Milton Theatre came through COVID with strong vision, outreach and goals

An autumn Thursday evening in an otherwise quaint American small town. But at the heart of downtown, the atmosphere is electric … and Frank-N-Furter is about to take the stage of a sold-out show.

The lights go down, the crowd goes wild, and everyone’s in for a ride! 

It’s hard to imagine that the Milton Theatre attracts more than 60,000 guests and hosts close to 300 events annually, considering its hometown of just 4,000. But looking at the recent record-breaking run of its in-house production of “The Rocky Horror Show: Experience” this past October, it’s no question why it is one of the busiest live venues in the state of Delaware.

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“Magic” is the one word I constantly hear from patrons every time they pass through our doors. This more than 100-year-old structure which was initially built as a movie theater, has served at one time or another, as a basketball court, fire hall, restaurant and retail space. Now proudly stands as a hub of artistic culture, not just to the town of Milton, but for the Delmarva Peninsula. This history coupled with its organic feel simply makes it stand out from all other venues.

“Relentless” is how I would describe our team. It is the one character trait that has helped us survive and thrive despite all challenges.

And no challenge was greater than the COVID-19 pandemic. With venues closing around the world, we were the first venue in Delaware to reopen and provide live entertainment via our outdoor concert series “Quayside@Nite.” Two years later, it has turned into a summer staple for people in the area. What’s a better summer experience than live music in the setting of a historic downtown by the Broadkill River? This is just one example of the relentless innovation, creativity, progress and development of our audience experience. And we are determined, more than ever, to continue the recovery of live art.