Merchants Square’s Kimball Theatre first opened its doors January 12, 1933 and will close for good on July 6, 2017. In between those two dates, the theater created lifelong memories for its patrons and the artists who performed inside.
“It’s been a focal point for local acts, especially to be able to showcase what it is they do at a very professional level,” said Brett Cahoon, band leader and vocalist for Williamsburg jazz band Good Shot Judy. “It’s a perfect size where it’s not overwhelmingly huge and not too hard to sell out if you’re doing well.”
Good Shot Judy performed four Christmas shows at the Kimball, and Cahoon said the band gives the Kimball and their staff a lot of credit for the Good Shot Judy’s success.
“The staff and everyone involved has been so professional, I can’t say enough about their willingness to help everyone,” Cahoon said. “The venue size and the staff are just wonderful. They have helped us move our brand along so far. Any idea we had, they would make it happen.”
The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation announced Thursday the theater will close after nearly two decades of financial struggles. According to Foundation President Mitchell Reiss, the last time the theater was profitable was 1999 — last year alone it lost $782,000.
Executive Director of the Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra Carolyn Keurajian said the WSO is scrambling to reschedule ten concerts at the Kimball for the upcoming season. The WSO has been performing at least 14 shows a year at the Kimball for a decade, and Keurajian said she is searching for venues all over town to accommodate them.
However, she said no venue will replace the “charming” Kimball Theatre in the hearts and minds of WSO members and even their fans.
“It’s definitely our home,” Keurijian said. “It allowed people who came to our concerts to experience our music in a very intimate setting… People would come year after year and say it is such a huge part of our experience in Williamsburg.”
In addition to the WSO’s Holidays Pops performance, Keurijian said she enjoyed going to the Kimball to see movies and other performing acts.
Mary Ellen Power has been visiting the Kimball since she was a child. Her family has owned The Cheese Shop in Merchants Square for more than four decades.
“I can remember being a kid seeing a movie at the Kimball, and being able to walk from the Cheese Shop where my mom and dad were working during the day,” Power said. “My mom and dad had a date night every single weekend at the Kimball Theatre.”
Power said Merchants Square is a tight-knit community, and the Kimball will be missed by other tenants and the community as a whole.
“We may not feel it immediately, but over time we’ll feel the loss of the Kimball,” Power said. “When we heard there were a lot of people who were shocked and a couple of us cried about it. It’s a very sad and unfortunate decision.”
