New theater will provide year-round stage productions in eastern Idaho

Do you want to know what’s happening in the eastern Idaho business scene? We’ve got you covered. Here is a rundown of this week’s business news across the valley.

BIZ BUZZ

IDAHO FALLS

New theater opening in Idaho Falls next month

IDAHO FALLS — Seeing a local production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” is what inspired Justin Dabell to audition for his first acting gig as a 13-year-old boy.

Now, nearly 20 years later, Dabell is not only performing in the same show, he’s also directing it and doing it in his own venue.

Center Stage Theatre at 3175 North Lockheed Circle in Idaho Falls will open for its first live performance on May 11. A cast of about 50 actors have been busy rehearsing for opening night as construction crews work to make the venue show ready. Construction will be fully complete some time this summer. Get a look inside in the video above.

The theater will offer local stage productions year-round. Upcoming shows this year include “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,” “Sister Act,” and “A Christmas Carol” during the holiday season.

Dabell, 31, of Pocatello, has been involved in theater since high school. Local audiences may remember seeing him at the Playmill Theatre in West Yellowstone years ago. He’s also appeared in plays throughout Utah.

Dabell made his acting debut as a munchkin in a production of “The Wizard of Oz” in Pocatello.

“I was really bad at sports and my parents encouraged me to audition for a play. Because I had seen ‘Joseph’ (performed at the same theater), I was like, ‘Yeah, I want to be in their next play,’ which was ‘The Wizard of Oz.’ I got a part and I was hooked,” Dabell tells EastIdahoNews.com.

He was in about four plays a year until he graduated high school. He later graduated from Brigham Young University-Idaho with a degree in theater.

Dabell recently moved back to eastern Idaho and he explains what inspired him to open a theater in Idaho Falls.

“There was nothing like this in Idaho Falls,” Dabell says. “It felt like a central location and a place that needed it. It’s growing here and the people are so talented.”

Dabell and his co-owners — Stephen and Rachel McKey, Steve and Leslie Morton, Brad and Emily Forsythe and Brandon and McKayla Taylor — had been looking for a location for several years before ultimately settling on this particular space.

One reason Dabell liked it is because it was open and could easily accommodate seating for a lot of people without obstructing anyone’s view.

“The seating is going to be comfortable for everyone. You’re not going to be squished, the views are going to be great,” says Dabell. “It’s in the middle of an industrial park, but parking will be great. There’s so many perks to this place.”

He also likes that it’s centrally located, which makes it easy to pull talent from BYU-Idaho, Idaho State University and the College of Eastern Idaho.

Despite being a theater that Dabell says “nobody’s heard of,” he’s impressed with the response and interest in his project. Many people auditioned to be in “Joseph,” and Dabell says they weren’t “scraping the bottom of the barrel” when it comes to performance ability.

“Seeing people come out of the woodwork and being willing to help (has been rewarding),” he says. “When they’re not rehearsing, they’re putting together light fixtures so they’re ready to hang them when the electrician is ready. They’re excited for this to be here in the community, and for me just having the support (is amazing).”

He’s hoping Center Stage Theater becomes a hub for “quality family entertainment” and a place to “showcase spectacular local talent.”

Tickets for all four shows are available on the company’s website. You can also visit the Facebook page for more information.

BIZ BITS

Local boxing gym sponsoring amateur boxing event

POCATELLO — Gate City Boxing Club and more than a dozen businesses are sponsoring an amateur boxing event in Pocatello.

The Robbie Chavez Invitational is happening Saturday, April 22 at 6 p.m inside the Roller Hockey Rink at 363 Pole Line Road. Participating athletes will weigh-in at 1 p.m.

General admission is $15. A table for eight is $250. For more information or to purchase tickets, call Janie at (208) 220-3711.

Ammon music store giving away two new pianos

Ammon – Teton Music in Ammon wants to give back to the community by awarding two new pianos to deserving recipients.

The giveaway is happening on April 29. Winners can choose from a Pearl River 47.5-inch upright piano or a Pearl River 5 foot 3 inch baby grand piano.

The contest is open to people of all ages in eastern Idaho. Teton Music is currently accepting nominations. The selection committee will choose the recipients based on submission creativity, individual or organization need and greatest impact.

“The committee and Teton Music reserve the right to make selections based on these and any other undetermined criteria. All contest decisions are final,” Teton Music says in a news release.

To nominate someone, click here.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…

Progrexion employee rapid response meeting set for Wednesday in Idaho Falls

Growing ICON board gaming event is back in a new, bigger venue

Local restaurant dating back 68 years closing for good

Caribou Jack cuts the ribbon in Pocatello’s Historic Downtown