghan Richardson lives in Sandusky and has visited the theatre many times, but she holds one special memory close to her heart.
"My nephew performed at the state theater a while back; he recently passed away in 2020. So, it's a very special place for me and my family as well. I think anytime any of us go by it, that's what we automatically think of," said Richardson.
Like Richardson, many people are excited to see the stage lights again at the nearly century-old theatre. News 5 has updated you for the past four years as crews worked to restore the theater to its former glory; now, they're getting close to completion.
"All the little finishings are happening now; we're starting to put new seats in and do all the little touches that make it really look like a theater again," said executive director Chris Parthemore.
Parthemore said workers are returning it more historically accurate than before the storm.
"There were these acoustic panels on the wall, and we were able to peel back the layers and see all the layers of history. When we found the original panels stenciled right on the wall, the design and color, we decided to bring those back just like they were when the theater opened in 1928," said Parthemore.
When the curtains finally open, guests can expect to see bigger shows, especially now that they've added 20 feet to the stage.
"It'll allow us to do bigger and better shows that have more of an impact on the community. But most importantly, we're going to be able to bring Broadway national tours here, which, when we did public feedback that was the number one thing that everyone in the community said they wanted to see," said Parthemore.
He said they also wanted to make the new there experience more user-friendly.
"We are adding more concessions, restrooms and elevators to make it more accessible for the entire community. So, we've almost tripled the number of accessibility seats in the auditorium," said Parthemore.
Richardson said she is excited to see the theatre re-open and experience the new additions.
"We are very excited; I think there's so many great things from the downtown area and so many things here things bring tourists, and this is just another place that people could come to visit and just see how great Sandusky is," said Richardson.
Parthemore said they have yet to set an exact date of when they will re-open, but he expects the theater to be opened while the weather is still hot.
"Once we get open, it's just going to be like icing on the cake for everybody in the community. There's nothing like those show nights where the marquee lights are flashing, and the town just has a buzz to it," said Parthemore.
