:quality(70):focal(159x119:169x129)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/shawmedia/42SOF2PWQJHY5C7VNK7QWOOKUQ.jpg)
Hello, Sauk Valley and beyond!
It is finally upon us. Construction has started – a historic day for a historic theater. Recently, members from The Dixon Historic Theatre board and staff members as well as representatives from architect firm Studio GWA and Berglund Construction talked over the final details of the $1.5 million restoration project to begin this October and be completed in March.
“This has been a long process with many moving parts, and one that has required a ton of volunteer hours and painstaking attention to detail to get us to this point,” board member and project lead Jeremy Englund said. “We owe a huge amount of gratitude to Dan Reglin for the construction management skills he voluntarily provided on our behalf.”
“What an asset Dan has been in providing invaluable knowledge to all the processes and procedures associated with this project,” Board President Mike Venier said. “The roller-coaster ride is leveling off, and we are anticipating a fantastic finished product.”
“The theater will be dark for an extended period, but the board understands the process and what’s required to refurbish this 102-year-old building into a safe and weatherproof venue,” board member Paul Roe said. “With the work that is being completed, the theater should remain not only a beautiful, historic building in our community, but the hub of our arts and cultural scene for many, many years to come.”
“Our board and staff ask for your support and understanding through it all. Though there will still be much to complete and additional funds to raise, we now believe we will have our foundation secured, and the shows will go on,” board member Jennifer Sarno said.
Contractors have asked that the theater remain dark from October through March. If all goes according to plan, we will reopen with the Broadway comedy “Spamilton” at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, March 2.
In case you missed what is being done with the theater, here is a brief synopsis: We are completely replacing the roof. With reports of other 100-plus-year-old buildings collapsing during bad weather, we felt it our top priority to keep everyone safe inside The Dixon.
We are also tuck-pointing (fixing the bricks and mortar) around the entire theater, making it stronger and weatherproof. We are painting the inside of the theater and bringing back some original colors. You’ll have to wait until our grand reopening to see!
We will be upgrading the bathrooms on the first floor and polishing up the beautiful floors in our lobby area. We can’t wait to show you the finished product!
Until then, we’re not just sitting around.
We’ve moved our Children’s Theater to the Jerry Mathis Theatre at Sauk Valley Community College! Patrice Hess, dean of transfer programs and academic support services, has been amazing in helping us relocate to that theater so we wouldn’t have to cancel our next two children’s shows.
First up is “Frozen Jr.” at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 16 and 2 p.m. Nov. 17. Starring our youngest actors, this musical is based on the Disney blockbuster film “Frozen.” With familiar songs such as “Let it Go,” it’s going to be fun for the whole family.
Next is “Beauty and the Beast Jr.” performed by our older children. Based on the mega-hit Disney movie, the music sweeps you away to a magical land filled with talking furniture and the saving of a cursed prince. “Beauty and the Beast Jr.” will perform at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 22 and Nov. 23 and at 2 p.m. Nov. 24.
These shows will sell out, so get your tickets today! The Jerry Mathis Theatre is located in the east wing of Sauk Valley Community College at 173 Route 2, Dixon.
Have you ever wondered how venues such as The Dixon, the Egyptian Theatre in DeKalb, the Coronado Theatre in Rockford or the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles get their events? One such way is going to a conference like the International Entertainment Buyers Association in Nashville, Tennessee.
Our resident technical director and I traveled to Nashville to attend the IEBA and meet dozens of agents, managers, performers and salesmen to find acts to bring to our theater. Scott and I had personal meetings with a half-dozen agents in the morning. In the afternoon, we walked through the convention hall, stopping at every booth to see artist rosters and tell them about our theater. I even met Chubby Checker!
This one trip will help fill our 2025 season. We also receive emails from touring acts and local talent. From there, a booking committee reviews the acts that the staff has decided would bring excitement to the community. Once discussed, it goes to the board for a final vote. We plan on having at least 50 events next year. So, there will be a lot of voting!
We did see one band, Chili Dawg and the Pound, playing in Nashville that we really liked. Cross your fingers we can get them to play at our theater! If there is a band, comedian or any act that you’d love to see at The Dixon in 2025, let us know! One way to get involved is to contact us and say that you’d like to be an investor. For example, if you wanted to bring in Crystal Gayle, you could invest the money it would cost to hire her. If the show makes a profit, you will get your investment back. Then, you could call yourself a producer!
The Dixon staff and board would like to thank Delight and Dick Pitman for donating a washer and dryer to the theater. The machines are practically new and will save us so much time and money. Thank you, and we’ll get those free show tickets to you soon!
Hopefully, you got to attend the Scarecrow Fest put on by Discover Dixon. It was packed! I was blown away by how much activity was going on everywhere for the kids. Once again, Discover Dixon hits another home run!
Speaking of baseball, the Yankees and the Dodgers are in the World Series – with an adjusted payroll total of $550 million. That’s a lot of Dodger Dogs and New York pizza!
The past few Sundays, I watched da Bears games at Mad Water Saloon. Tobias, the Sunday bartender, makes homemade chili. It’s really good. Try the apple pie shot. It’s indescribably tasty. A handful of local bars have fantastic food and drink specials for Sunday football. I’ve been trying them all. It’s very easy to support local businesses when you’re never disappointed!
Come see “Frozen Jr.” and “Beauty and the Beast Jr.” Every ticket sold supports The Dixon. Also, sign up for our newsletter! We have some surprises coming up and some teasers for the 2025 season!
Thanks for reading all the way through, and we’ll see you at The Dixon!
• Darren Mangler is The Dixon Historic Theatre’s artistic producer.