It's crazy to think it's been almost a year since COVID shut everything down - and while many spots have reopened with restrictions in place, there are some that decided to take advantage of the shutdown and do some much-needed renovations.

The historic Philipsburg Theatre - the oldest theater in Montana - has been closed since March, but they've been using that time wisely. With the theater empty and performances on hold, the Theatre Board is using the opportunity to upgrade their space, and they've got some big plans.

To start with, they're planning on new paint, new lights, a new sound system, and refurbishing the chairs, but there's also talk of installing a bar, a dumbwaiter, and more. The plan is to implement these updates while keeping the historic charm of the building.

So when will the public be able to see these renovations for themselves? Right now, the theater is hoping to hold its grand re-opening in early summer 2021, but keep in mind that lesson we've learned repeatedly since COVID started, which is that planned dates are always subject to change.

If you'd like to help out, you can make a donation to see these renovations through at the Philipsburg Theatre's website - they're working with limited funds right now so anything you can offer will definitely be a huge assist.

Are you excited to check out the new and improved Philipsburg Theatre when it finally reopens? What's your favorite memory of attending a performance at the theater?

READ ON: See the States Where People Live the Longest

Stacker used data from the 2020 County Health Rankings to rank every state's average life expectancy from lowest to highest. The 2020 County Health Rankings values were calculated using mortality counts from the 2016-2018 National Center for Health Statistics. The U.S. Census 2019 American Community Survey and America's Health Rankings Senior Report 2019 data were also used to provide demographics on the senior population of each state and the state's rank on senior health care, respectively.

Read on to learn the average life expectancy in each state.

 

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