PEORIA, Ill. — When will shows return to the Peoria Civic Center?
Civic Center General Manager Rik Edgar told WMBD’s Greg and Dan, the entertainment industry was the first to directly be impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak, and they will likely be the last to recover from it.
“Our job is bringing large groups of together. And, that’s the exact opposite of what we can do during this pandemic,” Edgar said.
Illinois’ new state budget provides $25 million to Peoria for capital improvements. Edgar said those funds will help the Civic Center make much needed repairs while the facility is shut down.
Edgar said it could be quite a while before patrons can return to the Civic Center. But, they are still going ahead with plans.
“We’re well aware that we do have some shows that are still on the books for the fall. But, we don’t know what we’re going to be allowed to do quite yet,” Edgar said.
Crowd capacity for events is at issue. Edgar said they will be watching what similar venues do as they reopen and learn from them.
Sioux Falls, South Dakota’s Denny Sanford Premier Center will be one of the first in the midwest to reopen for Professional Bull Riding Championships in July.
The Peoria Civic Center Thursday announced the return of the Ameren Illinois Broadway Series will begin in January with “An Officer and a Gentleman”. The series typically starts in the fall.
Returning to the Broadway Series lineup will be the musical “Beautiful” and Blue Man Group. Edgar said the series will wrap up with “Hairspray” in the summer of 2021.
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