Curtains Up! Performing arts groups celebrate the start of the season in Rockford

By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Performing arts organizations from around the city celebrated the start of the season on Thursday with a mixer meant to highlight a range of entertainment options spread across town.

The Curtain Up! open house was hosted by ASM Rockford and the Rockford Symphony Orchestra at the historic Coronado Theatre, 314 N. Main St., in the lead up to RSO’s season debut next week on Saturday, Sept. 14.

Performing arts season may feel year-round with the variety of outdoor theater and music events in warmer-weather months, but traditionally the theater season runs from September through May. The event Thursday coincided with the debut of “The Angel Next Door,” a screwball comedy put on by Artists’ Ensemble Theater at Rockford University’s Clark Arts Center.

Other organizations in attendance included the Nielsen Chorale, West Side Show Room, Rockford Area Arts Council, the Music Academy, The Studio, Rockford Public Schools CAPA, Rockford University, Rock Valley College, Rockford Public Library, Rockford Wind Ensemble and the Rock and Roll Institute.

The groups touted their upcoming seasons and stressed the importance of the arts to everything from the local economy to Rockford’s cultural scene.

“A thriving art scene is really important to any community,” said Julie Thomas, executive director of Rockford Symphony Orchestra. “There’s something special about experiencing a concert or a play or whatever your choice is with other people. You have an energy. … The energy comes from the audience and the audience comes from the community.”

This month, the Coronado Theatre will have comedian Joe Gatto of “Impractical Jokers” on Thursday, Sept. 12, “Serial Killers” with Scott Bonn on Friday, Sept. 13, Rockford Symphony Orchestra on Saturday, Sept. 14 and the Glenn Miller Orchestra on Sept. 28.

“We’re honored to have so many talented acts come through the building from Frank Sinatra to Patti LaBelle to the comedic shows that we produce here,” said Doug Johnson, assistant general manager for ASM Rockford and ASM Global regional director of booking. “We’re looking forward to a really strong fall and spring sessions. We’re going to carry on that tradition.”

ASM books shows at the Coronado, BMO Center and Davis Park. Johnson said the Coronado has a strong reputation outside of the city, too.

“The Coronado Theatre is the backbone of ASM Global’s venues, everybody wants to work here,” he said. “We manage 335 buildings in the world and we’ve had 100 of our buildings come through this building just to see the Coronado.”

On smaller stages there is a variety show hosted by Moon Dog at the Nordlof Theater next Thursday before the Mosaic World Film Festival fills the venue over the weekend. Those are just a few examples of the start of the season.

Whitney Martin, who leads the Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau‘s Made for Rockford program, said arts can be a recruiting tool for cities. She cited a travel and tourism workforce study that showed 14% of residents came to a community as a tourist first.

“I want people to look around when they’re in Rockford and say, ‘I could live here, this could be home,” she said.

Last year, 65,000 people visited the Coronado for its performances.

“If you think about that, that’s a mid-sized city in Illinois that the city of Rockford hosted over a 12-month period,” said City Attorney Nick Meyer, who stood in for Mayor Tom McNamara at the event.

He said those visitors support local businesses and generate tax revenue that eases the burden on residents here.

“It’s revenue that comes into our coffers that we can spread out that doesn’t have to be born on the backs of our taxpayers,” he said. “All the way around from the city’s perspective and from a community perspective, thriving arts is something that we should be promoting and seeking to achieve and expand as much as we can.”

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas