St. George Musical Theater gets $500K donation for new venue
St. George Musical Theater has been around for over 25 years, making it the oldest community theater in southern Utah. Surprisingly, it has never had a venue of its own and has hosted productions at the St. George Opera House, which was built in 1875.
In 2024, the city approached the theater about redeveloping an area of town to create an arts district. The development includes a new theater of over 20,000 square feet that can accommodate almost 400 patrons — a big jump from the 125-person capacity at the opera house.
Additionally, the new theater is across the street from an old Cinema 6 at 905 S. Main that was repurposed into the now-operating Performing Arts Campus. As of last year, the theater had raised more than half the funds for both construction projects, but the total price tag is expected to be $16 million.
On Tuesday, the organization announced the Larry H. and Gail Miller Family Foundation would give $500,000 to the theater.
"Projects like these are a critical component to our mission of enriching the spaces where life takes place," said Don Stirling, executive director of the Larry H. and Gail Miller Family Foundation. "The St. George Community Theater will serve as a vibrant hub for creativity and local talent, bringing the community together through the power of the arts."
The theater organization broke ground on the new theater last July, which is "the first brand new performing arts venue that will be community-centered and community-run since the opera house was built in 1875," St. George Musical Theater CEO Bruce Bennett said.
The venues will provide "much-needed" community space to the city and include a children's theater, arts education facility, rehearsal space, dance studio, tribute band performance venue and recording studio.
"Great artistic projects like this don't happen without the generous support of patrons like the Larry H. and Gail Miller Family Foundation," Bennett said. "We are deeply appreciative of this gift and the underlying values of the Miller Family Foundation aimed at uplifting and enriching our St. George community."
The donation reflects the Miller Foundation's "ongoing commitment" to strengthening communities through cultural and educational initiatives, said a joint statement from the theater and foundation.
"The Miller Family Foundation aims to create meaningful impact statewide by investing in projects that enhance art education and community engagement, ensuring that vibrant cultural spaces are accessible to more Utahns," the statement said.
The new facilities are anticipated to attract around 80,000 patrons a year from nearby cities. The theater — which is expected to open in 2026 — aims to help students, actors, technical support staff and instructors thrive in a performing arts campus that fits the arts community's needs, St. George Musical Theater said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Axios
2 days ago
- Axios
Sundance Film Festival unveils plans for 2026 sendoff
Utah's final Sundance Film Festival is scheduled to kick off Jan. 22, 2026, organizers announced Monday, ending a four-decade run. Why it matters: The Utah-born independent film festival — set to relocate to Boulder, Colorado, in 2027 — will show appreciation for the Utah community, honor cofounder Robert Redford and feature archival screenings and special events. What to expect: Next year's event will showcase more than 90 feature films and over 50 shorts. The lineup will be released later this year. Park City's Main Street will again become pedestrian-only. At-home screenings will be available Jan. 29-Feb. 1, 2026. What they're saying: "This year will mean so much for so many reasons," Eugene Hernandez, director of the festival and public programming, said in a letter. "Our focus is making the 2026 festival ... one to remember, a celebration full of gratitude and joy." Between the lines: Venues in Park City include: the Eccles Theatre, Holiday Village Cinemas, Library Center Theatre, the Ray Theatre, Redstone Cinemas and the Yarrow Theatre. Salt Lake City venues are Broadway Centre Cinemas and Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center. The intrigue: Park City's iconic Egyptian Theatre, an emblematic venue for the festival, will not host screening this year. Catch up quick: Sundance announced it was moving to Colorado in March after launching a competitive bidding process last year for a new host city. News of the resettlement disappointed local and state leaders, including and Gov. Spencer Cox and Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson, who accused the festival of "using politics" as a "convenient excuse" for its move in a Los Angeles Times op-ed. Festival leaders have maintained that the state's conservative politics did not drive them away. By the numbers: Out-of-state visitors spent $106.4 million during this year's festival, drawing over 72,000 in-person attendees, per an economic impact report. The event's total economic impact was estimated to be $132 million and produced about 1,730 jobs for Utahns. Flashback: As the festival departs for neighboring Colorado, here's a list of influential movies that premiered at Sundance over the years:
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Yahoo
These Utah universities ranked among top 10 ‘Best Value Colleges in Western U.S.'
OREM, Utah () — According to new rankings for the best value colleges in the West, Utah schools have made a mark for the 2024 to 2025 school year. The rankings come from an educational platform that researches schools and careers in an effort to assist students in the decision-making process. When looking at the best value — weighing cost, financial aid, acceptance rate, and alumni salaries — Utah Valley University came out on top for the Beehive State. UVU was deemed the 'Best Value College in Utah' and ranked among the top 10 'Best Value Colleges in the Western U.S.,' with Utah Tech University close behind. Utah loses bid to keep Sundance Film Festival after 40 years of history Utah Valley ranked No. 6 in the Western United States for Best Value, with right behind it at No. 7. Several Utah universities followed, including Southern Utah University at No. 14, at No. 15, and finally the University of Utah at No. 20. When looking at the country as a whole, UVU ranked No. 20 and Utah Tech followed at No. 21. 'Being recognized by is a testament to UVU's commitment to providing students with a high-quality, affordable education that leads to real-world success,' said Wayne Vaught, provost and senior vice president of UVU's Academic Affairs. He continued to say that UVU is the university 'that educates the most Utahns' and takes pride in assisting students on their 'pathway to employment.' The research platform released other rankings for the 2024 to 2025 school year, with the U of U being the only Utah school to rank in the top 20 for 'Best Colleges in the West.' While was ranked No. 30 in that category, it did make the top 20 for BYU's Hawaii campus made the top 10. Surprisingly, Utah's 'Most Popular College' was followed by Brigham Young University and Westminister University to round out the top three. This designation is decided based on the number of applications submitted, according to the site. For a deeper dive, prospective students can check out a school's overall rankings, as well as rankings for specific majors and departments, for free on the . Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Yahoo
Here's how much losing Sundance is going to cost Utah
After a 40-year-plus run, the vaunted Sundance Film Festival is leaving Utah, and taking millions of dollars with it. The Sundance Institute announced Thursday that it will relocate the annual event to Boulder, Colorado, splitting away from the place where it all began. The news cuts deeply on an emotional front for local film and arts enthusiasts, but the wound is even deeper from an economic perspective. 'Boulder is an art town, tech town, mountain town, and college town,' Sundance Institute CEO Amanda Kelso said in a prepared statement. 'It is a place where the Festival can build and flourish. ... We can't imagine a better fit than Boulder.' Launched in 1978 as the Utah/United States Film Festival, which was first held in Salt Lake City, it eventually moved to Park City in 1981 and morphed into the Sundance Film Festival after the Sundance Institute took over. Since that time it's grown into a massive yearly gathering that draws Hollywood A-listers alongside up-and-coming filmmakers in a showcase of new cinema that has built a global reputation alongside an enormous economic boost for the Beehive State. According to the 2024 Sundance economic impact report from Y2 Analytics, over 72,000 people attended the festival between Jan. 18 and Jan. 28, 2024, resulting in 141,212 tickets redeemed at screenings. Over 24,000 of the attendees were visitors from out of state. Out-of-state visitors spent an estimated $106.4 million in Utah during the festival. Sundance Institute also directly contributed to the Utah economy via the costs of planning and producing the festival, according to the report. In total, the Sundance Film Festival contributed the following to Utah's economy in 2024 per Y2's analysis: $132 million in gross domestic product 1,730 jobs for residents $69.7 million in wages $13.8 million in state and local tax revenue According to a report from the Sundance Institute, the 2024 edition of the festival featured a smaller in-person venue footprint with less capacity to accommodate in-person attendees, resulting in an expected reduction in ticketed attendance. However, the institute said the festival had a higher sell-through rate of screenings with incredible demand for in-person attendance, reflecting 'the crucial gathering point for independent storytelling.' Out-of-state Sundance attendees in 2024 spent an average $4,411 during their stays in Utah, a total of $735 per day. Utahns, primarily because they seldom need lodging, spent less but still purchased $437 in goods, services and recreation, or $246 per day, according to Y2's report. During one of his monthly PBS Utah news conferences last fall, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox noted Sundance's long-running ties with the state along with its level of economic impact. The governor, at the time, also expressed his optimism that Park City would continue its hosting duties. 'Sundance and Utah are connected in ways that would devastate both of us, I think, to have to have that separation happen,' Cox said. 'I think it would hurt Sundance to leave this state and to leave the place where their identity is so much a part of the fabric of our state. And so I'm optimistic. I'm very hopeful.' Cox shared his concerns about the amount of explicit content in Sundance movies but noted hosting a film festival with mature content is a small price to pay for the 'off the charts' economic returns provided by the festival. 'Those films are going to happen, whether they happen here or somewhere else,' Cox said. He added that the film festival is an 'economic driver' in Utah. 'We pay less in taxes as a state because we have so much tourism in the state, because other people come here and spend their dollars,' Cox said last September. 'They spend nights in hotel rooms, they rent cars, they buy food, and that helps to keep our taxes low. And that's the trade off that the legislature looks at.' Last April, the Sundance Institute announced it had opened a Request for Proposal (RFP) as part of a process to explore locations across the country to host the film festival. The festival's contract with Park City was up for renewal in 2027, which provided the institute with the opportunity to consider new host cities. Institute leaders narrowed the field in September 2024 to Park City/Salt Lake City; Boulder, Colorado; and Cincinnati, Ohio. Utah put together a financial package which would have nearly doubled the annual in-kind and cash public funding for the festival over the next 10 years. In-kind funding would have jumped from $3.7 million to $6.6 million annually, while proposed cash amounts would have risen from $2.7 million to $5.5 million every year. The proposed increase would have been covered by a mix of public sources, including state funding and various local tax revenues split between Salt Lake and Summit counties. Meanwhile, a bill is working its way through the Colorado General Assembly that would provide Sundance $34 million in tax credits for 10 years starting in 2027. The economic impact of the festival is not lost on Colorado officials. The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade expects a significant boost. 'Here in Colorado we also celebrate the arts and film industry as a key economic driver, job creator and important contributor to our thriving culture,' Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement. 'Now, with the addition of the iconic Sundance Film Festival, we can expect even more jobs, a huge benefit for our small businesses including stores and restaurants, and to help the festival achieve even greater success.' Even as the news of Boulder's successful bid was still settling in on Thursday, seeds of launching a new, Utah-based film festival were already being sown. In a Thursday tweet, Cox logged his disappointment about the festival leaving the state, but noted he is already in talks about a Utah film festival reboot. 'We have already begun meeting with partners, stakeholders, and creative voices to create a new festival — one that honors our legacy and writes the next chapter of independent film in Utah," Cox wrote. And Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith was quick to offer his own support of the idea. 'Building the Next Gen film festival in Utah sounds like a blast,' Smith wrote in a reply to the governor on X. 'The outpouring of people wanting to help support a fresh new experience starting from scratch is remarkable. SEG is 100% committed to joining Gov Cox, the state, and local leaders to make this happen. The Utah Film Commission and the Utah Office of Tourism expressed confidence that the state's film industry will continue to thrive and that they remain committed to supporting filmmakers and building a 'world-class film economy right here in Utah.' 'Utah's robust film industry has grown far beyond one event,' said Virginia Pearce, Utah Film Commission director 'We've cultivated a thriving ecosystem of talent, infrastructure, and incentives that will continue to attract filmmakers and productions to our beautiful state.'
