Traverse City's historic City Opera House is nearing the final act of a fundraising campaign to install a professional new dressing room in the venue, thanks in large part to donations from friends and family members of late Downtown Development Authority (DDA) Executive Director Bryan Crough.

Crough, who passed away in June at the age of 59 from a sudden heart attack, was a devoted supporter of the local arts scene and a long-time board member at the City Opera House. He was in the midst of securing grants and donor gifts for the long-planned dressing room at the time of his death.

Todd McMillen, Crough's partner and owner of McMillen's Custom Framing, says bringing the Opera House back to life was the first project Crough ever worked on at the DDA and that finishing this key component of its renovation “would mean the world to (Bryan).”

“He always talked about what a beautiful gift the Opera House was to Traverse City,” says McMillen. “Getting this finished would be a fitting tribute for him.”

McMillen has arranged for donations made to Crough's memorial fund to be directed to the dressing room fundraising campaign. To date, over $8,000 has been raised through the fund – putting the grand donation total for the project at almost $80,000, approximately 2/3 of the target goal of $130,000.

Debbie Hershey, director of development at the City Opera House, says the new dressing room will be transformational for the venue. Currently, the 121-year-old theater has no dressing rooms at all backstage – only a small green room that can hold just two to three people at a time. That causes major logistical constraints for touring shows with large casts, big-band productions and community user groups that require preparation space and privacy for their events.

“Imagine a bride with five bridesmaids trying to get ready for her big day in that tiny space,” Hershey explains. “Or 25 actors and actresses changing and putting on makeup and ironing their costumes back there. Right now we're putting up curtains in the kitchen and people are using the public restrooms or finding space in the hallway...but it's a very difficult situation.”

Renovation plans call for a complete redevelopment of the backstage area, installing two separate five-person dressing room areas for males and females complete with showers, bathrooms, storage facilities and proper stage lighting. The expanded space will not only more comfortably accommodate events, it will allow the Opera House to book performers represented by the Actors Equity Association – the national labor union representing theater actors which requires separate male and female dressing rooms.

“To give you an example, we recently had a popular event with Lily Tomlin,” says Hershey. “She was touring alone, so she was able to come to our theater. But if she had been touring with a male performer, we would've had a problem. The new dressing room will allow us to meet the (union) requirements and give the Wharton Center more freedom in booking programming for the Opera House.”

Judy Harrison, creator of the local charity dancing competition SwingShift and the Stars, is thrilled about the potential upgrade to the venue. Hers is one of several local organizations – including the National Writers Series, Old Town Playhouse and Porterhouse Productions – that regularly use the City Opera House and would benefit from its renovation.

“It would mean huge things for us,” says Harrison, who is preparing to launch the sixth season of SwingShift and the Stars at the theater in September. “Right now we have 12 dancers and a 10-piece band squeezing together backstage with no privacy...we're hanging drapes so people can change in the stairwell.”

Hershey hopes that excitement – and a desire to improve the facility for all users who enter its doors – will continue to spread throughout the community.

“Bryan used to come into every meeting we had and say, 'Let's get it done!'” she says. “The thing he wanted most of all was to see it completed.”

To donate to the Bryan Crough memorial fund and support the City Opera House dressing room project, click here or call 231-941-8082 ext. 207.