Kalamazoo State Theater to pause operations to find new ownership

KALAMAZOO, Mich. — The Kalamazoo State Theater will temporarily pause operations on Nov. 24 to pursue new ownership and operating structure.

The closure will be used to gather interest and identify a new organization, likely a nonprofit, to resume operations, officials said.

“We are committed to preserving the cultural and architectural significance of the Kalamazoo State Theater and ensuring its potential to continue to thrive in the hands of an as-yet-unidentified organization dedicated to entertainment and the arts,” said theater owner Roger Hinman.

Current theater director Stephanie Hinman will represent the Hinman family’s desire to find the right organization to take over, theater officials said.

“Ensuring that we find the right people and group to move the Kalamazoo State Theater forward with the vision of preserving and keeping it alive through continued use is a top priority and focus,” said Stephanie Hinman.

The theater’s final performance before the hiatus will be November 23 with a performance by Queen cover band Almost Queen and special guest Lisa Can’t Sing.

All tickets for performances after the closing date will be refunded at the point of purchase, according to theater officials.

The Kalamazoo State Theater box office will only be able to process refunds for tickets purchased directly from the theater box office. The box office is open until and including 5 December.

Opened in 1927, the theater was part of the WS Butterfield chain of theaters designed by famed architect John Eberson with an “atmospheric” interior reminiscent of a Mediterranean farm under a starry sky.

The theater is one of 18 other Eberson atmospheric theaters still in operation nationwide.