Lights up on 2026 Norwalk Arts Center season

NORWALK — A crowd gathered uptown Wednesday evening as the Norwalk Arts Center lit up its restored marquee to announce its 2026 season lineup. The first production of the new season will be Alice By Heart, staged by the Teen Theatre program in June. In August, the community theater troupe known as the "NACtors" will present The Addams Family. The season will conclude in November 2026 with the Junior Musical production of Honk, Jr. The evening included a special appearance by the cast of this year's Junior Musical, Finding Nemo, Jr. The young performers came straight from rehearsal at the arts center's temporary headquarters to take part in the marquee reveal. They are preparing for their own shows, scheduled for Nov. 14-16. Guests also got a glimpse inside the historic theater lobby. Executive director Dina Lukasko provided an update on the rehabilitation project and answered questions about the work still ahead. History lesson The theater, originally built in 1941 and designed by famous theater architect John Eberson, contained balcony seating and 700 seats in the orchestra. A mixture of live shows, concerts and movies played there. It was last used around 2010, and it was purchased by a couple of different owners over the years so it wouldn't be demolished. Making sense of the dollars and cents Renovation efforts received a major shot in the arm when the center was awarded a $3 million state grant earlier this year. The marquee announcement highlighted both the productions to come and the ongoing progress in restoring the downtown landmark.