Capitol Theatre's new sponsor expected to help bring more music, bigger acts to Macon
The Cox Capitol Theatre in downtown Macon is now The Hargray Capitol Theatre.
The new title sponsorship was announced Friday evening to a crowd gathered outside the Second Street entertainment venue, where the new marquees were shrouded in black cloth then ceremoniously unveiled.
Hopes are that the new sponsorship will "solidify us as one of the great mid-sized venues in the United States," said Wes Griffith, owner of the Moonhanger Group, a local restaurant and catering company that operates the theater.
Hargray is a telecommunications company based in Hilton Head, South Carolina.
"We are very appreciative of their support over the past several years," Griffith said of Cox, which was the theater's title sponsor for at least the past decade.
Scott Orvold, who manages the theater for Moonhanger Group, said the new sponsorship is "supporting us in a way that's allowing us to provide more entertainment, more talent to the city."
A fresh coat of paint on the walls and a new speaker system are among improvements that have already resulted from the new partnership.
"Artists are going to want to play here more," Orvold said. "Our goal through this is to have more entertainment, more talent, better talent."
Chris McCorkendale, senior vice president of Hargray, said he liked what he saw after visiting Macon. The company expanded here last March.
"What we look for are communities where there's a commitment to growth, a commitment to people, a commitment to business and a commitment of bringing the community together to where it does good and it benefits from broadband," McCorkendale said. "We're happy to be here."
Meanwhile, Cox Communications is seeking schools, non-profits and government agencies to submit applications for a grant of up to $10,000, the company said in a news release Friday. Applications are being accepted through the end of February and grant winners will be announced in March.
"Now that the theatre is transitioning from a non-profit into a for-profit organization, Cox will redirect charitable funding formerly reserved for the theatre, to support area non-profits in 2018," Cox Communications said in the news release.
Applicants for the Cox grant should email coxcharitymga@cox.com and include a "detailed description of the organization, a summary of the program/project the funds would support, information on specific need or problem this program/project would address, a budget for program/project and other financial support, plus specific detail as to how Cox funds will be allocated."
Laura Corley 744-4334; @Lauraecor
This story was originally published January 5, 2018 at 6:12 PM with the headline "Capitol Theatre's new sponsor expected to help bring more music, bigger acts to Macon."