Old Salt Lake theater may get encore in arts district

Salt Lake City may look to the past for its Broadway-style theater of the future.

Seated at a makeshift conference table Thursday in the main hall of the rundown and vacant Utah Theater, Mayor Ralph Becker vowed that downtown Salt Lake City in the near future will have a grand theater capable of hosting touring Broadway productions.

And a renovated version of the historic Utah Theater may be that facility, Becker said.

Salt Lake City is finalizing an option agreement to purchase the more than 100-year-old theater at 148 S. Main, the mayor said. City and community leaders anticipate the building becoming a cornerstone of a downtown arts district, possibly as a 2,500-seat performing arts center.

"This theater that has stood here for many, many decades will be revived," Becker said.

City officials also are considering a handful of other possible locations for a Broadway-style theater within a planned arts district for the two-block area bordered by 100 South, State Street, 200 South and West Temple. The Salt Lake Chamber and Downtown Alliance previously announced plans to transform the area into an epicenter for arts, culture and entertainment.

Becker also announced that an expert in the field of theater development, production and management has volunteered to spearhead Salt Lake City's plans to develop a Broadway-style theater downtown. That volunteer is Becker's brother, William.

William Becker has co-produced four Broadway plays and several road productions, including the 2002 Tony Award-winning "Urinetown: The Musical." Along with his business partner Larry Wilker, his company TheatreDreams acquired, restored and operated the Chicago Theatre and also managed the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles.

William Becker will coordinate efforts between city government and the business and arts communities to determine when, where and how the theater will be developed — or in the case of the Utah Theater, redeveloped.

"I've been effectively commissioned to make it happen and make it happen fast," he said.

William Becker said Salt Lake City has several "extraordinary advantages to making this project successful," including the state's cultural heritage, an education system that has the arts ingrained in curriculum and a strong commitment from the business community to making the project happen.

"I come into this project with great confidence that we're going to be able to accomplish an extraordinary amount in a short period of time," he said.