After a hiatus of nearly a year and a half due to COVID-19, the historic Egyptian Theatre on Main Street is ready to turn the lights back on.
The theater will hit the ground running with the Park City Follies, opening on August 27th.
The Egyptian Theater has been closed since March 8th of 2020. Randy Barton, Executive Director of the Egyptian (and also host of KPCW’s Local View), said it was one of the first local facilities to go dark.
“It’s been 16 months, and we are just so antsy to open the doors and do what we do. We financially have been fine, due to the great support of the community, but also due to the amazing support from the federal government, which in our history has never happened. But wow, kudos to USA.”
He said the theater aims to be busy once again, offering attractions every weekend. Even with persistent concerns about COVID, Barton said theater staff and volunteers are being safe and responsible.
“We planned for a long time to open now. And you know the new Delta virus is concerning everyone. But we specifically chose to open with Follies, “9 to 5 The Musical” and “Thriller,” because we’ve done these over and over. And they do not draw from outside of Summit County. And Summit County is 80 percent vaccinated. And our audience, I would venture to say, is 95 percent vaccinated. So we’re real solid on opening. We’re not gonna cancel unless something happens and we’re told that we need to do anything differently.”
Barton said attendees may wear masks but are not required to do so. The theater also will not require proof of vaccination.
Park City’s beloved traditional spoof, The Follies, opens on August 27th and is playing daily through Sept 5th (except for Monday August 30th.)
It’s the theater’s big fundraiser, and all the shows are sold out. But Barton said they are holding seats for Pharaoh Club members, as an incentive to join up as a financial supporter of the Egyptian.
The all-volunteer Follies cast hasn’t started rehearsing yet. But Barton noted they have two years worth of material to work with.
The upcoming schedule also includes John Mayall, the musical “Spamalot,” the Lettermen, the Ventures and Iron Butterfly.
The theater will also mark a couple of anniversaries. The building opened on Christmas Day of 1926, so this December will mark its 95th anniversary.
And on October 12th, an invitation-only party will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Egyptian’s revival as the home of Park City’s community theater.
Barton said theater staff hasn’t been idle in the last year and a half. Solar panels have been installed on the roof. And YouTheatre programs are scheduled in their studio space across the street, under what is now the Parkite Condos.
