LUFKIN, Texas — The Pines Theater in Lufkin is set to reopen in June after the building's roof was damaged by hail and winds during a March thunderstorm.
Lufkin Interim City Manager Kevin Gee said in a statement that the theater should be reopening by the third week of June.
“The contractors have given us a date of June 6 for repair completion but then we will have at least a week-long cleanup before the theater is ready for guests,” Gee said.
The Pines’ first show after reopening will be June 23 featuring acclaimed country singer Crystal Gayle for a sold-out performance. Gayle, who is the younger sister of Loretta Lynn, is best known for her 1977 chart-topping hit “Don’t it Make My Brown Eyes Blue.”
The theater was built in 1925 and has underwent major roof repairs after significant storm damage, according to the city of Lufkin.
“The storm exposed weaknesses in the roof structure that required immediate repair, forcing us to close the building for several weeks,” Gee said. “Due to the height of the roof in the flyway, several weeks of planning and scaffolding construction had to occur before we could even assess the extent of the needed repairs.”
Because of a partnership with the Angelina Arts Alliance, most of the scheduled events over the past two months were moved to Temple Theater, city of Lufkin Convention Services Director Brant Lee said.
“We just want to thank the Arts Alliance for their partnership,” Lee said. “Without them, many of these events would have been canceled. We appreciate the Arts Alliance’s dedication to delivering entertainment opportunities to our community.”