Dixon Historic Theatre postpones grand reopening events because of mask mandates

DIXON - The Dixon Historic Theatre is postponing its premier reopening events because of COVID-19 mitigations.

The theater was planning a kickoff this week with Broadway star Franc D’Ambrosio, preceded by a master class and talent search to find a local performer to appear alongside him. However, the performance no longer can work because of the mask mandate Gov. JB Pritzker issued in the wake of rising cases and hospitalizations across the state.

“Recently issued state mandates do not currently allow any masking exception for artists on stage, which means they cannot perform the event as planned,” theater Executive Director Tim Boles said. “We are working diligently with the Illinois Department of Health to provide alternate COVID-19 safety protocols for our performers, but these cannot be in place in time for the Sept. 4 weekend.”

The “Franc D’Ambrosio - Songs From The Great White Way” concert will be rescheduled, and the box office will be contacting all patrons in the coming days to arrange for ticket refunds.

“The Dixon Theatre Board of Directors do not want to risk anyone’s health and wellness due to the COVID‐19 virus and has decided to halt this production in order to work with the state to find a way to move forward with the safety of our patrons, staff and entertainers in mind,” Boles said.

For information, call the box office at 815-508-6324.