MANCHESTER, NH – For more than a year, stages across the globe have been darkened and seats empty due to the ongoing effects from the COVID-19 pandemic. Manchester’s own Palace Theatre is no exception, with many of the actors and crew out of work while the public remains quarantined.
While many performers, technicians, and workers in the musical theatre industry remain unemployed on a national level, The Palace Theatre is one step closer to opening its doors with a planned date of June 1 in the works. Although the entertainment industry continues to take a hit around the U.S., New Hampshire’s latest numbers from April 21st report just over 50 percent of the population having received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and just over 25 percent having been fully vaccinated. With state restrictions being loosened by Governor Sununu, the Palace is eagerly attempting to plan a safe way to bring music and entertainment back to the community.
While the full lineup is not yet ready for release, Peter Ramsey, CEO of the Palace Theatre, is planning a summer of events with a limited capacity for safety measures, including masks and social distancing.
“We will likely be at half capacity for both the Rex and the Palace. We have about 200 shows that we have postponed for the last year and a half. For example, we would like to bring Mamma Mia back with our cast and sets. It’s a big investment and we hope to do that for October or November. Howie Mandel for example, is someone we hope will visit the city, and we want to do comedy Friday nights starting in June at the Rex Theatre,” says Ramsey.
Comedians Juston McKinney and Lenny Clarke are other performers that Ramsey hopes to work with at the Rex Theatre, though he emphasizes that all forms of entertainment will be based on what theatres can legally and safely do over the summer in New Hampshire. For Ramsey and members of the board of trustees, the ability to help their staff and performers get back to work safely is of tremendous importance.
“The entertainment industry worldwide has been devastated and it’s been terribly heartbreaking to see what’s happened to many, many people who have not worked in a year and a half. There are some really talented Broadway performers who have changed careers. So there are loads of people who want to be back out and running again from comedians, to actors and singers,” says Ramsey.
While theatre openings are varying state by state, Broadway shows across New York are still pending with a goal of September for most returning shows. Ramsey’s goals for the palace are to launch the summer with a very cautious start of social distancing, masks, and an initial return of the children’s theatre which has traditionally been run on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays for the past 20 years. Ramsey credits the public as the continued lifeline of the Palace Theatre, as donations small and big have helped secure its future state.
“We’ve been able to keep 25 core staff members, and it’s cost $1.2 million which we’ve been able to raise to pay them for the last year and we’re very proud about that . . . I was scared to death that layoffs would result in losing our people forever but I’m very excited that we’ve been able to keep our core staff and am positive that the mayor of Manchester and Governor will treat the arts in a positive way and that we can get back up and running again before you know it,” says Ramsey.
Lovers of the arts should keep their eyes on https://www.palacetheatre.org/ for a pending schedule of shows and further information!