The state of Michigan, which recently witnessed an unsuccessful effort to transform its only LORT house, the Meadow Brook Theatre, from a not-for-profit entity into a commercial institution, lost a round last week when the Cherry County Playhouse shuttered after a 48-year run.
From its creation in Traverse City in 1955 by actress Ruth Bailey until it moved to the 1,750-seat Frauenthal Theater on the Lake Michigan shore in 1991, the playhouse was regarded as one of the most popular summer stock theatres in the country, attracting such talents as Rita Moreno, George Hearn, Vicki Lawrence, and Brian Stokes Mitchell. After switching to a policy of ensemble productions to save money during the '90s, the star system returned this past summer with four warm-weather shows, including John Davidson in "Chicago," Peter Scolari in "Barnum," and Sandy Duncan as Aunt Eller in "Oklahoma!" Some 18,000 ticket buyers, however, were not enough to save the group.
What felled the organization, Eugene Franks, who served as chairman of the board of directors, told the Muskegon Chronicle, was diminishing revenues from individuals and corporations. The announcement did come as a surprise, however. Even as recently as three months ago, the group was planning a full slate of shows for the 2004 summer season, including "Hello, Dolly!," "Always... Patsy Cline," "Damn Yankees," "Smokey Joe's Cafe," and "West Side Story."
In the same article, Pamela Gallina, who held the title of company president, said "nothing short of a guardian angel" would save the group.
The loss comes after more than a decade of turbulence for the organization. In 1976, Bailey sold the operation to funnyman Pat Paulsen and an ambitious producer, Neil Rosen. Together, they spearheaded the company's move to the Frauenthal Theater. Following their deaths, New York-based director Bill Castellino took over, lasting until 2002, when artistic differences hastened his departure. He was followed by Lawrence Thelen, formerly of Goodspeed Musicals in Connecticut, but his contract was not renewed for 2003. Today, the company's website, which remains active, does not show an artistic director.