Star Theatre Reopening This Weekend!

When businesses and workplaces began lock down in March 2020, no one expected the shut down to last very long; then it kept going and going. No one expected business to be so severely impacted by COVID-19; then businesses all around the country began to close permanently. Whitehall has been lucky to have the residents rally around local businesses and keep most alive during the pandemic. However, with entertainment no longer a priority and the theatre an enclosed space, our Star Theatre has been closed since March 15th of 2020. Thankfully, Whitehall's hometown theatre is reopening this weekend and looking forward to a new lease on life after its long closure.

Though not unscathed by the theatre's darkened lights, Star Theatre owner Colton Anderson found plenty to do in the absence of weekend movie screenings. He and wife Kayla welcomed a second child to the family, Luke, born on December 11th; he joins brother Huck, who will soon be turning three. Last year was also the creation of the Main Street Green park space next to the theatre, which Anderson took on with Bill Pullman. In addition, Anderson helped create Whitehall's newest non-profit, Gold Junction Presents – which strives to bring arts and culturally enriching events to the area. He also added a 1,200 square foot addition to his Whitehall home.

"The question is really, what have I not done," Anderson said with a laugh. While he would have loved to reopen the theatre sooner, COVID-19 had claws in many aspects of the entertainment world. "A lot of studios are just now beginning to reopen – to even figure out how to go from here," he said, adding that many productions were either stalled or permanently cancelled due to the pandemic, which affects release dates. Anderson said he foresees showing already released films for a little while as new movies slowly trickle in, with the end of the year being filled with new releases.

In the meantime, Anderson is excited to announce his reopening, as well as two upcoming film series: an animation series of six films, starting July 7th; beginning July 8th, a western series of four films. These series will be shown once weekly, on Wednesdays and Thursdays respectively, and are brought to the community by Gold Junction Presents. Ticket packages will be available to purchase at the Star Theatre.

The Star Theatre will be showing The Croods 2 this Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., with a matinee at 2 p.m. on Sunday and another showing at 7 p.m. Following The Croods 2 will be Godzilla vs Kong, then Raya and the Last Dragon. Tickets prices remain at $5 per show for all ages. COVID-19 precautions will be taken, with cleanliness of the upmost importance. And the popcorn! The popcorn will be popped and ready! Don't miss out on supporting our local theatre's return to glory!