WARREN, Ohio (WYTV) – The Robins Theatre in downtown Warren is lit up red to raise awareness about the struggles the live events industry is facing.
It’s all part of the nationwide Red Alert Restart movement, aimed at standing with venues and live events workers who’ve been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ken Haidaris, of Sunrise Entertainment, says the industry has taken a big revenue hit.
“We’re just trying to make people aware that the folks that work in the entertainment industry are really hurting right now,” he said.
With shows paused at the newly renovated Robins Theatre and the entire River Rock at the Amp season canceled, Warren has been put on hold.
“We were first shut down, and we were probably going to be the last to open on a scale with numbers we can bring into attendance that makes sense,” Haidaris said. “You know, right now the attendance we are allowed in these theaters makes no economic sense.”
To raise awareness about the industry’s hardships, the Robins is one of thousands of venues across the country taking part in the Red Alert Restart movement, aimed at shining a spotlight on the struggles they’re facing. Haidaris says the economic impact of an empty stage goes beyond the venues.
“There are restaurants, usually like when we have the Amp on Saturday, they’re full. The Robins Theatre, heck, there’s Sunday nights, Mondays that aren’t traditionally great days in the restaurant business where we have big shows and there are a lot of people downtown. The spinoff is really huge. It really is,” Haidaris said.
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