Pabst Theater reopens for first show since March 2020

Pabst Theater hosts first show since March 2020 shutdown

While the show finally went on, the theater is still waiting for its chance to get federal relief dollars after being closed for more than a year.

MILWAUKEE - The Pabst Theater is all too familiar with delays.

The John McGivern show it hosted Saturday night, April 24 was originally supposed to be a Christmas show. With limited capacity, it was the first show since the shutdown last March.

While the show finally took place, the theater is still waiting for its chance to get federal dollars.

"It’s awesome. We’re all glad to be back," House Manager Catherine Bergman said.

Bergman is in charge of making sure a show runs smoothly, start to finish. She was back at her post, Saturday, after more than a year away.

It's the people that keep Bergman going. But after hundreds of shows were canceled in 2020, Pabst Theater Group leaders said it's money that is needed to keep the business going.

"The sooner it gets here, the better we’ll all be," said Marc Solheim, Pabst Theater Group interim director of operations.

The theater is eligible for a shuttered venue operators grant -- a program passed by Congress in December to save stages across the country. When the portal to apply for the money opened on April 8, it almost immediately crashed.

"I would say deflating would be an understatement," Solheim said.

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The portal was scheduled to reopen Saturday night, but was postponed on Friday night. Bergman hopes the money comes soon to keep people flowing through.

"The big thing is customer service, making sure we take care of the patrons so they’re all set," said Bergman. "That’s the main thing, just getting to see everyone."

The portal to apply is now scheduled to open Monday at 11 a.m. CST.

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