Image: Andrew Welch

Thalia Mara Hall in downtown Jackson says they have seen a 35% increase in revenue and their visitor count is up nearly 100,000 from the previous year.

Thank show-stopping productions like Les Miserables, Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Final Play, The Price is Right, and performances by Mavis Staples, Cindy Lauper, Maxwell, Kevin Gates, and 85 South for the bump.

Just last month, the theatre hosted the Mississippi Book Festival and author Dav Pilkey where 4200 students received a copy of Pilkey’s new book and a $20 gift card to Lemuria. Additionally, the Broadway Series joined forces with the Les Miserables tour and Jackson Public Schools to invite students and their parents to a special performance. Thanks to Thalia Mara Hall’s new Increased Access to Arts Program, the actors visited Power APAC the following day to speak with students about working in live theatre.

“We are very excited about the success of Thalia Mara [and] we’re thankful for the work that is taking place here,” said Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba. “Over the last few years, we’ve seen a steady increase of attendance at Thalia Mara Hall and they truly broke through the glass ceiling this past year. We look to capitalize on that.”

Lumumba, along with Deputy Director of Cultural Services, David Lewis, Executive Director of the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, Michael Beattie, and Visit Jackson CEO, Rickey Thigpen held a press conference highlighting the record-breaking year and announced a full lineup of performances for the upcoming season, full of entertainment to suit every palate.

In its 55th year, Ballet Mississippi will stage the holiday classic, The Nutcracker, led by David Keary, who celebrates 25 years with the company.

Continuing the momentum from last year, Ardenland has announced upcoming performances from Christian rock artist, Switchfoot; rock cover band legend, Black Jacket Symphony featuring the music of Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours; and the return of Disney Junior.

The 2019-2020 Broadway in Jackson series will kick off with the classic, Fiddler on the Roof followed by the popular musical Cats for two nights and two newer productions – Beautiful: A Carole King Musical and An American in Paris. For the Jackson LIVE! Series, look for We Will Rock You: A Queen Musical in October; two nights of The Color Purple in November; Cirque Dreams: Holidaze in December; and two nights of crowd-favorite, The Blue Man Group, in June.

The Mississippi Symphony Orchestra will celebrate 75 outstanding seasons at Thalia Mara Hall with their opening night performance Shining Start on October 12. This season will include a tribute to Aretha Franklin as the first in the Symphony’s Pops Series, set for October 26, and will close with a spectacular performance of Beethoven’s 9 Symphony, featuring five area-university choirs on March 28.

“All of the productions, events, and shows that we host here at Thalia Mara Hall have a tremendous impact on the economy of our city. We work to find new and innovative ways to create offerings that shape Jackson into a destination, but also provide incredible talent and entertainment for the citizens of Jackson and the metro area, “ said Deputy Director of Cultural Services, David Lewis.

For more information on upcoming performances and ticket sales, visit thaliamarahall.net.