Leavenworth Summer Theater Bids Farewell To Original Venue

As Leavenworth Summer Theater (LST) celebrates its 30th Anniversary this year, it's also saying goodbye to its original venue.

The stage at the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery, which has been used for LST performances since its inception in 1993, is being torn down by the federally-owned facility.

LST executive director, Christy Shearer, says the Hatchery has been working with the non-profit group to lease them the stage on an annual basis since 2017 but will be unable to continue doing so.

"The hatchery staff has been super kind with us throughout the entire process. They even worked with LST on a potential new venue on their property but that didn't work out so they let us know last September that they were going to go ahead and take down all the buildings we've been using on that property so they can use it for another purpose."

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The Hatchery stage has been in disrepair for some time but a permit application by LST to renovate it was rejected in 2017.

Shearer says the loss of the stage means there will be eight fewer performances by the group this year, but they will still be performing at the Leavenworth Ski Hill Amphitheater and already have a new venue secured to replace the Hatchery stage for next summer.

"Starting in 2025, we will be back at the Festhalle in Leavenworth for a third show. So we'll have two at Ski Hill this summer and then be back to full strength with three shows and forty total performances next year."

The final production at the Hatchery stage was last summer's "Cinderella".

This year, LST will be putting on Disney's "Beauty & The Beast" along with its 20th annual performance of "The Sound of Music".