Milton Theatre to host VIP kickoff July 7

The Milton Theatre will kick off its $2.5 million capital campaign to renovate the historic theater building at a VIP reception at 7 p.m., Saturday, July 7.

A historic marker will be unveiled and the Milton Theatre Renaissance Initiative will present renderings of renovations on the more than 100-year-old building. All new balcony seating and a new marquee are planned.

The reception will include catering, champagne, live music, a silent auction and a gallery on the history of the theater, followed by a Frank Sinatra tribute concert by Sean Reilly and the Sinatra Centennial Orchestra.

The theater building has been in existence since 1910, serving as a movie theater, firehouse and community stage, surviving two fires and numerous nor’easters. The theater closed in 2010, but was purchased by the Howard family and reopened in 2014. The Calliope Project, which runs the programming for the theater, is seeking to purchase the building and restore it back to its original capacity of 450. Plans also call for lighting and sound upgrades; the capital campaign itself is scheduled to last three to five years. Theater officials have said the renovations should not disrupt programming, except for a short period when the new balcony will be installed

For tickets to the kickoff event, visit www.MiltonTheatre.com, call 684-3038 or visit the box office.