Tonight the City Opera House debuts a mid-week combo that melds great food with great movies.
The Downtown Dinner and a Movie series kicks off with "The Right Stuff” at 7 p.m. For the next 11 weeks the series will show one of the American Film Institute's top 100 inspirational movies every Wednesday night. Selections for the series were chosen from the 1970s and 1980s, an era organizers felt was most appealing to viewers. "Harold and Maude” will be shown on Wednesday, April 25, and the future line-up will be announced. Boosting downtown business at the same time, the series will offer advanced ticket buyers a 15 percent discount at
restaurants including Blue Tractor, Brady's Bar, Ciao Bella, Dillinger's Pub, Capone's Café, Mackinaw Brewing Co., Pangea's Pizza, J&S Hamburg, Hanna's Bistro, North Peak Brewing Co. and Roma Italian Restaurant.
"We have 13 restaurants who jumped on board with almost no notice,” said Sheryl Hayward, the new City Opera House executive director.
This pilot program is the brainchild Hayward and the City Opera House's board of directors. Inspired in part by a Downtown Development Authority report listing the need for a movie theater downtown, they also wanted to showcase the versatility of the renovated venue, which includes state-of-the-art audio visual equipment. New chairs for the main seating will debut Wednesday evening as well.
"If people develop a taste for movies downtown, it will only help,” said Hayward, who joined the Opera House two months ago. "Also to do something mid-week, we do a lot of events on Friday and events like weddings on Saturday.”
Board member Catherine Dancer said the synergy between the City Opera House and downtown restaurants creates a wholesome, Anytown, USA feel.
"I thought for so many years that if we could reopen the old movie theater on Front Street how great that would be,” she noted. "Obviously, that's not going to happen anytime soon, but the ability to go see a movie downtown, grab a bite to eat and see your friends walking the sidewalk, it's just a sense of community.”
Open for business and events since last year after a multi-year, multi-million dollar renovation, the City Opera House also welcomed its new executive director earlier in 2007. A Traverse City native who grew up on her parents' dairy farm, Hayward returns to the area after 10 years in film and television production in Los Angeles. Her education and professional resume, which also includes extensive experience in nonprofit fundraising made her a perfect fit for the position.
Dancer was also part of the board's hiring committee that snapped up Hayward when they were searching for a new executive director.
"She's got so much educational background but she's also got so much experience as a TV producer,” she noted. "She's just a little 100-pound dynamo; it's amazing, we're just so lucky to have her.”
As for Hayward, a Traverse City Senior High graduate whose family still lives locally, she still pinches herself to make sure it is all real.
"This is an unbelievable rare jewel of an opportunity to combine growing up here with my television and entertainment experience,” she said. "I'm a little bit shell shocked.”
Tickets for Downtown Dinner and a Movie are $7 for adults and $5 for seniors, the movie starts each Wednesday for the next 11 weeks at 7 p.m. at the City Opera House. With ticket purchase, a 15 percent off discount is available that night at 13 downtown restaurants. For more information, call the City Opera House at 941-8082, x 203 or see their Web site at www.cityoperahouse.org.