Repaired downtown Rogers theater to reopen
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The Victory Theater in 2021. Photo: Alex Golden/Axios
Nearly two years after sustaining tornado damage, the historic Victory Theater in downtown Rogers is set to reopen this month ahead of its 100th birthday next year.
State of play: The city is resuming operations with a free six-part movie series tied to the United States' 250th anniversary, said Kinya Christian, the arts, culture and film manager for Rogers. It kicks off April 25 with "Selma."
- Arkansas Public Theatre, a nonprofit community theater organization that previously operated out of the theater, is back with a six-show season starting with "Come From Away" on June 19.
- The Rogers Short Film Festival is also set for May 1-3.
Flashback: Before the 2024 Memorial Day weekend storms, the city had renovated the theater with plans to do more programming out of it, including a concert series.
- The building had significant water damage, Christian told Axios. The basement had to be gutted and the roof was replaced.
- The city purchased the theater in 2008.
What they're saying: The damage and closure was devastating, Christian said, but the city plans to move forward with year-round programming, including music at Victory Theater.
Zoom out: That's in line with an overall boost in city-run arts and culture events.
- In 2021, Rogers debuted the outdoor Butterfield Stage downtown, which hosts a free summer concert series. The Prairie View Jazz concert series at Mount Hebron Park that started last summer will be back this year, Christian said.
Follow the money: Rogers used a $1.2 million grant from the Walton Family Foundation, plus about $2 million from the city's budget, to renovate the theater before the storms, city spokesperson Peter Masonis told Axios.
- A combination of insurance and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) money has gone toward the roughly $2.4 million in repair costs so far.