Detweiler: Marion Palace Theatre to debut new sound system in the May Pavilion
As many people know, the Marion Palace Theatre was saved from the wrecking ball in 1975 by a group of area businessmen, who have since been canonized as The Palace Guard. They were led by the then-owner of the Marion Flower Shop and local realtor John Keggan, a formidable man, who is still kicking around at the age of 92. I am fortunate enough to call my friend. Without the hard work and continuous dedication, the building many of us take for granted would have been a parking lot or torn down long ago to build a gas station.
The Palace would not exist to this day without the tremendous community support that it receives on a yearly basis. In 2008, we expanded the facility by adding the May Pavilion aided by a generous donation from Dr. Al and Ingrid May (and countless others). When I took over the reins in 2021, one thing I was made aware of was that the May Pavilion, although primarily a performance space, was never equipped with proper theatrical lighting. With a grant from the Marion County Commissioners last year, we were able to purchase and install proper lighting for the space and finally got to see its full potential in last weekend’s production of "Nunsense A-Men!"
Although the May Pavilion has an in-house sound system consisting of a series of ceiling speakers, it was never equipped with a portable sound system for use by local bands and deejays. Thanks to a grant from the Conway Family Charitable Fund from the Marion Community Foundation and Ron Scharer as a gift donation to honor his brother John’s family, we were able to purchase a first-rate portable sound system. It will be on full display when we host our first Friday Night Fundraiser, 70s Dance Fever on April 28. Dance the night away with DJ Smally Biggs, with special performances by local talent, while helping to raise funds for our beloved Palace.
Other events in April and May
On April 15 we will be presenting The Ron Retzer Trio, a soft rock/country/Christian band from West Virginia. Then, Marion’s own home-grown comedy troupe, The Shovel City Improv are slated to perform in the May Pavilion on April 22. And we close out the month with our 70’s Dance Fever.
The month of May brings us Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Famers The Righteous Brothers on May 6 and the national tour of the Tony Award-winning Fats Waller musical revue "Ain’t Misbehavin’" on May 20. Tickets for all Palace and May Pavilion events can be purchased at the box office every weekday except Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. by calling 740-383-2101 or on our website marionpalace.org.
Kirk Detweiler is the executive director of the Marion Palace Theatre. For more information about theatre events and activities, go to marionpalace.org.
This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Marion Palace Theatre to debut new sound system in the May Pavilion
