2 minute read
Post COVID-19 Entertainment
RECREATION
AND REBIRTH
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Area entertainment industry prepared to rebound from COVID-19
By Drew Saunders
It is hard to think of a business that has been hit harder by the coronavirus than the entertainment industry. But entertainment venues across Lenawee County are not just surviving, they are preparing to come back stronger after enough people are vaccinated against COVID-19, if only they can attract patrons again.
The Michigan International Speedway has managed to keep the sounds of roaring engines alive in the Irish Hills over the past year, albeit not at full capacity. NASCAR is still planning on starting its races there on August 22, but MIS President Rick Brenner said they will be following the ever-changing health directives from Lansing.
“Our fi rst goal in any year is to run a safe event that is fun and entertaining for our guests. Whatever we have to do to do that, we are prepared to… do whatever we have to do,” Brenner said.
The Croswell Opera House is going to start with outdoor performances this spring. While the location hasn’t been decided on, the opera house’s Erik Gable said that they plan having these performances straight through to the fall, when indoor performances are planned to resume.
Movie theaters like the MJR north of Adrian are going to continue opening cautiously as well, under limited hours. The movie theater is not facing closure, and neither are any of MJR’s theaters, according to MJR Marketing Director Erik Gubert.
Gubert didn’t seem to be that bothered by some media conglomerates — namely Warner Media, which owns Warner Brothers and DC — deciding to release their feature fi lms both in brick and mortar theaters and on their streaming service HBO Max, this year. Gubert said that since not everyone has the streaming service, and “people still want to go out and get that experience. Especially for something like Wonder Woman or Godzilla. Big event movies [are movies] people want to see on the big screen.”
For people who are wary about getting back into the
