Grand Theatre’s temporary stage getting more sturdy replacement this fall

Something new is going up at one of Grand Island's most historic landmarks.

The Grand Theatre is adding a new stage to replace its old one, upgrading it from a makeshift platform to a professional-quality structure.

Actually, "stage" was a generous description of the old structure. It was a series of boxes covered with plywood and weed barrier installed about three years ago, said Ray Evans, a member of the Grand Foundation board.

That stage was installed after the foundation took over the Grand, when it was looking for performances, rentals, anything to keep the Grand active.

"All we wanted to do was to have it stay alive," Evans said.

"We didn't want it to become a black hole in the downtown fabric."

The board had always hoped to install a permanent stage for the theater, which served almost exclusively as a movie theater during its heyday decades ago. But once the second-run movies at the theater took off a few years ago, live performances and rental groups became less essential.

Still, the Grand has hosted many of them, including everything from YMCA dance classes to weddings to about a dozen concerts.

When the board brought plans for a new stage to the city, it found that the current stage didn't meet the city building department and fire department's codes, said Tom Ziller, another board member.

It also required performers to squeeze onto a small, somewhat rickety stage far from the audience.

They couldn't touch the curtain or the screen sitting just behind them.

"The performers had to be so careful," Evans said. "They could hardly move around up there."

Elton Flodman of Hordville, who has organized a half dozen shows at the Grand over the past year, will have the first show on the new stage Oct. 20.

He has always marveled at the Grand's acoustics, but he was excited about the opportunities a new stage would give performers for movement and connecting with audiences.

"It's like putting the frosting on the cake," Flodman said.

The new stage was being built this week. It is planned to be finished with the same raked stucco finish as the rest of the theater's walls within the next few weeks, Evans said.

Its cost, which Ziller estimated at about $7,500, was paid for through grants and donations.

It's significantly larger than the temporary stage, arching to just over 11 feet deep at its peak. At three and a half feet tall, it's a bit bigger than the board expected when it was drawn up.

But Evans and Ziller said it fits just fine with the Grand's trademark aesthetic, which they're continually working to preserve.

There's precedent in adding to the Grand. Wally Kemp, the theater's longtime owner, made many changes over the years, including adding concessions to the lobby.

"He is our inspiration," Evans said. "Wally was always improving things."

The new stage won't necessarily increase the number of live performances and events at the theater, Evans and Ziller said.

But it should open the Grand up to a wider variety of potential events to engage the community, including things like stand-up comedy, Ziller said.

"We can keep it useful to a lot of different people," Ziller said. "And that will ensure its survival.”