Peoples Bank Theatre had the honor to celebrate an extraordinary milestone, both in performance and in leadership, at the Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo Concert on Tuesday, May 27th.
The theatre celebrated and honored Chuck Sulerzyski, who retired last year as President and CEO of Peoples Bank. The Benatar-Giraldo performance was booked as a retirement gift to Sulerzyski as they are one of his favorite performers.
Dan Stephan, a local businessman who cared deeply for Marietta and the theatre, had a dream that the theatre would reopen to be the premier entertainment destination in the Mid-Ohio Valley, and that dream eventually spread, until it became a reality.
“Just over a decade ago, the theatre house was silent. It was an empty shell — gutted, without seats – and with no certainty of what would come next. And now, after almost 10 years, Peoples Bank Theatre has hosted 500 events— concerts, plays, community gatherings — all because a few key people believed in the potential of this historic space. One of those people was Chuck Sulerzysk, ” Todd Burge, Peoples Bank Theatre’s Talent Buyer said to the audience before the show.
Back in 2011, Sulerzyski had just arrived in town to take on his new role at Peoples Bank. He toured the gutted theater at the invitation of former Executive Director Hunt Brawley and current
board President Dan Harrison. He didn’t know them well. He didn’t know the theatre intimately yet. But after that brief tour, Sulerzyski looked at them both and said, “we need to make this happen.”
After years of stalled progress, economic uncertainty following the 2008 crash, and a dream that seemed almost out of reach, Sulerzyski’s vision, leadership, and commitment breathed life
into this project. Peoples Bank stepped up with a transformative investment — one that ultimately led to the reopening of this venue in 2016 as the Peoples Bank Theatre.
It’s difficult to fully measure the impact Sulerzyski has had — not just on the theatre, but in the Mid-Ohio Valley. The staff, board members, and volunteers at Peoples Bank Theatre, as well as the community at large is grateful for Sulerzyski’s vision, leadership, and passion for live entertainment and the performing arts. To mark the occasion, Peoples Bank Theatre presented Sulerzyski with a framed ticket for Pat Benatar’s performance with a photo of the brand-new theater marquee — a symbol of everything this space has become. Peoples Bank was the show sponsor and made it possible for the theatre to have its beautiful knife board and digital marquee sign that were installed earlier this year.
