Another celebrity — who grew up in Fresno — tweets on Tower Theatre sale: ‘It must be saved’

A second celebrity has weighed in on the sale of the Fresno’s iconic Tower Theatre — this one has a history with the Tower District community.

“My hometown. I practically spent every day of my childhood across the street from this theater,” actress Audra McDonald wrote in a tweet early Wednesday morning.

“The Tower district is one of the most iconic districts, and yes one of the most LGBTQ friendly districts, in Fresno. It holds such a special place in my heart and it must be saved,” she wrote.

McDonald is an acting icon (the only actor to win six Tony Awards) who grew up in Fresno and received early training a performing with Good Company Players at Roger Rocka’s Dinner Theatre, which sits just across Wishon Avenue from the Tower Theatre, which is being sold to Adventure Church for an asking price of $6.5 million.

The sale to the church is in escrow and is expected to closed Feb. 15.

News of the sale broke last month, setting off a flurry of debate, an intervention from Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer and threats of litigation from both the church (which says its use of the theater will be incidental) and at least one of the businesses that have a lease attached to the property.

McDonald was retweeting comedian Sarah Silverman, who on Monday, posted her own thoughts on the sale, urging fellow celebrities Chelsea Handler, Ellen DeGeneres and Neil Patrick Harris to make an offer on the property or start a GoFundMe account. A second offer was made on the theater last month.

Silverman herself was responding to a video from the Fool Collaborative, a Fresno arts activist group that opposes the sale based on the fact that the theater is not zoned for use for public or religious assembly, and never has been.

The group has been part of Sunday morning demonstrations outside of the theater for the past five weeks. It has also created a fact sheet about opposition, spelling out the negative affects it would have on the Tower District community, and published a community letter signed by dozens of businesses and thousands of people (with help from the Rogue Festival).

It has also created a fund to help with advocacy efforts along with Tower District businesses that have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic that can be found at www.fresnofools.com.

Adventure Church and its supporters, meanwhile, say the church is suffering discrimination. The church released its own fact sheet on the sale along with a video outlying its stance on the sale and the future of the theater.

Last week, the city issued a $250 citation to the church for operating inside the theater. The citation required the church “immediately cease all community and religious assembly uses” for zoning regulations. The church also received a notice for violating emergency orders related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This story was originally published February 10, 2021 at 11:33 AM.