After owning the Kalamazoo State Theatre for decades, the Hinman Company has sold it to Lead Balloon Productions, co-owned by a couple with ties to the area.
Dan and Holly Carmichael announced their acquisition of the nearly 100-year-old theater Tuesday, alongside its now-former executive director Stephanie Hinman.
Holly Carmichael described Lead Balloon Productions as "fairly new," with no experience in owning or operating a theater.
Despite this, Stephanie Hinman said she is convinced they have what it takes.
"They have a passion for the arts. They understand the historical significance of this building and are committed to its restoration," Hinman said.
“They have grit and determination. They have heart and they have vision. That's exactly what this special place needs. My family and I have full confidence in them and who they are and what they intend to create.”
Hinman said she was especially convinced by the couple's vision for the theater, which will entail some updates to the historic building, according to co-owner Holly Carmichael.
“Part of our priorities include, of course, historic preservation. It has a lot of significance and meaning being on the national registry, but we also plan to focus on safety and accessibility usability, usability and flow as well as tech modernization,” Carmichael said.
Holly Carmichael was hesitant to give a timeline on these changes, with no firm date on when the theater would reopen.
"We, of course, have the 100th year birthday coming up and so we're hopeful to be able to mark that in some way. Whether we'll be able to kind of fully scale be finished by then, I don't know," Carmichael said.
"It's very initial planning, but we do plan to keep folks up-to-date. So, if you have folks that are wondering, they can visit state-theatre.org and there is a sign up there to keep posted on those updates."
Kalamazoo Mayor David Anderson also spoke during the announcement, and attendees heard a special video message from actor and musician Jeff Daniels, who performed at the theater in 2017.
"I'm thrilled to hear that it's being saved, it's being restored, renovated. These places are American treasures. They have history, they have character, and I can't wait to play it again."
Michael Symonds reports for WMUK through the Report for America national service program.
