How many public nights does a 110-year-old theater get between Halloween and New Year's? At The Playhouse at White Lake on South Mears Avenue, the ticket page currently lists three. Against the Wind's Bob Seger tribute played on Saturday, Oct. 24. After it come an Eagles tribute, an '80s rock night and a December visit from Jeff Daniels. Then the theater closes to public events until spring.
The list is short on purpose. Whitehall's Playhouse runs on a lean setup, and the fall calendar reflects it.
A City-Owned Theater With One and a Half Employees
The Playhouse doesn't belong to a nonprofit arts company or a private promoter. The City of Whitehall owns and operates it. The city's parks page lists it next to the White River Trail and Oakhurst Cemetery.
The Playhouse's own events overview puts the staff at "one full-time and one half-time employee." That staffing explains the shape of the year. In January and February the theater "goes dark," which the venue defines as mainly closed to public events and rentals. Staff spend those eight weeks on grant applications, donor development and sponsorships.
The building doesn't sit empty during the dark weeks. Ongoing community classes keep running through the winter, including White Lake Youth Theatre, yoga, voice and musical arts, and dance. But nothing will appear on the ticket page until the spring season reopens in March.
December Mostly Goes to Private Parties
The months right before the winter break are mostly booked privately. The venue describes October through December as a stretch of live music plus its role as "the centerpiece rental venue to many parties, holiday celebrations, and annual gatherings for community and companies across the shoreline." Rentals run March through December.
So when a company holiday party or a family gathering books the room on a December weekend, that date can't hold a public show. The Playhouse says plainly that holiday programming is limited and gives its own rule of thumb: "if you see something on our schedule, please know that it is unique enough to have received such a spot and it's probably worth making time for in your calendar."
How the Building Got Fall Shows at All
For most of its history, fall concerts in this building weren't a given. The Playhouse opened in 1916. Over the years it has been called Whitehall's Community Theatre and the Nufer-Adams Theatre, and in the 1950s and early 1960s simply The Playhouse.
In 1973 the community raised money to renovate it. A grant from the Howmet Corporation matched those funds, and the theater became The Howmet Playhouse. Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp then ran it until August 2006, when the camp built a new theater on its own grounds. The City of Whitehall accepted donated ownership and committed to keeping the Playhouse and its summer festival going.
The current schedule traces back to the 2019 project. According to the Playhouse's history page, it was a nearly two-year, $4 million renovation and expansion. It added 7,000 square feet, including a box office, concessions, a 1,500-square-foot lobby, rehearsal space and dressing rooms. It also replaced the heating and cooling with high-efficiency units "allowing for year-round programming." The theater reopened in June 2019 under its current name. Its new logo is a dragonfly, a nod to the arts and crafts style of the original building and to the dragonflies along White Lake.
November concerts are only possible because of those furnace and cooling upgrades. Even with them, a staff of one and a half still has to decide how many public nights it can carry.
The Three Nights Currently Listed
These are the public shows on the Playhouse ticket page and in local coverage as of late October 2026:
| Date | Show | Time | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., Nov. 7 | A Tribute Night to the Eagles | 7:30 p.m., doors 7:00 | Moved from Oct. 3 |
| Sat., Nov. 14 | Legends of Rock – A Tribute to the '80s | 7:30 p.m. | Live music concert |
| Wed., Dec. 9 | An Evening with Jeff Daniels | 7:30 p.m. | Presented by Friends of the Playhouse; $55–$95 in advance |
The Eagles night was originally set for Oct. 3. In a notice on the ticket page, Managing Director Beth Beaman wrote that it was moved to Nov. 7 "due to circumstances beyond the presenters control." Tickets bought for the original date were transferred automatically. Anyone who can't make the new date can email [email protected] for a refund.
The two November tribute shows are a week apart. A December show could still be added later, but these three are what's listed now.
Why Jeff Daniels Tickets Are Sold at City Hall
The Dec. 9 show comes from a second group that keeps the Playhouse running. Friends of the Playhouse is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports the theater. It is presenting the actor and musician for one night. The White Lake Beacon describes him as a songwriter who has toured with his guitar for years. In that article, Friends chair Frank Bednarek put the booking this way:
"This is exactly the kind of evening the Playhouse was made for. An artist of Jeff Daniels' caliber, in a room this size, for one night only — there won't be another chance like it."
Advance tickets are $55 to $95. You can buy them online at theplayhouseatwhitelake.org or in person at Whitehall City Hall. The City Hall counter follows from the ownership: the city runs the theater, so its office sells the tickets. The Beacon recommends buying early, given the single date and limited seating.
Fitting the Shows Around Holiday Walk Weekend
The Playhouse is two blocks off the main downtown street. Its two November concerts land just before downtown Whitehall's busiest holiday weekend. The White Lake Area Chamber & Visitors Bureau lists the 33rd annual White Lake Area Holiday Walk in both Montague and Whitehall.
In order, the rest of the fall downtown looks like this:
- Sat., Nov. 7: Eagles tribute at the Playhouse, 7:30 p.m.
- Sat., Nov. 14: '80s rock tribute at the Playhouse, 7:30 p.m.
- Fri., Nov. 20: Holiday Walk open houses at participating businesses, 2 to 8 p.m. People gather at 6 p.m. for Whitehall's tree lighting at the N. Mears Promenade, and the tree is lit at 6:30. Free carriage rides run through downtown Whitehall and downtown Montague from 5 to 8 p.m.
- Sat., Nov. 21: Holiday Walk continues 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with free trolley rides to participating businesses from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Wed., Dec. 9: Jeff Daniels at the Playhouse, 7:30 p.m.
Santa will be at the tree lighting. Children of all ages are invited to bring a homemade or store-bought ornament for the community tree, and HarborLight Credit Union is providing free hot cocoa. Montague lights its tree an hour earlier, at 5:30 p.m. at the Artisan Market Village. That leaves time to see both on the same evening.
After Dec. 9, the next public shows on South Mears Avenue are expected when the spring season opens in March.
If you're watching for a home within walking distance of the Playhouse and the N. Mears Promenade, or wondering what that location means for a house you already own, the Zuniga Real Estate Team is happy to talk it through with you. Schedule a no-pressure conversation.
