When The Lettermen take the stage at Danville’s Fischer Theatre Saturday night it will mark a key change for the Vermilion Heritage Foundation. Jason Rome, the new Executive Director of the Fischer, says it will be like flipping a switch for the group that has been trying to save the historic building…
{‘’Going from this organization being in the maintaining and preserving and improving a historical building, to flipping the switch and becoming a fine arts organization that’s operating. So that’s going to be the challenge, I think, that I’m really looking forward to is how to flip that switch and go from focusing all of your energy on making this building amazing. And now with that work done we’ve got the future to look forward to, and that’s the exciting part,’’ said Rome during an interview with VermilionCountyFirst.com News.}
Rome notes that one goal of the Heritage Foundation is to make more public use of the building, such as a space on the second floor….
(This is how the Fischer looked exactly one year ago as work continued on its exterior.)
{‘’If you’re out on the street looking up – right above the marquee sign – that area in the renovation has been cleared out. So it’s a large space that’s going to have its own concession area, but then can also be utilized for events on its own – everything from wedding receptions, meetings, all that kind of stuff. So it’s going to be available for public use is going to be the idea,’’ added Rome.}
And Rome says there might be other improvements coming to the building later on….
{‘’These are all just ideas from what I understand. But, you know the front of the building third floor and fourth floor which used to house – and still technically does – the old apartment rooms and such. The ideas are to continue the renovation upwards and to turn those spaces into things like a permanent home for a museum for all the historical artifacts that the Heritage Foundation has collected over the years for all things related. And then the fourth floor above that – who knows – could be a ballroom, office space. You know, the sky’s the limit as long as we can keep the momentum going,’’ added Rome.
The new Executive Director of the Fischer believes the building will now become a major player in the future of Downtown Danville…
{‘’It’s going to, I hope, help to be a linchpin for everything – whether it’s businesses or just the community in general. The ability for an arts complex to be located in a downtown area – I think it’s going to have a huge impact, not just on the downtown area, but just the overall culture and well-being of all of our neighbors in the area,’’ said Rome. ‘’The arts are a powerful tool, and to have a theater such as this where it’s pretty much every type of performing art can be housed here – it’s a huge broad scope of an impact that we can have.’’}
Jason Rome, Executive Director of Danville’s newly renovated Fischer Theatre. About 850 people are expected to attend Saturday night’s sold-out concert featuring The Lettermen.
{>>>> THE PHOTOS ABOVE SHOW SOME OF THE WORK THAT WAS DONE TO RESTORE THE HISTORICAL FISCHER THEATRE. <<<<]
{This story was written by Neuhoff Media Danville News Director Bill Pickett. Got a news tip? Give him a call at (217)-709-1245, or contact him at BillPickett@Neuhoffmedia.com.}
