Under renewed city guidance, Lynn Veterans Memorial Auditorium has literally reached for the stars by putting performers onto its big stage who once filled arenas and stadiums with cheering fans. With the addition of air conditioning and strong allies among downtown restaurants, the auditorium is a proven success now poised to dig down into Lynn’s grassroots to find new talent.
There are plenty of different ways the auditorium, as a city and regional venue of choice, can showcase local talents. Why not line up an all-women’s show featuring local female performers with a well-known musician headlining the show? How about hosting festival-type shows featuring better-known performers and home-grown ones?
All performances cost money but the city Community Development department, under Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy’s direction, has shown it can bring performers and fans into the auditorium. With its established track record of attracting musicians, the time has come for the city to shine a brighter light on local talent.
Local musicians playing Celley’s Pub or Walnut Street Cafe or the summertime Red Rock Park concerts should know they have a shot at striding onto the auditorium stage, either to play with peers or music legends.
Performers honing their talents in local high schools or at North Shore Community College should also get a shot at playing the auditorium. The same goal should apply to the city’s many talented ethnic musicians who play clubs or get-togethers.
With the auditorium located in the city’s center, the big hall and its stage should serve as a beacon to talent across the city and a gravitational point for performers. The auditorium has already proven its worth in attracting diners and bar-goers downtown; now it’s time to amplify that attraction.
Why not host a downtown street fair on Sutton Street and Central Avenue running into City Hall’s Essex Street parking lot? It’s not too difficult to imagine people strolling past food vendors and visiting with friends on their way to a daytime or early evening auditorium show. The city has proven the possibilities are endless for the auditorium’s future.