The lights went dark at Kalamazoo’s State Theatre in late 2024 as the long-running venue paused operations to seek new stewardship. On Sept. 30, 2025, the downtown landmark got that stewardship: Dan and Holly Carmichael — the husband-and-wife team behind Sturgis production company Lead Balloon Productions — have purchased the theater and announced plans to restore and reopen the nearly-century-old venue.
The Carmichaels said they intend to respect the building’s original John Eberson–designed architecture while integrating modern sound, lighting and accessibility upgrades to support concerts, comedy, theater and community programming. They framed the purchase as a project to prepare the State for its 100th anniversary in 2027. Crain’s Grand Rapids Business+1
A downtown anchor, again
Opened in July 1927, the State Theatre has been a constant in Kalamazoo’s cultural life — a movie palace that evolved into the city’s principal live-performance house. Under Roger Hinman and the Hinman Company (owners since 1985), the theatre was preserved and added to the National Register of Historic Places. But in November 2024 the Hinmans announced they would pause events while seeking a new owner, prompting concern among patrons who remember the State’s heyday.
“The State belongs to Kalamazoo,” said Stephanie Hinman in a statement when the sale was announced, praising the new owners’ commitment to preservation. City leaders welcomed the news Tuesday, calling the reopening a cultural and economic plus for downtown.
A who’s-who of memories
For many readers, the State is shorthand for nights they still talk about — from big name nostalgia tours to intimate stops by current national touring acts. The theatre’s own past-artists lists and concert archives read like a cross-section of modern popular music and comedy: Alice Cooper, BB King, Ben Folds, Barenaked Ladies, Van Halen, James Taylor and Tina Turner appear among acts who have played the stage, and recent years featured comedians and modern indie draws. That history is part of what the Carmichaels say they want to protect while refreshing the venue for 21st-century patrons.
What’s next
The new owners have engaged an architect and craftspeople to guide work that they say will be “true to the original design” while improving accessibility and backstage/technical capabilities. No final reopening date was announced; the team says work will proceed with an eye to celebrating the theatre’s centennial in 2027.
Why it matters
Historic downtown theaters are often touchstones for memory and community identity. The State has anchored concertgoing in Kalamazoo for decades, offering a mid-sized room for national touring bands and comedians that prefer a more intimate setting than an arena. Reopening the State helps restore a regional performance circuit — important for local businesses that benefit from concertgoers and for Kalamazoo’s cultural profile as the city heads into a year of major anniversaries and development. A new sports arena and major event center is under construction on the West edge of downtown Kalamazoo.
