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When will the show go on? Melbourne Civic Theatre sustains damage from Milton

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When will the show go on? Melbourne Civic Theatre sustains damage from Milton

Melbourne Civic Theatre has cancelled this weekend’s performances as they recover from storm damage caused by Hurricane Milton.

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(This story has been updated to include new information.)

Melbourne Civic Theatre, a cultural cornerstone of Brevard’s arts community, has been left reeling after Hurricane Milton tore across the region earlier this week. The storm, which brought heavy winds and rain, inflicted damage to the venue located in downtown Melbourne.

In a Facebook post on Friday morning, artistic and managing director Peg Girard wrote that an overhead water line in the theater broke during the storm, “causing considerable damage in several areas of the theatre, including the auditorium and the lighting booth.”

The damage has temporarily shuttered the theater’s current production of the thriller “Dr. Cook’s Garden” by playwright Ira Levin.

“We are canceling this weekend’s performances of our current production, ‘Dr. Cook’s Garden,’ while the extent of the damage is assessed,” Girard wrote on Facebook. “We anticipate resuming performances as soon as repairs can be made. Please bear with us as we resolve this disruption — we want nothing more than to get back up and running.”

The water damage is extensive. “It’s in every part of the space,” Girard said. “The theater itself, the booth got hit pretty bad. We lost all of our dimmers, so even if we got the theater up, we have to order those.”

“We’re going to have to replace the carpets at some point,” she said. “In the lobby, our piano is gone. And one of our antique sofas was drenched. Those will have to be thrown away.”

Melbourne Civic Theatre is seeking community support for the recovery efforts and replacement of the damaged lighting equipment. Donations can be made at ci.ovationtix.com/35412/store/donations/54035.

Girard added that that once the roof is fixed, volunteers may be needed to help clean and reorganize the space. Those interested in helping can call the theater at 321-723-6935 to have their name added to a list of volunteers.

“If patrons would be patient, and not ask for their money back for ‘Dr. Cook’s Garden,’ it would be appreciated because we’re going to do everything we can to bring that show back to life,” Girard said. “That’s our goal, to get that show back up and running.”

Melbourne Civic Theatre has long provided entertainment and a creative outlet for Brevard residents of all ages. The intimate, 93-seat theater, billed as the county’s “longest-running” arts organization, began as the Indian River Players in 1951. Since 2006, Melbourne Civic Theatre has been located in Le Galerie arcade in downtown Melbourne, a space previously occupied by the Ensemble Theatre of Florida and the Phoenix Theatre.

Other theaters around Brevard were luckier in weathering Hurricane Milton.

  • At Cocoa Village Playhouse, there was “mild but manageable” flooding in the orchestra pit, according to marketing manager Benjamin Cox. This weekend’s performances of “Fiddler on the Roof” are going on as scheduled.
  • Titusville Playhouse executive and artistic director Steven Heron says the theater’s outdoor Stage 2 suffered minor fence damage, but “overall, it could be much worse.” Upcoming performances of “The Rocky Horror Show,” opening Oct. 18, will not be impacted.
  • Surfside Playhouse in Cocoa Beach weathered the storm with no damage, according to director Bryan Bergeron.
  • The Henegar Center in downtown Melbourne is “in good shape,” according to executive artistic director Dominic del Brocco. A message on the theater’s website reads, “All scheduled performances of Sweeney Todd will resume” for this weekend.

For updates on Melbourne Civic Theater, visit the theater’s website at mymct.org or follow them on Facebook.

Small town suspense: Melbourne Civic Theatre digs deep with ‘Dr. Cook’s Garden’

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Christina LaFortune is the Entertainment and TGIF Editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Follow her on Facebook at facebook.com/christinalafortune or send her an email at clafortune@floridatoday.com.

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