UTAH THEATRE READY TO USHER IN A ‘NEW ERA’

By Katie Peikes,
The Herald Journal
Published: Thursday, June 9, 2016

A historic theater stood stationary on Center Street for several months after closing in 2006 until members of the Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theatre decided they wanted to reopen it.

Built in the 1930s, the Utah Theatre was built as a gorgeous, classy place for people to watch movies. Its historic venue attracted many from around Utah who saw it as a unique space for social outings and entertainment.

When it closed, it left a gaping hole in downtown Logan, taking away the movie theater vibe, leaving residents with shopping and restaurants, but no place to go for a movie. No one had thought about reopening until UFOMT founding general director Michael Ballam came home from sabbatical in Italy and saw the building in the beginning of its demise. He decided to do something different with it. After almost 10 years of restoration efforts, the theater will open with the premiere of “Peter Pan” on Friday, June 24.

“It’s going to be a unique theater in Northern Utah,” Ballam said. “We’re going to be able to do things that we cannot do in the (Ellen) Eccles Theatre or any other theater north of Salt Lake City. Our company, the UFOMT, has grown to the point where we need an additional venue. We’re growing and we want to be able to have more offerings, and we want to be able to do things year-round, not just in the summer.”

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