Gala for the Calumet Theatre

The Daily Mining Gazette - Published: Monday, March 31, 2008

CAPTION: Kurt Hauglie/Daily Mining Gazette
Amber Marek and Tom Daupais of the Michigan Technological University Swing Dance Club perform Saturday during the Calumet Theatre Anniversary Gathering and Silent Auction. About 80 people attended the event, which was intended to raise money for repairs to the theatre building.

By KURT HAUGLIE, DMG Writer
CALUMET — Ginny Schubert of Eagle Harbor doesn’t get to as many presentations at the Calumet Theatre as she’d like, but she did make an effort to get to the theatre’s Anniversary Gathering and Silent Auction Saturday to help support its operations.

“We’re so glad it’s here,” Schubert said. “We want to continue to have it here.”

Besides paying the $50 per person ticket for admission, Schubert said she intended to bid on some of the auction items, which included donated photographs, paintings, theatre memorabilia, such as T-shirts and sweatshirts, and items from local merchants.

Libby Meyer of Hancock said she gets to several theatre productions a year, and she was glad to take part in the Anniversary Gathering.

“It’s to support the theatre,” she said.

Meyer said she was expecting to bid on one of the stained-glass items, although she wanted to wait to see how the bidding started.

Jim Lowell, theatre executive director, said 1,000 invitations for the event were sent out, including to the 450 theatre members. There was seating for 80 people, and from the early turnout, he expected that many to attend.

“The crowd looks good,” he said.

Lowell said many people would probably send the ticket price without attending, also.

Many of the theatre’s supporters are interested in the arts aspect of the theatre, Lowell said, and many are interested in the historic preservation aspect, which is also part of the theatre board’s mission.

Money raised by the event will be used for repairs of the 108-year-old theatre building infrastructure, Lowell said.

Lowell said the last time theatre officials had a similar event was in 2000 for the 100th anniversary of the building, but he wasn’t involved with the theatre then so the experience was new for him.

“I’ll consider it a success if everybody has a good time and we put some bucks in the bank,” he said.

The event included a meal, presentations by the Michigan Technological University swing and social dance clubs, musical entertainment and a keynote presentation by Tech professor Larry Lankton, who talked about what life was like in Calumet in 1900 when the theatre building was constructed.

“That’s a past worth preserving,” Lowell said.

Although he didn’t know exactly what to expect from the evening because it was the first time such an effort was done, Lowell said it was a good experience.

“I’m hoping this is something we get better at and can do every year,” he said.

Kurt Hauglie can be reached at khauglie@mininggazette.com