Crown Uptown performance ends early after lightning strike, fire

Opening night at the Crown Uptown Theatre ended early on Friday after what was taken to be a lightning strike hit the building and caused a fire, according to general manager Max Wilson.

Wilson said actors who were rehearsing for another show at the church across the street saw lightning hit the building about an hour into the 8 p.m performance. Wilson, who is also an actor in the show “Come Together: A Beatles Review,” was in the dressing room when there was a “huge jolt and a shake.”

“All the lights started flickering, surging, going dimmer then brighter then dimmer then brighter,” he said, adding it was “weirdly long-lasting” going on for about a minute. “The crowd knew something was going on because of the sound we all heard.”

In the final song before intermission, “Yesterday,” performed a capella, the performers started to see smoke. The fact that they used a smoke machine in the performance complicated things, but a distinct smell raised red flags. It was coming from the basement access off to the side of the stage.

Wilson ran into the smoke-filled basement and used an extinguisher to put out a breaker that was on fire.

Wilson said the fire alarm then went off with a voice saying something along the lines of “a fire has been reported in the building please find the nearest exit” and the emergency lights started to flicker before the line was repeated in Spanish.

“Once that voice came on I think everybody knew what we had to do,” Wilson said.

The roughly 100 people in attendance and the performers exited the building.

“We sure opened with a bang, didn’t we,” Wilson said.

Wichita firefighters arrived and checked the building. Wilson didn’t yet know the extent of the damage but is happy the building will survive.

“There was quite a bit of smoke toward the end, so if anything we’ll suffer some smoke damage,” he said. “Those of us who spotted the fire may have a little bit of inhalation.”

Wilson said the attendees will either be refunded or can get a rain check for another show. There are several more chances to watch the show.

The theater, which is at Douglas and Hillside, opened in 1928.

This story was originally published June 11, 2021 at 11:09 PM.