Thunder Bay Theatre will host an event Saturday at which officials hope to raise $25,000 toward its renovation after two devastating fires.

A Speakeasy Cabaret event begins at 6 p.m. Saturday at Joshua Tree Studio and Spa. Tickets are $65 and can be purchased at ThunderBayTheatre.com (where more information about the event can also be found) or by calling 989-354-2267.

We urge anyone who can to participate in the event to give toward a very worthy cause.

The theater has been closed since summer 2020, when a fire that leveled the neighboring John A. Lau Saloon also severely damaged the theater. A second fire in December 2023 burned the attached warehouse and backstage area.

It’ll cost more than $500,000 to rebuild the warehouse. The theater received $200,000 from insurance, leaving $300,000 needed to reopen.

The Saturday event marks the beginning of fundraising toward that goal.

Total renovations needed after the two fires was close to $2 million. The theater received about $1 million in grant and foundation support from the Michigan Economic Development Corp., the State Historic Preservation Office, the Michigan Arts and Culture Council, the First Federal Legacy Foundation, and the Besser Foundation.

Before the fires, the theater was a real gem for the community, bringing professional live theater to downtown Alpena throughout the year, adding to our quality of life and bringing out-of-towners into town.

The community needs the theater to reopen.

Attending Saturday’s event would help.

So, please, if you’re free and you have the means, please consider attending.