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Water damage at Brown Theatre cancels, postpones weekend shows

The exterior of the Brown Theatre in downtown Louisville on Oct. 8, 2021.
The exterior of the Brown Theatre in downtown Louisville on Oct. 8, 2021.

Water damage at the Brown Theatre in downtown Louisville forced the cancelation and postponement of this weekend’s scheduled entertainment. 

The affected areas are the theater’s outer lobby and basement, Christian Adelberg, vice president of marketing and communications for Kentucky Performing Arts, told WFPL. The Kentucky Performing Arts Foundation owns the Brown Theatre.

“The theater itself was not was not affected at all,” he said.

Adelberg said they’re in touch with experts to “get a better idea of the extent of the damage.”

“But right now, the electrical systems needed to be shut down, which forced us to cancel or reschedule events happening this weekend.”

That included the cancelation of “Andrew Schulz: The INFAMOUS Tour,” originally slated for Friday evening. And Saturday’s concert featuring Tommy Emmanuel has been postponed to Jan. 29.

Adelberg said the water damage, which they noticed Thursday morning, was caused by a construction project in an adjacent building. 

As for what this means for other upcoming shows on the Brown Theatre’s calendar, Adelberg said that’s yet to be determined.

“As we have more information, then we will be able to determine what, if any impact that will have on future performances,” he said, adding that ticket holders will be notified of any changes.

The news comes as many performing arts groups, both in Louisville and further afield, have been celebrating the return to live, in-person shows. 

But Adelberg said they’re “cautiously optimistic” about getting these repairs done and the lights back on.

“The timing is very unfortunate,” he said. “But this is ultimately going to be a speed bump. This is in no way a full stop.”

Clarification: This story has been updated to reflect the parent organization of the Brown Theatre.