From silver screen to live sound
The McDonald opened in 1925 for stage and screen. As movies grew in popularity, it became a cinema, remaining a movie house until 2000. Its story feels close to home at Blue Note: a place associated with film finding another life through music.
The Kesey family’s connection reaches back to Saturday-morning cartoons in the 1950s. Kesey Enterprises began presenting concerts and community events here in 2001, then bought the historic building in 2009.
Today, its program ranges across touring music, comedy and community gatherings. The old theatre gives those very different nights a shared setting: a downtown landmark whose history remains part of the experience.
A DETAIL TO NOTICE
Watch for the marquee: the street-level invitation into a building with a century of performance behind it.
- 1925Opens for stage and screen
- 2001Kesey Enterprises begins presenting concerts
- 2009The Kesey company buys the building
History: McDonald Theatre · official history. Checked October 12, 2026.
Original AI line illustration simplified from venue photography; selected details animate gently within the drawing. Photo reference ↗