Great American Playhouse, the northwest side's answer to Tucson's popular Gaslight Theatre, closed on Monday after two years in business.
A note was posted on the theater's website Monday morning: "The Great American Playhouse regretfully announces we are no longer in business."
"We would like to thank all our loyal and wonderful customers for two amazing years! Thank You," it said.
The theater's founder Nancy LaViola could not be reached for comment.
LaViola and her partners spent $1 million in early 2013 to renovate the 9,000-square-foot space at 13005 N. Oracle Road, converting it from a supermarket — formerly Ike's Farmer's Market — into a dinner theater. The theater opened in August 2013 and mounted melodramatic productions — plays with silly, over-the-top storylines and acting, with live music, usually keyboards or piano. It served a simple menu of pizza and popcorn and snack foods and was open only on weekends.
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The theater's final performance, "Whodunit or They Haven't a Clue," was set to run through Saturday, Nov. 14.
Oro Valley Mayor Satish I. Hiremath, an early supporter of the theater, called the closing a loss for Oro Valley's arts community.
“It’s very unfortunate," he said. "I thought they lent a different type of arts and culture to our community."
