Restoration on the Historic Rodgers Theatre hit a setback last month when a vehicle sideswiped the marquee, according to Director Wally Duncan, but repairs are continuing on schedule.
A truck hauling an excavator in early February was the culprit.
“It just cut the curve a little too soon or too sharp and came up on the sidewalk, and it hit part of the marquee,” Duncan said. The impact “did some damage to some of the work that had been already completed. Most of it was on the nose part that had not been repaired yet.”
The trucking company has taken responsibility for the damage and is covering repairs. Passing vehicles extensively damaged the marquee’s exterior in the past before the sidewalk was extended out by one foot to protect it.
Bootheel Signs is continuing the restoration process, and Duncan noted the improvements are becoming more and more obvious to passersby.
“That’s been a work in progress and it’s been going on for a little over a year now. We have Bootheel Signs working on it, and they are making progress. Anybody who drives by and looks at it you can see that the progress is being made,” he said.
He expects the work to be done in “a few weeks,” after which Miller Drywall of Scott City will reconstruct the portico underneath the marquee, which currently shows extensive wear and tear.
The board also plans to seek sponsors for the display boxes on the theater’s exterior, which used to hold movie posters before falling into disrepair.
“We were going to get those repaired and we’re going to ask people or businesses to sponsor those, sort of like we did for the letters on the Rodgers tower...That will make a big difference,” Duncan explained.
On the inside, the theater is installing a soda fountain, as well as updating the restrooms.
Upcoming events at the Rodgers are “An Evening with the Hoggs: A Tribute to James R. Hogg” on March 11 and “The Best of Motown and More” on April 1. Further information and tickets are available at rodgerstheatre.org.