Theatre attendance and revenues are up at two of Chatham-Kent’s theatres in 2024, according to a new report being presented to council Monday night.
The report from Theatres Project Manager Devon Hansen highlights that attendance at Chatham’s Capitol Theatre and Kiwanis Theatre was a combined 70,000 in 2024, and has continuously grown post-COVID.
The municipality took over operations of the Capitol Theatre from St Clair College in 2016, with the two theatres being managed by the Arts and Culture division since 2019.
In his report, Hansen wrote that “the usage at both municipal theatres has grown considerably in the past several years,” and that “the Capitol Theatre is currently operating at close to peak prime in terms of capacity.”
Rentals at the Capitol Theatre are hard to come by as prime concert days (Thursday to Saturday) are booked months or years in advance. Leaving Sunday to Wednesday as the only rental option. Hansen believes the Kiwanis Theatre offers a good alternative to those looking for a date they can’t get at the Capitol. The Kiwanis is the smaller of the two venues. Upgrades at the 679-seat theatre include new sound and lighting consoles with improved seating still on the to-do list.
This past season, the Capitol Theatre saw a slew of acts cross its stage, including 54/40, Dean Brody, Glass Tiger, Colin Mochrie, and Tegan and Sara.