Revitalizing St. George: A New Dawn for Arts and Entertainment

How do people describe St. George? Often, they’ll say, “Oh, it’s beautiful. It’s a year-round golf paradise and off-road enthusiast’s haven, but other than that…there isn’t much to do.” By “to do,” people are usually referring to the arts and nightlife, or lack thereof. Until now. 

Take a leisurely stroll down Main Street in St. George on a Friday or Saturday night and what do you hear? Voices in the distance, an array of aromas from delicious food cooking at fine-dining establishments, laughter, and sounds of live music pouring onto the street? Nope. This is not Park City or Denver, Colorado. Not even close. What you’ll hear is…crickets. 

Unlike northern parts of the state like Salt Lake City, the performing arts scene and nightlife are sorely lacking in St. George. As such, locals, Utah Tech college students, and tourists alike can’t help but notice how the stunning jewel of the desert virtually falls asleep when the sun sets. But soon, that’s all going to change thanks to a new game-changing project that’s underway. 

Whether you’re passionate about the performing arts, have been craving St. George to establish  a thriving live entertainment scene, or you simply want more to do for date night or after a day in Snow Canyon or Sand Hollow—this project is going to change everything. 

The St. George Musical Theater (SGMT) has embarked on a project that will build a new, state-of-the-art 385-seat theater in the round, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg. 

Located directly across the street from the new theater will be the second part of the two-faceted project—the Main Street Performing Arts Campus aka “PAC,” the site that is renovating and repurposing the old Cinema 6 movie theater on South Main Street. The project that is transforming the beloved old Cinema 6 into a community-accessible performing arts campus. It’s also the “mysterious project” that has everyone who drives by talking.  

PAC might be stirring up a lot of conversations among curious passersby, but in reality what’s brewing is a soon-to-be “artist-friendly landlord.” One that’s going to provide a welcoming space for local artists to cultivate and showcase their talents. A place for artists from all walks of life to celebrate their uniqueness and creativity with each other and the community as a whole. 

The new theater and performing arts campus will be the catalyst for a long-awaited vibrant arts scene in St. George. As for PAC, think of a multi-purpose facility for dance studios (for children and adults), performance spaces, rehearsal rooms, a recording studio, a place for TedX Talks, live music, and stand-up comedy, tribute concerts, community events—you name it! 

Before we dive in, a little background: The SGMT has operated in St. George for over 25 years, and has been performing at the historic Pioneer Opera House and Social Hall for the past 10 of those years, continuing a local tradition dating all the way back to 1875. 

Since its beginning, the SGMT has produced over 65 family-friendly productions, including The Sound of Music, Legally Blonde the Musical, The Secret Garden, West Side Story, and My Fair Lady, capturing the hearts of over 450,000 patrons. But at just 125 seats, and with a growing population, the SGMT has outgrown the Pioneer Opera House and is bursting at the seams. 

The SGMT regularly sells out its performances, having maintained a 96% capacity for its shows. Other than the Opera House, which has capacity, stage, and technical limitations inherent to its age and design, St. George does not have a built-for-purpose community theater space. The larger space with modern facilities will not only allow the SGMT to triple its capacity, the new 385-seat theater will significantly increase the number of live performances. 

Let us not forget, if you build it, they will come. For example, the new theater is expected to attract an additional 80,000 patrons annually. And what do theatergoers want? Restaurants. 

The project will inevitably serve as a commercial driver for the South Main Street area, which is presently surrounded by many outdated buildings, and old, cracked, empty parking lots. It’s no secret—there’s a desperate need for beautification and revitalization in St. George. And it has to start somewhere. 

Bruce R. Bennett is the CEO/Executive Director of the SGMT. Bennett describes the SGMT as, “A 501(c)(3) non-profit performing arts organization that seeks to educate, inspire, and uplift through the arts, our local community.” 

As for PAC, he said, “We call it a campus because we really want to do a lot of instruction and learning here,” explained Bennett. “We want to bring a lot of teachers in—dance teachers, choreographers, vocal coaches.” Bennett continued, “We want this space to be both a performance space, as you've seen with tribute concerts, stand-up comedy nights, rehearsal spaces, but also something that we can really develop the youth.” 

Bruce is taking on a personal mission himself—where there is a void for our youth—his goal is to fill the void where he can. He knows that SGMT and PAC can rescue a lot of kids by nurturing and developing the talent of the future. But it won’t only help the local youth, it will impact the entire artist community in Washington County. 

What this project will do for St. George:

• Provide rehearsal spaces and theaters, a much-needed platform for existing and budding artists of all ages. 
• Provide much-needed summer and after-school youth programs. 
• Provide education and training, creating a pool of talented dancers, actors, and musicians. 
• Provide modern technology and infrastructure in St. George for lighting, sound, and set design, not to mention costume and prop makers, supporting the production process. 
• Attract companies, satellite offices, and employees to nearby Tech Ridge, as well as tourists who are drawn to the performing arts scene. 
• Providing a dense concentration of artists to foster creativity, collaboration, mentorship, and new artistic ventures, nurturing the development of the performing arts in St. George, a city buzzing with artistic energy. 
• Promote the revitalization and beautification of South Main Street and Downtown St. George. 
• Encourage the community and the City of St. George to designate the area as a true arts district. 

Funding and Development Timeline 

This landmark project isn’t backed by just anyone, it’s supported by a powerhouse board, comprising a state senator, a county commissioner, a city councilwoman, a former CEO of Nationwide Insurance, and a former General Counsel of Shell Oil Company, alongside other prominent business and tech leaders—all visionaries who see St. George as becoming a rich tapestry of artistic expression. 

David Brinley serves as a general board member of the SGMT board—he’s also taken on the role of raising foundational money for the project. According to Brinley, “Most theaters run on a 60/40 measure where they get about 60% of their revenue from ticket sales and 40% from donations.” 

Brinley would love the theater and campus to be 80/20 or 90/10—really self-sufficient so they’re not always asking the public for money, and this is the opportunity to do that. But it takes startup capital.  

To date, the SGMT has raised $9 million towards a $16.5-million budget, with significant contributions from the State of Utah, Washington County, and private donors. They are aiming to raise an additional $8 million through foundations, businesses, a potential bond or loan facility, and other fundraising efforts. With a $7 million-dollar deficit, the project still has more to raise. Once that’s closed, they’re done. 

“The cool thing about our spaces…the total dollar amount of both of these projects is $16 million,” said Bennett. “But there isn't a theater that's been built in the last 15 years in the State of Utah that is less than $39 million. For example, Taylorsville built theirs for $39 million. “So we feel our project budget is relatively modest, meaning that the bang for your philanthropic buck is really huge.”

The grand opening of the new theater is planned for January 2026, with the Main Street Performing Arts Campus projected to be open to the public by September 1, 2024. This two-part project will enhance the cultural landscape of St. George, providing state-of-the-art facilities and eventually in-house programs to foster a vibrant arts community. 

If you are an individual, a corporation, or from a foundation and you are interested in donating to the project, visit sgmusicaltheater.com. and go to the donation page, email SGMTTickets@gmail.com, or call (435) 628-8755. As SMGT is non-profit organization, all donations are tax deductible.