(WWJ) The marquee above a Detroit-area concert venue now reads: "Help us Governor Whitmer. You're our only hope."
Carey Denha, who owns The Magic Bag theater on Woodward Ave. in Ferndale, says while he could open up legally on Oct. 9, he just can't afford to do it.
Concerts need lots of attendees to pay for themselves, he explained, and with strict social distancing guidelines in place, he wouldn't be able to sell enough tickets.
"If you're standing in the middle of a room, six feet in front of you, behind you, to the left and to the right...you know really, to do it ethically, I could fit 28 people inside my place," Denha told WWJ's Sandra McNeill.
"When you have thousands of dollars of upfront costs before you even open your doors, you would just open your doors and go in the red. You would lose so much money so quickly it's just better to stay closed."
Denha said The Magic Bag is in trouble, and he doesn't know how they'll be able to get through the pandemic without some financial help.
"We have have costs that are happening every month, and we're just drowning. We've applied for a couple grants, and we've been able to get a couple, but, you know...in the wintertime, all of our costs go up. So when you have a theater you have to heat the whole thing, because in January your water pipes could burst."
Denha is asking Gov. Whitmer to offer bridge loans to help avoid a rash of entertainment venues being forced to close for good in the coming months.
"We're not looking to like, line our pockets, we just need to be able to pay our taxes, landlords or the bank, cover our costs to hold our liquor license, and just insurance. That's basically all we're looking for," he said.
The Magic Bag, like theaters and performance venues throughout most of Michigan, has been shuttered since March due to concerns about the spread of the coronavirus.
Whitmer last week signed Executive Orders 2020-183, which amends the MI Safe Start order to allow theaters, performance venues. bowling alleys, arcades and more to reopen next Friday, with attendance limited to 30 people per 1,000 square feet or 30% of fixed seating capacity. A maximum of 500 people will be allowed in Michigan’s largest venues.
To show your support, visit SaveMichiganStages.com.
Related
