| Group
looking to purchase and preserve Old Opera House Theatre
The value of the Opera House building, historically speaking, is immeasurable. The Opera House stage was graced by a great local Jazz musician, Lee Morse. The Opera House is one of Morse's earliest known performance venues still in existence. The Old Opera House is eligible to be placed on the state’s historical registry. It functioned as an opera house a little more than a decade when the building was pressed into service for other purposes. Over the next 60 years, the stage was hidden from view and was not rediscovered until 1994 when the Graves family brought the Opera House back to life. Theatrical productions from musicals to melodramas gave locals and tourists the opportunity to experience the theatre. Earnest money has been laid down and a preliminary contract to purchase has been signed, and our most urgent need is to raise the capital of $199,000 to purchase the building within a 60-day period ending June 1. There are other interested buyers for this building, but the Old Opera House committee members are the only ones interested in the Opera House for its original purpose; a community theatre and cultural centre. If we are unable to raise the funds, the building will be sold to those interested in converting the building/property to another use. In addition, we need funds to restore the facility for reuse; both the upstairs and the downstairs need construction or repair, rewiring in some places, replace/modify the emergency fire escape, insulation installed, heating system installed for year- round use of the facility, to list just a few. Finally, we wish to raise funds to support our first year of getting the building up to full use both upstairs in the theatre and also downstairs with small room rentals for vendors and the large room for events. Our total fundraising goal is $500,000. We are looking at multiple funding options that will become clearer within the next 2 weeks. Those options include potential community shareholders, donations, finding a financier, and crowd-funding through Indiegogo. We hope to have our crowd-funding site up soon. We will also be looking for Social Media Tigers to help us get the word out. It is a well-known fact that performing arts centers are major factors in the development of a successful community. A great example is the Music Hall of Tarrytown, NY, a movie theatre built in 1885, that was closed due to the rise of new construction in the area and plans were in place for it to be torn down. The town mirrored its state of decay: the run-down Main Street was full of bars, motorcycle gangs and boarded-up stores. This old theater was rescued by a group of local citizens who recognized that this building was unique and incredibly important to the economic and cultural welfare of the area. Today, the Music Hall is thriving as a venue for live performances and films. It is the center for community groups where students have the experience of performing and is a haven for professional artists. At the same time that the theatre was brought back to life, Tarrytown began to see positive change and it is presently flourishing. The streets are generously lined with shops and restaurants; not one boarded-up store exists. Tourism is popular and people are scrambling to move and live there. 24 years after the Music Hall was to be demolished, people are treasuring it and cannot get enough of what they so nearly lost. We implore you to help us preserve this amazing building as a theatre and cultural centre; a living legacy and a place for future performers and audiences to experience the magic of the theatre. By next week, we will have contact numbers for more information and donations. 
The Old Opera House Theatre in Kooskia is for sale and a local group is raising funds to purchase and preserve it. 
Above are several scenes from plays performed at the Old Opera House Theatre in the past. From top down are "Oklahoma," "The Sound of Music" and "Fiddler on the Roof." Talent Show set for Kooskia We're searching for participants for the first “Prairie-River’s Got Talent” event Come audition. All ages welcome. Sing? Dance? Recite cowboy or other poetry? Play an instrument? Are you a magician or comedian? Come share your talent! Auditions will be held in Kooskia Thursday, April 13 and Friday, April 14 at the Clearwater Elementary gym from 4 p.m.-7 p.m. each night, and in the community room at Grangeville Elementary/Middle School on Saturday the 15, from 10:00 a.m. to noon. Audition winners will then perform publicly at Clearwater Valley High School Auditorium on Friday, April 28. The audience will help decide the winner of "Prairie-River's Got Talent". Proceeds from this event will help fund the Old Opera House campaign and provide an opportunity to scout new talent for future productions. With your help organizers can preserve this fine historic building and restore it to its original function as a community theatre and cultural/event centre. The Opera House committee cannot do it without you. Please come and enjoy performing or having fun being involved in the audience rooting for your favorite star! For more information, call Vicki at 926-7149. |
 |