Capri Theater re-opens with a festive celebration
Saturday and Sunday, June 20 and 21, 2009

Letter from Executive Director Anne Long published in the concert program:

Dear Friends of PCYC and the Capri Theater,

Can this be real? Are we indeed celebrating the renovation of our beloved and historic Capri Theater?

Have we finally treated this “sacred space” in our community with the respect it deserves, and in doing so honored all the audiences who have put themselves into its seats to be transported into a different theatrical or musical or cinematic reality?

Are we now ready to fully utilize the power of cultural arts to better educate our young people and help them find their voice?

Will the Capri and its offerings be able to overcome the famous “divides” in North Minneapolis and between this community and the Twin Cities?

Dare we really aspire to become the Apollo of Minneapolis?

Is there an actor/musician in the wings, a now-unrecognized future star that will someday rival the artistry of Prince, whose January 1979 concert at the Capri is ranked as one of his five best, and at which he signed his first recording contract?

Shall all of you who are working toward a renaissance in North Minneapolis remember this Capri Grand Re-Opening event as the turning point when indeed the Lights Came Up on West Broadway and North Minneapolis was illuminated as a vital and very livable community?

I hope you will join with us to shout out a resounding yes to everything above. Welcome to the Capri Theater and to this wonderful and diverse neighborhood.

Finally, let the curtain open and the magic begin!

Anne Little Long
PCYC Executive Director

Photos above by Marlin Possehl