UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT: The Historic Park Theatre and Event Center, built in 1924, was recently refurbished now under management by New England-based promoter Spectacle Live. (Courtesy venue)
Venue is located 5 miles from downtown Providence
The Historic Park Theatre and Event Center in Cranston, Rhode Island, is on the brink of reopening after getting a new lease on life earlier this year, under new management and with a growing calendar of events on the books.
“Everything was finalized earlier this year, so it’s pretty new to us,” said Sara Shevlin, who joined New England-based promoter and venue operator Spectacle Live in June to run the theater, which turns 100 years old in November. The privately owned venue had been under-utilized in recent years and in 2023 closed after falling behind on taxes and other municipal fees, the local Providence Journal reported.
Now, following renovations funded by its ownership, the 1,000-seat venue will reopen in October with “Jim Henson’s Labyrinth: In Concert,” a live production set to music of the popular fantasy film starring David Bowie. Upgrades include a newly painted stage, new sound and lighting installs and an overall branding refresh.
“It’ll be 100 years old in November so it has that historic touch, but hopefully we can bring some new life to it, which is exciting,” Shevlin said. Other shows on the books into next year include Jake Shimabakuro, Lonestar and The Irish Tenors.
The venue, located 5 miles from downtown Providence, has hosted shows by artists including Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Buddy Guy, Ann Wilson, Spyro Gyra, The Beach Boys, and Ani DiFranco, and is also home to the Rhode Island Comedy Hall of Fame.
“One of the unique things about coming in and reopening almost from scratch is being able to build the team from the ground,” said Shevlin, 27, who notes she and production manager Kevin Stienhauser are the real “boots on the ground” while Spectacle Live provides support in booking, marketing, human resources and other operations. “We’re working on hiring a lot of part-time positions now and planning a soft-opening open date so we can welcome the community and business partners and all of the above into the building.”
HISTORIC REOPENING: The first show at the reopened Park Theatre will be Jim Henson’s Labyrinth, a live concert production, on Oct. 4.
Shevlin, a Rhode Island native, most recently was with Live Nation, as operations manager at the 20,000-capacity Xfinity Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts, a position she held for five years. She began at the amphitheater as an intern at 17 years old and also served as ancillary revenue manager.
“When I mention Park Theater, everyone has their own story of coming here when they were a kid and seeing a show or a movie,” she said. “Everyone’s so excited about the theater reopening. There’s a lot of great momentum we’re bringing with Spectacle Live, and I think people will be impressed by the new energy.”
Spectacle Live, formed in 2013 by Pete Lally, prides itself as a “the fastest growing New England-based promoter,” booking and operating venues in 11 different markets mostly in New Hampshire and Massachusetts including the Lowell Auditorium, where Lally was previously general manager.
“We operate in that sweet spot of between 300 and 3,000 capacity, so our newest venue here is right in the middle of that,” Shevlin said.
