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PROVO, Utah (AP) -- SCERA's Showhouse I will be renamed the XanGo Grand Theatre as part of a five-year, $1 million deal with the Lehi-based juice supplement producer.
"The arts have never and will never support themselves," Adam Robertson, SCERA president and chief executive officer, said Thursday. "Without great contributors and donors and partners to make it possible, the arts are dying in a lot of communities.
"Just a couple of years ago we really weren't sure what the future of SCERA would be."
The 750-seat movie theater will close next autumn for up to two months for renovation and will reopen suitable for performing arts.
"It's going to take some time to make the full transition into a performing arts venue," Robertson said. "It will give us a really nice, brand-new venue."
The theater, which opened during the Great Depression, was threatened by financial pressures in recent years.
Ben Gould, chairman of the SCERA board, said SCERA's prospects seemed so hopeless supporters prayed desperately for a solution.
With XanGo's contribution, "We were able to receive manna from heaven," Gould said. "We've hit a new benchmark with the $1 million."
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
