Theatre In The Ruin On Hold

Posted on May 26, 2015 at 7:30 PM

The inaugural Theatre in the Ruin event that took place last fall inside the historic Menominee Opera House was deemed a success. As you may know, it was the first time that a scheduled performance had taken place in the building in over 70 years. However, future events have been temporarily placed on hold. At least for the summer of 2015.

We are currently in the process of obtaining an occupancy permit from the City of Menominee, which is needed not only for Theatre in the Ruin but for any public events to take place in the building going forward. The city has set forth specific requirements that we need to meet in order for the permit to be granted. Plans are already under way to make the necessary changes. It is not known yet, though, just how long the changes will take to complete or how long it will take for the occupancy permit to then be approved.

Theatre in the Ruin has been a great way to get the public into the building and also spur additional interest in its history and the restoration work being done. Live performances will return once again to the Menominee Opera House. This is nothing more than a minor setback. Keep an eye on our website and/or Facebook page for details as things progress.

As always, thank you for your continued support.

May 2015 Press Release

Posted on May 20, 2015 at 9:48 PM

City of Menominee to Receive $27,000 Historic Preservation Grant

Three Michigan communities recently awarded Certified Local Government Grants

Lansing, Mich. – The City of Menominee will receive a $27,000 Certified Local Government (CLG) grant according to the Michigan State Housing Development Authority’s State Historic Preservation Office.

“This is outstanding news for the people of Menominee and the entire area. It will help continue the revitalization of the historic opera house, which held its first musical event in 70 years last fall,” said Sen. Tom Casperson, R-Escanaba. “I applaud everyone who worked to help make this transformation a reality. As a result of their effort and both public and private funding, Menominee is preserving its past and breathing new life into a 112-year-old theater.”

The grant money will be used to remove the brick and replace with the formed metal cornice on the south facing façade of the Menominee Opera House.

“Communities benefit when public officials view historic resources and neighborhoods as assets and commit to preserve them,” State Historic Preservation Officer Brian Conway said. “There are 25 Certified Local Governments in Michigan. These communities demonstrate their commitment on an ongoing basis, so we are pleased to be able to support them with grant funding.”

The CLG grants are funded through the federal Historic Preservation Fund.

In addition to the Menominee’s grant, two more communities received CLG grants for historic preservation. They are:

City of Detroit, $24,000 to hire a qualified contractor to provide plans and specifications detailing the reopening of the pass-through between the Belle Isle Aquarium and Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory.
City of Detroit, $33,000 to rehabilitate the Scarab Club roof and skylight, tear off the existing flat membrane roof system to the structural deck, replace damaged/rotten deck, and install new flashing.
City of Saline, $33,000 for a qualified consultant to prepare a Condition Assessment Report for all 13 structures on the historic Rentschler Farm and to provide plans and specifications for structural and foundation rehabilitation of the Salvage Barn.

Certified Local Governments are counties, townships or cities that partner with the State Historic Preservation Office and the National Park Service to preserve their historic and cultural resources. CLGs demonstrate ongoing commitment to historic preservation through the enactment of a historic preservation ordinance, the formation of a historic district commission, the ongoing survey and designation of properties, and public education.

CLG grants are awarded annually on a competitive basis. All grants must be matched with local funds or donations and are available on a reimbursement basis only. Project activities must have measurable results. The State Historic Preservation Office welcomes innovative proposals that promote historic preservation.

The intent of the CLG grant program is to augment rather than replace existing local financial commitment to historic preservation activities. Grants are announced each May. For more information on CLG funding, visit SHPO’s grant manuals website at:

http://www.michigan.gov/mshda/0,1607,7-141-54317_54760_27123—,00.html

Calling All Performers

Posted on May 8, 2015 at 5:00 PM

Theatre in the Ruin logo If you’re a performer (musician, actor, comedian, dancer, etc.) and would like to be part of the entertainment for one of our upcoming live events, then please visit the Theatre in the Ruin website. Once there, simply submit your name and email address. We’ll then contact you in the near future for more information.

www.theatreintheruin.com

Our New Website

Posted on May 1, 2015 at 5:00 AM

Welcome! It’s been a long time coming, but it’s finally arrived. A lot of work has gone into putting this new website together, and there’s still more to do. We hope to be adding new content on a somewhat regular basis from this point forward, though.

With summer right around the corner, we’re beginning to gear up for more restoration work in the coming months. We’re also looking forward to continuing our Theatre in the Ruin series of live events. In fact, we’re going to be dedicating a website specifically to those events (www.theatreintheruin.com). That site will feature information on upcoming event dates, times and scheduled performers. We’ll be releasing more information about that site in the near future, so stay tuned.

As you may have already guessed by the title of this page (“News”), this is the section of the website that will feature all of the latest news about anything related to the Menominee Opera House. We have also expanded our social media reach to now include Twitter and Google+ in addition to Facebook. You can reach us on any of those platforms by simply clicking on the corresponding icon under the “Connect With Us” heading on any page of this website.

Speaking of new ways to connect with us, our biannual newsletter will also be available via e-mail for the first time starting this summer. If you want to subscribe, enter your first and last name along with your e-mail address in the “Newsletter Sign Up” section on any page of this site and click the “Sign Up” button. Not only will you receive the newsletters via e-mail, but you’ll also receive other special messages throughout the year. You can unsubscribe at any time, too.