Nate Heffron, Negaunee city manager and president of the Peninsula Arts Appreciation Council, center, assesses the damage to the Historic Vista Theater with Negaunee city staff on Wednesday morning. The structure's roof collapsed at around 8:15 a.m. Wednesday due to what officials believe to be a roof drainage failure. (Journal photo by Ryan Spitza)

By Journal Staff

NEGAUNEE — A night of Broadway is coming to Negaunee this Saturday.

The Peninsula Arts Appreciation Advisory Board is partnering with St. John’s Episcopal Church to host Negaunee’s Night of Broadway to raise funds for the Vista Theater.

The one-night only event will feature a cast made up of local performers, each having performed at the Vista Theater at some point. Funds raised from the event will help with the rehabilitation of the historic building.

One performer, Kathy Houghton, has been part of the Vista and the nonprofit Peninsula Arts Appreciation Council since 1977. Houghton worked as an English and drama teacher at Negaunee High School for more than 30 years.

She directed a children’s play called “No Dreams for Me,” describing it as one of her fondest memories at the Vista. The experience allowed the children in the cast to develop characters and write their own lines.

To Houghton, community theater is a place where people can stretch the bounds of imagination, build confidence and find a feeling of belonging.

“Ironically, many of the actors I know are fundamentally shy people who have found confidence,” Houghton said. “It is not pretending to be somebody else, rather it is mining the various corners of one’s own personality to bring to life a character on stage.”

Houghton said the Vista gave countless children and adults alike a safe space to work, play and grow.

“The Vista theater welcomed all. The “No Dreams for Me” cast reached beyond Negaunee, as have all the shows I have been privileged to enjoy,” Houghton said. “It is my profound hope that someday, “No Dreams for Me,” rewritten by new children to meet their visions of their characters, will once again appear on the Vista stage.”

Connections to the Vista also run deep for cabaret cast members like Kerri Yost. Yost’s first theatrical performance was at the Vista.

“I had no idea what I was doing but my best friend Alicia McCauley was auditioning for Rocky Horror Picture Show and convinced me to tag along,” Yost said. “I was painfully nervous and felt like I was just going to embarrass myself. I probably did.”

Yost said the director of the show, Chris Leith, didn’t make her feel embarrassed.

“I remember his big laugh at my dumb physical humor and how kind and encouraging the other performers were. And that was how it was at the Vista: fun, supportive, inclusive, and yet chocked full of the greatest talent North of the 45th,” Yost said. “I feel so grateful for that formative experience, and for everything the Vista Theatre taught me about the essence of community.”

Houghton and Yost will be joined by Eliisa and Alex Herman, Gerry Anderson, Leslie Parkkonen, Jeff Jennings, Rusty and Lisa Bowers, Rose Larson and more.

PAAC President Rusty Bowers said he is proud of the cast director Eliisa Herman has put together and expects the evening to be very entertaining.

Bowers said the event will be a trip down memory lane for a lot of people but more than that, an investment in the future of an iconic building in the heart of downtown Negaunee.

“(The Vista) has entertained the hard-working folks in Marquette County for generations,” Bowers said. “First as a movie theater and then as a community theater.”

He said thanks to donations from people in the area, nearly $100,000 have been raised to clear the debris and protect the stage and lobby sides of the building.

“The structure has been inspected and, although it needs a roof, it is still very-much stable,” Bowers said. “Every donation helps to get us to the ultimate goal of fulfilling our business plan and making the Vista Theater the welcoming and inclusive place it was meant to be.”

Admission to the performance is a free-will offering. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and seating will be limited. Donations can be sent to the Vista Theater, P.O. Box 189, Negaunee, MI, 49866.

For more information, visit online at vistatheater.org.