Sandusky State Theatre to reopen in 2023

SANDUSKY — It'll be another year, and then some, before the curtains get re-raised and shows, once again, take place from inside an iconic venue. People can expect the Sandusky State Theatre to reopen for performances, plays, concerts and other spectacles by sometime in 2023. Chris Parthemore, the theater's executive director, provided a new time frame to the Register this past week during an exclusive interview. But many other details about the ongoing reconstruction effort — such as more precise dates; artist renderings and conceptual images reimagining the theater's new look; along with the total estimated cost and insurance details — are either unknown or not yet publicly available, Parthemore said. The theater's board is "not ready to talk about finances yet because there are a lot of things that might change," said Parthemore, who did classify this initiative as a multimillion-dollar project. Parthemore does hope to break ground on rebuilding efforts in early 2022. "We'd like for that to happen first thing in the spring and go from there," Parthemore said. "We have made a lot of progress with our architectural team." Parthemore elaborated upon the latter point. "We are well into the design process with the architects, and we were able to take the public input we received and integrated that into the design," he said. "For instance, we know people wanted a bigger stage, which can bring bigger and better shows here. He continued: "Once that progress is complete, we look forward to that progress with the public." Parthemore realizes people desperately seek information on the theater, destroyed on June 10, 2020, when a sudden devastating windstorm ransacked through the illustrious structure, causing a collapse of its roof and walls. "We know people are anxious to learn more about what's coming, and we are just as anxious to share that, and we will do that when the time is appropriate," Parthemore said. "But we really have one shot at getting this right for the future, and we are putting all of our resources into making sure it's a theater the community can be proud of for the next 100 years." The prologue Before the iconic venue can be built back up, it needed to go through a partial tear down in selected, albeit storied, sections. From when the windstorm occurred to this past spring, Sandusky State Theatre-hired contractors needed to remove: • Remnants of the wrecked Vaudeville-era stage, which has hosted thousands of performances, including some recent Broadway shows, since its debut in 1928 • Waterlogged seats, where attendees, concert-goers and family members of those participating in plays or dance recitals took in shows • Marred equipment, which accentuated and spotlighted acclaimed entertainers, ranging from Wayne Newton to UB40. In the actual theater portion, what remains is a bare-naked version of, arguably, the Firelands Region's most legendary building for arts and entertainment. "We had to protect the integrity of the historic landmark," Parthemore said. Parthemore alluded to how contractors emptied damaged areas of the venue. It's a necessary precursor before design-related tasks can start and, then eventually, construction work. Since the storm, both theater personnel and their hired contractors coordinated to shore up the building. Most notably, this meant buttoning up the stage area to protect everything else contained inside from further loss caused by outdoor elements. Several quintessential theater amenities — including the signature wall, signed by many famous entertainers and musicians; the chandelier; and the marquee sign — somehow didn't sustain any damage.