COVID-19 UPDATE

Dear Loyal Guests,

First of all, we cannot thank you enough for your patience, understanding and loyalty during this unprecedented time in our history. We miss you and are just as anxious as you are to get back to entertaining you, our guests!

 

On Friday, June 26, Governor Pritzker announced the new guidelines for theatres would allow for a capacity of only 50 guests. In working with several state officials over the previous weeks, we had been very optimistic that the Phase 4 guidelines for the State of Illinois would put our dinner theatre in the same classification as restaurants and casinos, which would have allowed us to bring you most of the shows remaining in our 43rd Season. The restaurant and casino guidelines permitted no maximum number, as long as tables are 6’ apart. Despite the fact the seating of our theatre is clearly that of a restaurant, rather than traditional theatre seating, unfortunately, we were informed “all theatres would be treated the same.” We cannot tell you how devastated we are that we are unable to open under these current guidelines for Phase 4. We are so disappointed that casinos, restaurants, riverboats and fitness centers have all been allowed to reopen with social distancing, but we are not given the same opportunity. We have about 5,000 square feet to seat only 334 guests, so there is plenty of room for social distancing.

It was the most difficult decision I have had to make in our 43-year history when I notified the Saturday Night Fever cast — which had remained ready since March 16 to bring you a wonderful show — and the cast members of Beauty and the Beast, along with the entire staff, that those shows have been canceled, and we would not be able to reopen as hoped.

The decision to remain closed at this time was made all that much more difficult since we have already been shut down for 3½ months, but it is fiscally impossible to do either of those shows. with a restriction of 50 guests. We are all eager to get back to work, and it is still our plan to present Savannah Sipping Society this fall. In the meantime, we will continue to work with our city officials, state officials and state representatives in an effort to get our classification changed or to have the guidelines made equal for all indoor businesses. We have shared our new seating plan and all the safeguards we have implemented to protect you, our staff  and the actors— guidelines that have exceeded the recommendations of the CDC and state regulations — and are still working diligently to get the current arbitrary number of 50 overturned. It is our absolute priority to entertain you in a safe environment.
 

We understand how this impacts you. We are working tenaciously to reopen the theatre, and we are committed to you, our loyal guests. Let me reassure you WE WILL BE BACK! We are working to finalize the new season, with some shows rolling over into 2021 and some shows that will fit easier within the restrictions. If you had a reservation for Saturday Night Fever,
Beauty & The Beast, Guys & Dolls, upcoming concerts or our spring and summer children’s shows, the amount you paid has been applied to a Circa’21 credit memo in your customer file. This credit memo will never expire and can be used on any future reservation.
 

Please understand, since we will have had no income for 5 months, asking for refunds at this time will be financially disastrous and would likely cause us to close our doors forever. I’m sure you know how heartbreaking that would be for everyone concerned. So, at this point, we implore you to be patient a little longer and do nothing for now in order for us to recover from this unexpected and disastrous pandemic.
 

Have a gift certificate? Don’t worry! Regular Dinner and Show for One or Dinner and Show for Two gift certificate expiration dates will be extended for the length of time we are closed. For those guests with Holiday Gift Certificates that were valid for Saturday Night Fever or Beauty and the Beast, we have 3 options available for you:
   1. You can exchange it for this year’s Holiday Gift Certificate
   2. You can use it for the mainstage show of your choice
   3. You can exchange the gift certificate for a credit memo in the amount you paid. That credit can be used toward concerts, Speakeasy shows or children’s shows.
 

For those with children’s gift certificates, Seussical and Grace for President will be rolled into the 44th Season, so you can use them for the show you intended or exchange it for this year’s gift certificate.
 

Our goal is to get back to doing what we love and do best — producing Broadway musicals and comedies; presenting special attractions and concerts; and serving delicious meals, drinks and desserts in a beautiful, historic theatre with a friendly and attentive staff — as quickly as possible. In the meantime, with just a few employees currently working, if you have questions, the best way to reach us is by email:

   Diane Laake, Business Manager at
   Brett Hitchcock, Director of Audience Development at
   Dennis Hitchcock, Owner/Producer at
 

We can all agree that in our current climate, an evening of good entertainment is essential for mind and body. We will continue to look for alternate ways to bring you the entertainment we so desperately want to provide for you. Another
Music on the Marquee event, video cabarets, etc. are all ideas we’ve been brainstorming. Because it’s a smaller theatre with lower overhead, the Circa ’21 Speakeasy will be able to resume with a variety of programming options to offer our guests. We’ll keep you informed of those events via email and social media.
 

We can’t thank you enough for your tremendous support in Circa ’21 — Thank you for your time, your patience, and your loyalty. We promise we will be back better than ever! We look forward to hearing from you and working with you into our 44th Season and beyond.
 

Best Wishes,
Dennis Hitchcock, Owner/Producer