It was a night that this valley will be talking about for many years to come.

On Saturday January 15th, legendary impressionist Rich Little took the stage at the Historic Hemet Theatre – and gave local fans a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

At age 82, Little was every bit as entertaining as ever, sparking a mixture of cheers and howls of laughter from the crowd for 75 minutes straight… and two standing ovations.

Little’s show was a combination of video clips from a lifetime of TV appearances and a hilarious display of impressions against a backdrop of Little’s charcoal drawings of celebrities through the years.

While the crowd was smaller than expected (likely the result of the recent increase in COVID), the fans on hand were clearly having the time of their lives, watching the comedic master live on stage in their own hometown.

Festivities for the evening began in the lobby with fun photos, a prize wheel and an impressive collection of raffle prizes.

The “Champagne and Chocolates” dessert bar included chocolate-dipped strawberries and brownie dice as well as sugar cookies decorated with the theatre’s logo supplied by Harvard Street Bakery. Dozens of residents and businesses sponsored the event, including Canyon Motorhomes that donated the use of a luxury RV for use as a green room at the back of the theatre. Cagliero Nursery provided palm trees for the stage décor, while the Hemet Library provided chairs for the VIP seating at the foot of the stage.

Local celebrity Jerome Robinson served as Master of Ceremonies, adding his own special humor to the festivities. Hemet Major Malcom Lilienthal was on hand to pull the winning numbers for the grand prize drawing, which included a framed copy of Rich Little’s self portrait in charcoal along, a set of 10 gift certificates for Tribute Mania events and a final Grand Prize of $1000 cash.

The event was the finale in a series of special events for the 100-year anniversary of Hemet’s vintage movie house. “The Gala Committee set out to create an over-the-top experience unlike any the valley has ever seen,” commented CEO Susan Carrier. “In just 8 years, the volunteers of this Foundation have transformed a leaky, rundown old movie house into the #1 music venue in the Inland Empire. This evening is a celebration of that achievement.”

This weekend, Season One of the 2022 Tribute Mania Concert Series continues with tributes to Prince with Prince Again (Jan 22), Mańa featuring Corazón de Mańa (Feb 5), AC/DC with Bonfire (Feb 19), Marvin Gaye featuring Jackie’s Boy (Mar 5), The Doors with Strange Days (Mar 19), Johnny Cash featuring Neil Morrow (Apr 2) and Van Halen with Fan Halen (Apr 23). Tickets for Tribute Mania events are $25, general admission. Showtime is 7:00 pm, with doors open at 6:15 pm.

Information on all theatre events is available at www.HistoricHemetTheatre.com or by calling the ticket office, (951) 658-5950. You can subscribe to the HHT email blast by enrolling on the website.

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Bryan was responsible for the theatre’s popular Tribute Mania Concert Series that has hosted over 100 top tribute bands and 30,000 patrons in the last 5 years. Most locals will remember Bryan as the face of the theatre, his friendly face and quick wit leaving a lasting impression with anyone visiting the Ticket Office.

In 2014, Bryan and his wife, Susan, lead the Foundation’s effort to purchase and renovate Hemet’s vintage movie house. The couple has coordinated a team of over 100 dedicated volunteers to create the successful community arts center in Hemet’s Historic Downtown District. Prior to the Covid-19 shutdown, the venue’s popular Tribute Mania Concert Series had hosted over 100 tribute bands and more than 30,000 patrons. During the quarantine, Bryan was coordinating the theatre’s ongoing renovations and planning shows for 2021, when the theatre will celebrate its 100th anniversary year.

Before his retirement, Bryan had spent 30 years as a Produce Manager and 5 years teaching Social Studies at Hemet’s Alessandro Continuation High School. Bryan’s obituary is available on the theatre’s website, Facebook page and the website of Miller-Jones Mortuary.

A Celebration of Life will be held at the theatre next year when quarantine restrictions have been lifted. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Historic Hemet Theatre Building Fund. Notes of condolence and remembrance can be sent to the Historic Hemet Theatre, 216 E Florida Ave, Hemet 92544. A link for donations can be found on the theatre’s website, www.HistoricHemetTheatre.com.

Please read more about him, his obituary can be found on page A4 on this weeks edition.

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Financially, the quarantine situation has been stabilized with the help of a low interest Economic Injury Disaster Loan from the federal government and two $10,000 grants.

The first grant is from the Soboba Foundation as part of their 2020 Charity Golf Tournament. CEO Susan Carrier and Project Coordinator Ben Ortiz attended the brief socially-distant ceremony to accept the giant check on behalf of the Foundation.

In addition, a $10,000 grant was awarded to the Foundation by the Riverside County Nonprofit Assistance Fund, as part of a $5 Million CARES program to help nonprofits survive the impacts of COVI-19.

Meanwhile, plans for the renovation of the historic venue continue. In September, the City of Hemet gave final approval for HHT’s architectural plans, including a complete renovation of the venue’s interior and landmark marquee. Designs for the renovation were inspired by black and white photos from the 40’s and 50’s, including a return of a pointed marquee to the front façade. Before his passing, Downtown Deli’s Steve Covington devoted hundreds of hours to the renovation of the theatre, creating a series of stunning computer images that have provided the vision for the project.

Teams of volunteers have used the closure to continue the work that Steve began on the lobby and auditorium. Restrooms are getting a fresh coat of paint and the floor of the auditorium is now a golden brown to coordinate with the new carpet.

In the lobby, a series of three wall murals have been added, including a stunning life-size painting of Marilyn Monroe. The floor-to-ceiling works of art are the creation of Dan Melendez, a man who has painted murals across the country, including many of the lifelike paintings in Bass Pro Shops.

Programming for the Tribute Mania Concert Series is already scheduled into the new year. In 2021, the Historic Hemet Theatre will celebrate its 100th Anniversary with a series of special events throughout the year.

HHT’s Ticket Office and shows will resume once the Governor authorizes 50% occupancy. Watch for news of the reopening in the weeks ahead.

The community is encouraged to assist the Foundation with a donation to the Century Club. Donors will have their names engraved on a special plaque in the lobby honoring the members of the community that helped preserve the venue for generations to come.

To join the campaign to help keep HHT alive, visit the theatre’s website, www.HistoricHemetTheatre.com, or Facebook page, www.facebook.com/HistoricHemetTheatre.

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While the Historic Hemet Theatre waits for officials to permit the venue to reopen, HHT has announced a series of online concerts, featuring recordings of their live shows from the past few years.

The concerts will be broadcast on YouTube Premier each Saturday night at 7 pm, starting June 13th. Viewers can subscribe to the theatre’s YouTube Channel for links to upcoming shows.

The live broadcast will last about an hour. During the broadcast, fans can use the chat feature to connect with each other. Band members are also invited to attend and take questions in the chat. The recording will be available in the HHT Channel for 48 hours only. Donations collected during the video series campaign will be shared with the bands to help them survive the Covid-19 closure.

Encore Video Series Schedule:

• Saturday June 13th – Tribute to The Beatles / Hard Day’s Night

• Saturday June 20th – Tribute to The Eagles / Desperado

• Saturday June 27th – Tribute to Heart / Dog & Butterfly

• Saturday July 4th – Tribute to CCR / Fortunate Son Hooligans

• Saturday July 11th – Tribute to Fleetwood Mac / Mirage

• Saturday July 18th – Tribute to The Bee Gees / Bee Gees Gold

• Saturday June 25th – Tribute to Santana / Smooth Sounds of Santana

• Saturday August 1st – Tribute to The Bruno Mars / Bruno & The Hooligans

To join the campaign to help keep HHT alive, visit the theatre’s website, www.HistoricHemetTheatre.com, or Facebook page, www.facebook.com/HistoricHemetTheatre.

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As the Covid-19 quarantine continues to keep everyone apart, the valley community is gathering together to help keep the Historic Hemet Theatre from becoming a victim of the pandemic. Just a couple of months ago, it looked like 2020 was going to be a spectacular year for the popular concert venue:

The first three concerts of the year, featuring tributes to Elton John, Karen Carpenter and Tina Turner, were sell outs; Final touches were coming together on a stunning lobby renovation; Architects and the City of Hemet were tweaking the plans for the next phase of construction; and volunteers were brainstorming ideas for a dozen special events to celebrate the 100th birthday of the theatre in 2021.

Since then, the box office has been locked up tight and nine concerts have been postponed. It is likely that several more will be postponed before state and local officials allow the facility to reopen.

Even after movie theaters open, HHT will remain silent until all the social distancing restrictions are removed. With top bands and low ticket prices, HHT events cannot even pay the band with only 25% of seats filled.

Meanwhile, in order to help meet its financial obligations during the shutdown, HHT has launched a fundraiser on Facebook and social media. Donations from Facebook, the HHT website and checks through the mail are arriving every day.

In just the first week, over $3600 was raised from patrons and supporters helping to keep the Foundation going through the virus emergency. Meanwhile, patrons holding tickets are waiting for the box office to reopen and they can exchange their tickets for an upcoming show. Once a reopening is scheduled, tickets will be available for the remainder of the year.

To join the campaign to help keep HHT alive, visit the theatre’s website, www.HistoricHemetTheatre.com, or Facebook page, www.facebook.com/HistoricHemetTheatre.

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(HHT cancels tribute)

As we all stay home in response to the national health emergency, the staff of the Historic Hemet Theatre is working to make the most of the closure and still keep the Foundation solvent into the future. The last concert of Tribute Mania Season One was officially canceled this week. The Tribute to Abba featuring Abba Fab will be moved to November.

Season Two remains in limbo, scheduled to begin on May 2nd with a Tribute to Fleetwood Mac featuring Mirage. The ticket office remains closed for at least the next couple of weeks, following the guidelines of California officials. Renovation plans continue with a permit review scheduled with the City of Hemet by conference call.

Several key improvements including earthquake retrofit, heating & air upgrades and handicap facilities are included in the plans. Funding for the improvements are still needed, with a few grants possible. Meanwhile, a local artist is using the closure to complete some of the wall art needed to complete the lobby renovation.

The community can keep track of the situation on the HHT website: www.HistoricHemetTheatre.com

or the Facebook page, www.facebook.com/HistoricHemetTheatre.

Email subscribers will receive updates at the situation changes (enroll on the website). Call and leave a message for additional information, (951) 658-5950. Theatre supporters are encouraged to help the Foundation manage the financial strain of paying its bills.

Donations can be made on the HHT website.

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In response to the national health emergency, the Historic Hemet Theatre has canceled 2 concerts and closed the Ticket Office until Monday April 6th.

The Tribute to Tom Petty scheduled for Saturday March 21st was nearly sold out when it became obvious that the event would have to be canceled. Also canceled was the April 4th Tribute to Metallica, featuring Eliminator. In addition, the Hemet Woman’s Club has canceled the Wizard of Oz Sing-Along on Friday March 27th.

The Tribute to Abba scheduled for April 18th has not been canceled at this point.

When the Ticket Office reopens, HHT will offer a ticket exchange for any shows canceled during the emergency closing. Patrons must return their tickets to the Ticket Office in order to process the exchange.

As the virus emergency progresses, the community can keep track of the situation on the HHT website, www.HistoricHemetTheatre.com or the Facebook page, www.facebook.com/HistoricHemetTheatre. Email subscribers will receive updates at the situation changes (enroll on the website). Call and leave a message for additional information, (951) 658-5950.

Meanwhile, the Foundation will be working hard to manage the financial strain of paying its bills without any show revenue. Supporters are asked to help in any way that they can. Donations can be made on the HHT website.

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It has been two years since Dan Grennes first brought his Tribute to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers to the stage at the Historic Hemet Theatre. The show was a sellout, leaving lots of fans begging for an encore performance.

This month, the wait is over as “Petty and the Heartshakers” returns to town on Saturday March 21st. There are still tickets remaining, but it looks like they may be gone by day of show.

Tom Petty passed away in 2017, leaving behind a long career of classic rock hits, some as lead singer of the Heartbreakers and others as a solo artist. In all, Petty has sold over 80 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time and earning a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His best known songs include “Free Fallin’,” “I Won’t Back Down,” “Refugee,” “Yer So Bad,” “American Girl” and “Don’t Do Me Like That.”

Lead Singer Dan Grennes performs with a look and sound that will astound the audience. Raised in the south like Petty, Grennes feels a unique connection to the life and music of the rock icon. With his team of all-star musicians, Grennes plays for packed audiences across the country. In 2014, the Heartshakers appeared in season three of AXTV’s World’s Greatest Tribute Bands.

Petty and the Heartshakers is Dan Grennes (lead vocals, guitar), Les Warner (drums), Chris Cicchino (lead guitar), Andy Gerold (bass), Brenda Fitz (keyboards), and Sara D’Arce (background vocals)

Showtime for all Tribute Mania concerts is 7:00 pm, with doors open at 6:15 pm. Tickets are $22 presale / $25 day of show.

Information on all theatre events is available at www.HistoricHemetTheatre.com or by calling the ticket office, (951) 658-5950. A weekly email blast of upcoming events is available by enrolling on the website.

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The Historic Hemet Theatre has announced that the sold out Tribute to The Bee Gees scheduled for this weekend has been canceled. Lead Singer John Acosta canceled all of his March shows after learning that his mother has been placed in hospice care, diagnosed with a terminal disease.

The show will be rescheduled for January 2021 as soon as John can schedule a new date. Meanwhile, local fans are keeping John’s family in their prayers.

Patrons holding tickets for the canceled show will be offered an exchange or refund. In order to entice fans to exchange their tickets, HHT has released the schedule for Season Two of the Tribute Mania Concert Series – three weeks earlier than planned.

TRIBUTE MANIA SEASON TWO
Saturday May 2 – Tribute to Fleetwood Mac, featuring Mirage
Saturday May 16 – Tribute to Heart, featuring Dog & Butterfly
Saturday May 30 – Tribute to CCR, featuring Fortunate Son
Saturday June 6 – Tribute to ZZ Top, featuring Eliminator
Saturday June 13 – Tribute to Bruno Mars, featuring Bruno & the Hooligans
Saturday July 25 – Tribute to AC/DC, featuring Bonfire
Saturday August 8 – Tribute to Neil Diamond, featuring Hot August Nights
Saturday August 22 – Tribute to Santana, featuring Smooth Sounds of Santana

Meanwhile there are just three shows left in Tribute Mania Season One – tributes to Tom Petty by Petty and the Heartshakers (March 21), Metallica by Masters of Puppets (April 4) and Abba by Abba Fab (April 18).

Tribute Mania tickets are $22 presale / $25 day of show. Showtime is 7:00 pm, with doors open at 6:15 pm. Information on all theatre events is available at www.HistoricHemetTheatre.com or by calling the Ticket Office, (951) 658-5950.

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To celebrate Black History Month, on Saturday, February 22nd, the Historic Hemet Theatre hosted a tribute to one of music’s greatest icons – Marvin Gaye. Gaye’s music not only helped shape the Motown music genre, but his songs had a tremendous impact on the social consciousness of the nation during the ’60s and ’70s.

Performing the Tribute to Marvin Gaye was a man who is making his own mark on the history of music – Jackie’s Boy. This charismatic singer not only has a dynamic voice; he is a Grammy Award-winning songwriter. He has written hits for Madonna, Justin Bieber, Flo Rida Lil Wayne and Chris Brown. Over 16 million albums contain songs written by Jackie’s Boy.

This was the second time Jackie’s Boy performed in Hemet’s vintage movie house. Last year, HHT hosted the very first performance of this soulful tribute. Creating the show was an 18-month labor of love for Jackie’s Boy and his sister, Aunyae Heart, who sings the part of Tammi Terrell. Now they travel the country, playing for sold-out crowds wherever they go.

The Marvin Gaye Tribute was the fourth show in this season of the Tribute Mania Concert Series. The season continues with tributes to The Bee Gees by Bee Gees Gold (March 7th), Tom Petty by Petty and the Heartshakers (March 21st), Metallica by Masters of Puppets (April 4th) and Abba by Abba Fab (April 18th).

Tribute Mania tickets are $22 presale / $25 day of show. Showtime is 7:00 pm, with doors open at 6:15 pm. Information on all theatre events is available at www.HistoricHemetTheatre.com or by calling the Ticket Office, (951) 658-5950.

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