After more than a century with its curtains mostly drawn, the long-dormant second-floor auditorium at the Howell Opera House rang with live voices again on Friday as local performers launched Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance. Neighbors and longtime supporters packed into the unrestored horseshoe balcony and across the creaking original floorboards for a night that doubled as a fundraiser for the Livingston Arts Council’s restoration effort. For many in the crowd, it was a rare chance to hear a 19th-century room finally wake up.
According to the Howell Opera House event page, the run opened April 24 and continues April 25, May 1 and May 2, with 7 p.m. start times and limited seating. Tickets are listed at $50, and the site notes that the upstairs theater remains unrenovated, that patrons must climb a full flight of stairs to reach it, and that the space is not ADA accessible. The organization bills the performances as the kickoff to a 2026 “Reawakening Season” and asks ticket buyers to consider adding a donation at checkout.
A Century of Silence and a Quiet Comeback
Built in 1881, the upstairs auditorium was shuttered by the fire marshal in the early 1920s and spent decades as a glorified attic while a hardware store operated on the first floor. As reported by WXYZ, local leaders called opening night a long-awaited homecoming, and Livingston Arts Council vice president Sharon Fischer said attendees were "excited" to experience the historic space. WXYZ also noted that the cast performed without microphones, relying solely on the room’s natural acoustics to carry the sound.
Two Decades of Saving the Stage
The Livingston Arts Council bought the building in 2000 and has spent years stabilizing and reopening parts of the structure, local reporting shows. The Livingston Post traces a long fundraising arc, from first-floor renovations and mortgage payoff to more recent grant awards, that laid the groundwork for limited upstairs programming and the current production. Organizers say Friday’s run is both a cultural milestone and a practical fundraiser that will help underwrite the next phase of restoration.
City Support and a Restoration Pitch
Howell city documents detail the Livingston Arts Council’s plans to pursue MEDC and other funding sources as part of a larger Livingston Arts and Cultural Center proposal. The Howell City Council packet outlines the LAC’s RAP 2.0 grant application and includes letters of municipal support for the project, noting the potential economic and cultural boost for downtown if the upper floors fully reopen. Officials told council members a restored theater could become a regional draw for events and tourism.
The Production Team
Emmy-nominated filmmaker Sam Logan Khaleghi is producing and directing the staging in his stage debut, according to BroadwayWorld. WHMI reports that Susan Harvey serves as music director and that Sarah Catherine Moore is among the principal performers. Organizers say the production honors the spirit of the original 1879 operetta while adapting to the intimate, unrestored room that is finally getting a second act.
Neighbors Respond
Audience members described the night as nostalgic and joyful, with one patron calling it “basically a Hollywood production on our little stage,” WXYZ reported. Cast members said the show is designed to bring people together and offer a few hours of comic relief, and the Livingston Arts Council confirmed that proceeds will support upcoming preservation work. Organizers also cautioned that seating is limited and invited those unable to attend in person to support the effort through donations.
Tickets remain scarce. Per the Howell Opera House event page, patrons can reserve remaining seats and add a donation via the ticketing link. The Livingston Arts Council calls the run a milestone in its multi-year restoration plan and says this spring’s performances mark the beginning of a broader effort to fully reawaken Howell’s historic stage.
