MANSFIELD — Another huge audience is expected Sunday at 2:30 p.m. for “Mamma Mia!” at the Renaissance Theatre in downtown Mansfield at 138 Park Ave. West.
Theatre officials urge arts fans to NOT park in the Quality Inn & Suites Downtown parking lot at 116 Park Ave. West during the performance.
According to the Renaissance web site, “Free parking is available in the large parking lot directly behind the theatre. Entrance to this lot is available via Third Street or off of Park Avenue West underneath the bridge on the east side of the Theatre. Please do not park in the Park Hospitality Hotel Lot.”
“An additional RPA lot is located across Third Street between the Sons of Italy and Harmony House and additional parking is available in the Municipal lot at the corner of Mulberry Street and 3rd Street. Street parking is available along Park Avenue and Third Street,” according to the website.
The popular show, which features the music of the pop band ABBA, opened Saturday night to a huge audience at the historic theater.
However, the show was interrupted midway through the second act when a staff member came on stage to announce tow trucks were in the hotel parking lot adjacent to the Renaissance and were preparing to remove cars.
Some audience members left the theater to prevent them from being towed.
Chelsie Thompson, president and CEO of the Renaissance Performing Arts Association, said the theater was not contacted about the issue by the hotel.
“Our cast members saw it out of the dressing room windows when there was a fleet of tow trucks gathering,” Thompson said Sunday morning.
“Our agreement has always been that we share parking (with the hotel). We’ve clarified that multiple times with the current ownership,” she said.
Thompson said the situation had nothing to do with upcoming new ownership of the hotel. Local businessman Jay Goyal announced recently he had gathered a team of investors and planned to buy the 42-year-old facility and spend millions of dollars redeveloping it.
That sale has not yet gone through and Thompson said the towing decision Friday night has nothing to do with Goyal and his team.
“It’s always been a mutual partnership. Our agreement (with current hotel management) has always been that if there has been an issue that they call us and we begin notifying patrons. There was no call made so we were completely disrupted,” Thompson said.
“We went running out there. When it became clear that they would not stop towing, despite multiple conversations with the hotel, then we had to stop the show so that patrons could start to get their cars.”
She said the show was halted for 20 to 25 minutes. She said it’s uncertain, but she believes a half dozen or so cars were towed away.
“It’s hard to say,” she said of the confusing scene in the parking lot.
“Ultimately, the whole performance was completely disrupted because we had patrons who had to go out and move their cars anyway. Everyone who was there, which was about a 1,000-person audience, had to wait,” Thompson said.
“We want to apologize to our patrons and to our cast. Our audience’s experience was disrupted. Our performers had to keep going after really difficult circumstances. This is just not the standard that we hold ourselves to.”
Thompson advised patrons not to park in the hotel lot for now.
“At this point, we don’t feel confident telling people that this is a (parking lot) partnership. We’re not sure what happened with it, but the miscommunications that happened, the lack of communications that happened, just really broke the trust there,” she said.
“We are really, really excited to start working with Jay and the new ownership to make sure this never happens again,” Thompson said.
“I think we have so many great partners who do make downtown accessible for our audiences. This was just (a) blindside,” she said.
She also thanked members of the Mansfield Police Department who responded to the parking lot scene.
“We’re really grateful to the Mansfield Police Department for their professionalism and their persistence in helping manage a really difficult, emotional situation,” Thompson said.
“Mamma Mia!” also stages next weekend at the Renaissance Theatre on May 1 and May 2 at 7:30 p.m. and May 3 at 2:30 p.m. Get tickets at https://rentickets.org/
