By GRAHAM JAEHNIG

Houghton Mining Gazette

CALUMET — At the regular meeting of the Calumet Theatre Co. Board on Monday, Executive Director Jay Maki said the theater experienced a successful and productive summer season.

Between July 13 and Dec. 16, the event lineup grew to no less than 36 shows and events, not including two private rentals in August and two in September.

An event Maki brought back was Dinner and a Movie, which he said has grown in attendance and popularity — until winter weather interfered.

In September, the program series featured the 1938 version of the Adventures of Robin Hood. The next in the series featured the 1952 release of Singin’ in the Rain.

Maki said the turn-out for the September dinner totaled 20, while the November event showed an increase to 28 for dinner. However, weather was a factor in a decrease in movie attendance.

“Attendance for the movie didn’t hit as heavy as we thought it would,” said Maki, “but that was the beginning of this weekend’s snow.”

While financially the November event was successful, Maki said he was disappointed with the decrease in movie attendance, which was approximately 50, he said.

The October 28 event which featured The Shining, was a success, said Maki.

We had our first late show, Movie with a Social. We had the Shining, quite well received. We had 75 people come for the social itself, then a total of 143 for the movie.”

In restoring the theater complex to its past reputation as a premier venue, Maki has expanded the focus beyond just the theater. Use of the ballroom, referred to now as the Red Jacket Ballroom has been brought into the fold of events more than it has been in the past.

For instance, after years of not having hosted a dance in the ballroom, Maki said he was excited with the Nov. 12 Fall Ball. Unfortunately, a similar weather system to that which hampered the late movie event also negatively impacted the ball.

“I actually had people calling in,” said Maki, “saying ‘I’m sorry we can’t make it, it’s just too nasty out and slippery.”

Maki said that while attendance fell short of expectations, that does not discourage him from hosting another one in the future.

“Of course, we know,” he said, “that’s why we don’t schedule big shows in the winter, because that’s exactly what happens.”

Theatre Board President Dan Jamison commented that while the ball was not financially successful, it goes along with the board’s philosophy that currently the main goal is getting people into the theater to see that its heart still beats.

The summer season being over does not mean the 2022 season has ended. Maki then discussed the events as the season now transitions to Christmas.

The Superior School of Dance is now in the theater, preparing for its presentation of Alice in Winterland, which will offer two shows, the first on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. and again on Sunday at 3 p.m.

Maki said he had intended on presenting a community Christmas play, A Charlie Brown Christmas, until the Calumet High School requested a time slot to present their Senior Class play. Maki gave the play spot to the high school. On Dec. 3 and 4, the high school will present the play Christmas Chaos.

That will be followed up on Dec. 7 with the Calumet High School Band concert, Maki said.

On Dec. 10, the theater will host a “free show” in conjunction with a raffle drawing.

“We’re going to make it a Christmas Time in Calumet weekend day that whole Saturday,” he said. “We’re going let kids come in from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to make Christmas decorations and see Santa Claus.”

The next event on the roster is the Texas Tenors concert on Dec. 13, followed by the final event of 2022, another Late Show, featuring The Man Who Invented Christmas.

“Like the Shining, which didn’t have a dinner, but a social,” said Maki, “the Man Who Invented Christmas will not have a dinner but a social.”

There were rough patches along the way during the year, he said, but valuable lessons were learned. Planning and executing the 2023 season will be much smoother and more efficient.

Maki, who began as executive director in May, turned the season around, said Jamison, and all of the members were new to the Board of Directors, but in spite of lingering financial shortages because of the suspension of membership dues during the COVID lockdown, Maki and Jamison both said that there are no concerns or worries regarding the upcoming year.