Amid growing concerns over possible mold presence in Thalia Mara Hall, representatives from the Broadway in Jackson series paid a visit to the capital city this week to ensure the theater is free of any harmful substances by the time the series begins in November. A timeline of Thalia Mara's reopening remains unclear.
On Monday during a press conference, Mayor Chowe Antar Lumumba announced that a remediation team had conducted tests of "microbial activity" discovered in Thalia Mara, the results of which will determine when the venue will reopen. Adam Epstein, the CEO of Innovation Arts and Entertainment, and Joe Kosin, head of programming, have requested that the city make the report public as soon as possible.
Epstein and Kosin flew into Jackson from Chicago Tuesday to speak with city officials and determine whether the Jackson in Broadway series can proceed. Innovation Arts and Entertainment brings Broadway productions complete with actors and actresses from New York City to 16 cities including Jackson.
Thalia Mara Hall shut down
On Aug. 1, the historic downtown performing arts venue shut down unexpectedly. Lumumba had announced just two days prior that the venue would remain open despite the discovery of "microbial activity" following an HVAC malfunction.
The city has yet to label the "microbial activity" as "mold," awaiting test results.
Standing outside Thalia Mara in the Mississippi heat Thursday morning, Epstein told the Clarion Ledger when he and his team read about the closing, they decided to come assess the situation in person. The company notified the City of Jackson that Innovation Arts and Entertainment was aware of the situation and intended to become closely involved with implementing solutions.
Epstein said after meeting with city officials and briefly with Lumumba, solutions for the issues are still not completely pinned down.
"This is a very serious matter that has led our season ticket holders and the people who've supported us over the last 10 years to be concerned about their personal safety within the venue," Epstein said, adding that the gravity of the situation warranted a trip to Jackson rather than dealing with the issues from Chicago.
As of Thursday morning, the venue remains closed with no evident date of reopening. Musician Joe Bonamassa moved his Aug. 10 show originally booked for Thalia Mara across town to the Mississippi Coliseum. Comedian Kevin Hart is still set to perform Sept. 22.
The city has hired a certified industrial hygienist to assess the venue, Epstein said. An industrial hygienist takes air and surface samples to identify hazardous substances. Then, the hygienist typically outlines a plan to mitigate and eliminate the substances.
"There likely are organic substances in (Thalia Mara) that are just ordinary that you find in the common air," Epstein said. "But, if there are non-common elements, you want to identify them and then present solutions from independent sources."
Epstein said city officials told him an independent company has already taken samples inside Thalia Mara and are currently producing a report based on the findings, but no date of the report's release has been provided as of Thursday morning. Upon hearing the news of Thalia Mara's closure, Innovation Arts and Entertainment strongly suggested the City of Jackson commission an independent study to create an accurate, unbiased report.
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However, multiple undisclosed sources working with the city assured Epstein and Kosin that Thalia Mara would be up and running in time for the first Broadway in Jackson show — The Tina Turner Musical playing Nov. 19.
As of Thursday morning, Epstein and Kosin had not gone inside the building. Epstein said he didn't need to see the inside for himself to know the situation is serious.
"I don't need to see it," Epstein said. "I've seen mold before. I understand what it is."
Losing ticket sales is not the only concern for Epstein.
Shows benefit entire state of Mississippi
"(Thalia Mara) is the only venue in the state that could host Hamilton, Lion King and Wicked. The only venue. We need to show it that respect and invite those shows and make it attractive for those shows to come," Epstein said. "And if we're not doing that, we're not doing a service to people in Jackson."
Kosin added that these shows benefit the entire state as people from different cities in Mississippi often drive in to attend the Broadway shows. Epstein emphasized the benefits these visitors bring to the city of Jackson as they also spend money in nearby restaurants and hotels.
Epstein has worked in the performing arts field since 1991. In the past three decades, he has seen theaters close for a variety of reasons including hurricanes and the COVID-19 pandemic, but Thalia Mara marks the first time Epstein has seen a theater close due to mold.
"I think these are preventable problems," Epstein said. "There's no excuse for having this problem and these are simple maintenance issues that need to be attended to on a regular basis by the proper skilled staff."
This week's visit to Jackson is not the first time Innovation Arts and Entertainment has worked to keep Thalia Mara up to code. When the company took over the Broadway in Jackson series from Averyell Kessler in 2014, Epstein and his team worked with local officials to "reinvigorate Thalia Mara Hall and restore it to its former history of bringing annual Broadway series."
The series was widely successful in Jackson for the first few years, Epstein said. Shows commonly sold out. And then, the COVID-19 Pandemic hit. The series took a break in 2020 and returned in 2021. However, many were still hesitant to attend indoor shows. Epstein said he would often hear of people who bought tickets and then ultimately decided not to go due to lingering COVID safety concerns.
"We were just about at the point of getting back to where we were, only to find that now we're looking at another conflict," Epstein said.
Epstein said he and his team will travel back to Jackson in the coming months to ensure the venue will open safely in time for the first Broadway in Jackson show. Both he and Kosin agreed that their job bringing the magic of Broadway into the heart of Jackson is worth any risks that come along.
"We take it seriously," Epstein said. "It's a massive investment. We spend millions of dollars a year in Jackson to make this stuff happen."
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Broadway shows and dates
If Thalia Mara opens in time, this year's Broadway in Jackson lineup promises a wide range of dazzling shows uprooted from Broadway and planted in the heart of Mississippi.
Here's a list of this year's line up. Each shows runs at Thalia Mara Hall for one night only:
TINA — The Tina Turner Musical: Nov. 19
Cirque Dreams Holidaze: Dec. 12
Chicago — The Musical: Dec. 16
Mannheim Steamroller Christmas: Dec. 27
The Addams Family: Feb. 4, 2025
Dirty Dancing in Concert: Feb. 19, 2025
Menopause the Musical 2: April 19, 2025
Got a news tip? Contact Mary Boyte at mboyte@jackson.gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Broadway in Jackson reps visit Thalia Mara Hall seeking answers
