After the show was originally moved back, famed comedian Kevin Hart will no longer be coming to Mississippi due to issues at the venue.
Thalia Mara Hall, which sits in downtown Jackson, has been closed for weeks after a bad case of mold was found growing in the facility. With stabilization and removal efforts not performed by the city quickly enough, multiple shows including Hart, the play Kansas, and the popular TV game show Wheel of Fortune have either relocated, rescheduled, or canceled entirely.
Leaders of the arts have voiced concerns with city officials – who initiated Thalia Mara’s shutdown – over a lack of communication in resolving the venue’s ongoing problems. While they acknowledge the problems exist and need to be rectified, they asserted in a news release that city officials have neither provided a tentative timeframe nor kept major acts in the loop on whether performances would be happening.
“Thalia Mara Hall is the main space for all of us in this area. Without the space, we can’t do what we do, and the city has not communicated with arts leaders at all,” Mississippi Symphony Orchestra executive director Jenny Mann said. “We really need them to be a partner with us.”
Mann and the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra are Thalia Mara’s most frequent user, with an average of 34 days a year in the auditorium for orchestral, pops, student education concerts, and rehearsals. Mann reminded people that Thalia Mara is owned and operated by the city of Jackson.
Leaders with Ballet Mississippi, which marks its 60th anniversary this year and annually puts on the venue’s biggest production in The Nutcracker, echoed Mann’s thoughts and frustration.
“We’re all just disappointed. It’s frustrating,” Ballet Mississippi executive artistic director David Keary said. “Things do happen. Parts were out. But we do need better communication with the city.”
As for Hart’s show, the comedian and actor was originally set to return to Thalia Mara for the first time in two years back in May but rescheduled to Sept. 22 due to “unforeseen circumstances” on his side. The unlikelihood of the venue being back open by the new date caused the new date’s cancellation.
Ardenland, the entertainment company partnered with Hart coming to Thalia Mara, confirmed to WLBT that refunds would be issued at the point of return and said Hart “is looking to returning to Jackson as soon as possible.”
