Manes Studio Theatre to host reopening gala on March 11

Manes Studio Theatre in Lindenhurst is finally about to have its official opening night.

On March 11, the theater, which has undergone a $500,000 renovation over the past two years, will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony before the opening performance of "On Golden Pond" as well as a reception with Champagne and refreshments after the show.

The theater had hoped to unveil its new space in 2020 to coincide with its 50th anniversary, but the coronavirus pandemic sidelined those plans. The gala was supposed to take place on Jan. 14, but was postponed due to the recent COVID-19 surge caused by the omicron variant.

The pandemic did allow more time for construction, which included moving the main stage from the second to the first floor, building a new cafe and creating showers, dressing rooms and rehearsal space upstairs. Studio also took ownership of the Bayway Arts Center in East Islip, which opened last summer.

"It's been quite a ride in the middle of a pandemic, and then having two theaters and renovations," said managing director Michael Blangiforti. "It’s also been super exciting to launch a new theater after 52 years."