Duluth Playhouse Now Owns The Historic NorShor Theatre

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Playhouse — one of the nation’s oldest non-profit theatres — has officially been handed the key to the historic NorShor Theatre as the new owners of the state-of-the-art facility.

Sherman Associates, the developer that took on the $29.5 million overhaul of the theatre in 2017, officially closed its chapter on the project Tuesday with a celebratory ribbon cutting with the Playhouse.

The playhouse has proven to advance the arts in Duluth with world-class productions at the NorShor, often filling its 600-seat theatre, according to officials.

“What a great day to fulfill a promise to bring a wonderful building to life and to deliver it to the hands of a phenomenal nonprofit organization … the Duluth Playhouse. They are more than 100 years old, you know, 110 years, so now they have a home for another 110 years,” said George Sherman, president of Sherman Associates.

The Playhouse’s executive director, Wes Drummond, said more than 50,000 people visited the NorShor Theatre last year to see a show. More than 500 youth and adults took a
class at the Playhouse’s School of Performing Arts, and more than 600 paid artistic positions were created onstage and backstage.

“A massive part of this success of Duluth Playhouse is having a home and a beautiful home here at the NorShor Theatre. Arts organizations cannot survive on their own. It takes partnerships like the one with the Sherman Associates and with the city of Duluth … and we will assure NorShor Theatre continues to provide endless nights of entertainment to residents of the Twin Ports and beyond for many years to come,” Drummond said.

The Playhouse now takes full ownership of managing the NorShor Theatre and the building itself.

Mel Brooks’ “Young Frankenstein” is currently performing at the NorShor. It’s described as a “monstrously hilarious stage adaptation that resurrects a classic tale with a comedic twist, filled with eccentric characters, uproarious antics, and unforgettable musical numbers.”

Some of the cast of the play will be live on the FOX 21 morning show Thursday around 8 a.m.