Miners Alley opens performing arts center in Golden’s Meyer Hardware building

What does it take to transform a former hardware store into a state-of-the-performing-arts center?

A team of dedicated visionaries, at least two years of hard work, and more than $4 million.

On Dec. 2, the Miners Alley Performing Arts Center officially opened its new 160-seat theater in the former Meyer Hardware building at 1103 Arapahoe St. in Golden.

MAPAC inaugurated its new space with its current show, “The Great American Trailer Park Christmas Musical,” which runs through Dec. 31.

While there have been some initial growing pains with the 15,000-square-foot space, Executive Director Lisa DeCaro and Producing Artistic Director Len Matheo said they’re both up for the challenge.

Both artists and patrons have enjoyed it so far, and Matheo said the organization’s increased attendance and bar sales prove the “Field of Dreams” mantra is true: “If you build it, they will come.”

Matheo said Miners Alley’s attendance levels have returned to their pre-COVID-19 levels, estimating 2023 attendance at 20,000 tickets sold.

“I don’t think there’s many theaters that can say that,” he continued, adding there’s room to grow in 2024 thanks to its larger theater.

Matheo and DeCaro, a husband-and-wife team steeped in the performing arts, described how the Miners Alley Playhouse at 1224 Washington Ave. became “a community hub with a family feel” over the last 10 years. Now, the new performing arts center has the same atmosphere, but on a larger scale.

“It’s the same feeling, but more of it,” DeCaro said.

Act I

The organization has rented its Miners Alley Playhouse location for 15 years and did the best with the limited space it had relative to the size of its shows.

The theater sits 110-130 people, depending on how many seats the cast had to remove for light boards and other equipment. The actors’ changing area was essentially a small hallway, and during the 2022 “Hair” production, musicians performed from the lobby because there wasn’t room in the theater.

In December 2021, with help from the community, the Miners Alley organization purchased the Meyers Hardware building for nearly $5 million. After starting a $4 million fundraising campaign, crews started interior demolition in September 2022 and then construction in January 2023.

DeCaro said Miners Alley wasn’t sure if the new space would be ready in time to rehearse its “The Great American Trailer Park Christmas Musical” run, but it ended up working out.

Now, MAPAC has space galore by comparison, with room to grow.

The new theater seats 160, and there are ample backstage areas for crewmembers to work. It also has four times the changing area and green room space for actors, Matheo described.

For the patrons, there’s a large reception area and full bar. There’s also seven gender-neutral floor-to-ceiling restroom stalls, which DeCaro humorously said means there’s no long line for the women’s restroom anymore.

Through December, the Miners Alley theater group is hosting productions at both its locations. “A Christmas Story” and “The Story of the Nutcracker” are showing through the end of December at the playhouse, while “The Great American Trailer Park Christmas Musical” is at the new performing arts center.

Once these productions are done, DeCaro said the organization will spend January moving its remaining items from the playhouse to the performing arts center. It’s ending its month-to-month lease for the playhouse location on Jan. 31.

Tim Fishbaugh, the organization’s house manager and an actor in “A Christmas Story,” said everyone from the full-time staff to the patrons to the actors are enjoying the space. He was excited to spend more time in the new, comfortable MAPAC and anticipated the organization would have a “great 2024.”

Act II

While the new space is bigger than what they were working with before, Matheo and DeCaro said this is still only a “starter theater.”

The current 15,000-square-foot MAPAC only fills half the 30,000-square-foot building. Miners Alley has proposed a second phase of construction to expand into the building’s currently empty areas.

Phase II would encompass:

• Expanding the current 160-seat theater into a 300-seat theater-in-the-round setup;
• Expanding the current bar & lounge area, and building a satellite bar and upper lobby;
• Adding a black box theater;
• Establishing an education center with three classrooms and a small stage for children; and
• Adding a few artist housing units.

Matheo also plans to establish a workshop area below the stage and put in hydraulic lifts to make it easier to transport large items from the storage area to the stage.

While the bulk of Phase II still has to be engineered, DeCaro and Matheo estimated Phase II would cost at least $7 million, and the organization needs to raise about 60-65% of that before it can start construction.

While they’re content with their new setup, the two believed the new Miners Alley Performing Arts Center, the adjacent Foothill Art Center’s Astor House campus and other entities would help transform the area into a town square or arts district. DeCaro envisioned an eye-catching gathering area where people could enjoy a variety of arts and local businesses — all while surrounded by Golden’s incredible natural beauty.

“The future is bright,” she said.