FRAUENTHAL CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
ANNOUNCES YEARLONG 80TH ANNIVERSARY
CELEBRATION OF THE FRAUENTHAL THEATER
JANUARY, 2010 – DECEMBER, 2010
The Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts invites the community to help celebrate the 80th Anniversary of the Frauenthal Theater with a year long celebration of programs and festivities!
Below is a listing of our special anniversary events. For more information and details on how you can purchase tickets to these exciting event please use the events icon on our website.
Jan. 31, 2010: Barton Theater Organ Concert with Dale & Gail Zeiger
Feb. 20, 2010: Interactive Murder Mystery Dinner; “Another Opening, Another Murder”
March 20, 2010: Folk Night at the Frauenthal featuring Mike Snell and Ruth & Max Bloomquist
April 18, 2010: Barton Theater Organ Concert “Broadway Tunes from 1930 – 2101”
With Dale & Gail Zeiger
May 7, 2010: Interactive Murder Mystery Dinner; “Why Won’t Aunt Millie Stay Dead?”
May 16, 2010: Cinderella ~ the ballet: starring the West Michigan Youth Ballet
June 30, 2010: The Community Foundation for Muskegon County’s Annual Gathering
July 11, 2010: Barton Theater Organ Concert “Patriotic Tunes – A Tribute to America”
With Dale & Gail Zeiger
August 14, 2010: The Glenn Miller Orchestra 7:30 pm Tickets $15 & $20
September 16, 2010:
“Opening Night…..80 Years Later”Frauenthal Theater 5 PM Public Welcome 80 years and older get in FREEMovie Tickets: $.50 Frauenthal Box Office Monday – Friday 11 AM – 6 PM Celebrate the Frauenthal’s 80th Anniversary with Cake and Champagne at 5 PM. Followed by vintage 1930 movies starting at 5:30 PM. Go back in time with a stroll through the Bettye Clark Cannon Gallery exhibit “The History of the Frauenthal Theater”.September 17, 2010:
Tapas, Wine, Jazz & BluesFrauenthal Theater 6:30 Wine Tasting & Tapas 7:30 PM Jazz & Blues ConcertTickets: $20.00 Frauenthal Box Office Monday – Friday 11 AM – 6 PM Celebrate the Frauenthal’s 80th Anniversary with Tapas, Wine Tasting and Jazz with Edye Evans Hyde and Blues with The Buster Blues Band. Edye and The Buster Blues will combine for the last set to create a fabulous and unique sound!
September 18, 2010:
An Evening with Jeff DanielsFrauenthal Theater 7:30 PM Tickets: $15.00, $20.00 & $25.00Frauenthal Box Office Monday – Friday 11 AM – 6 PM Celebrate the Frauenthal’s 80th Anniversary with “An Evening with Jeff Daniels”. “Three decades and some 400 songs later, Jeff Daniels along with his guitar will entertain with a collection of pointedly funny and poignant songs”
October 15 & 16, 2010: Interactive Murder Mystery Dinner “Death Takes the Stage”
Time: 7:00 pm, Cocktails 6:15 pm Place: Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts – Frauenthal Stage Tickets: $30.00 (includes dinner) Cash Bar available. Frauenthal Box Office M, W, Th, F 11 am – 6 pm 231-727-8001 or Star Tickets 1-800-585-3737 www.frauenthal.orgIn celebration of the Frauenthal’s 80th Anniversary, Deadwood Productions brings another murder mystery to the Frauenthal Stage! Producer, Melissa Flop, has produced her latest show, “Who Killed Mummy?” The show involves Halloween characters of all sorts and it takes place at the Frauenthal Theater in Muskegon. Now it’s time for the cast party, held on stage and we learn that Melissa has made, as they say, her “final exit”. The question is, “Who helped her on her way?” Come join Detective Lance Hamilton as he is again called upon to solve a case involving the egos and back stabbing plots of the theater world…..before the final curtain. Enjoy dinner then put on your detective hat. The suspects have been gathered, the scene has been set. Come join Detective Lance Hamilton and a cast of zany characters (which might include YOU!) as we solve the case of “Who Killed Mummy?” November 6, 2010: Rockin’ Barbershop Festival Tickets $15
November 24, 2010: West Side Soul Surfers “Out of Control Style Concert” Tickets $10
December 17 & 18, 2010: “ A Christmas Carol” with Tom Harryman Black Box on the Frauenthal
Stage Tickets $12
December 28, 2010: Holiday Movies
The theater staff is gearing up for fantastic events to be scheduled throughout this 80th Anniversary year.
The community is invited to share memories of earlier days of the Michigan/Frauenthal Theater. Photographs, any theater memorabilia from past eras, descriptions of events, personal experiences and stories about the theater – anything contributing to the 80 years of “Michigan/Frauenthal Theater lore” is welcome. Please send items to the Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts at 425 W. Western Ave., Muskegon, MI 49440 attn. Linda Medema; e-mail to lmedema@cffmc.org or pdoctor@cffmc.org; or call Linda Medema at 231-332-4103. All memories will be shared during a 2 month exhibit surrounding the theater opening date of September 16 as well as posted on the Frauenthal’s website.
P.J. Schlossman built the Frauenthal Theater (originally named the Michigan Theater) in 1930 for $600,000.00. C. Howard Crane was the architect hired to design the theater, Vanderwest & Childs were the local firm functioning as supervising architects, and the building was done by Strom Construction of Muskegon. The interior decorations and furnishings were done by Mandel Brothers of Chicago. In 1930 The Muskegon Chronicle ad read “with the opening of the new Michigan Theater, Muskegon can boast the best theater in Michigan outside of Detroit, and second to none in the U.S. for towns our size.”
In 1958 the theater was closed for a brief time to be refurbished. The entire theater was spray painted beige, striving for a more modern look. By 1970 the facility had deteriorated and in 1975 was scheduled for demolition. A group of concerned citizens approached the Community Foundation for Muskegon County for help. The Foundation had just received a substantial gift from local industrialist, A. Harold Frauenthal, to be used for the good of the community. In October, 1976, the Foundation purchased the entire block of Western Ave. between 3rd and 4th streets.
On November 8, 1995, the taxpayers of Muskegon County voted to fully restore the Frauenthal Theater to its original grandeur, at a cost of $7.5 million dollars. In December of 1997, the theater was closed to
begin restoration. With the help of Kessler & Associates architectural firm the original splendor of the Spanish renaissance interior was restored while technical, mechanical and life safety elements were improved. A new lobby was added along Western Avenue in place of the old storefronts. On June 6, 1998 the Frauenthal Theater re-opened in a gala celebration featuring Harry Belafonte in concert.
The Frauenthal Theater has been the cornerstone of the arts in Muskegon and Western Michigan since September 16, 1930. Through the many performances that have graced its stage and screen, the Frauenthal Theater has enriched, entertained and enlightened the lives of thousands. Audiences not only experience the best the performing arts have to offer, but they are awed by the splendor of the theatre itself.
For more information, please contact Linda Medema, 231-332-4103 or lmedema@cffmc.org.