MURRAY — Before the singer Adele became a global superstar, in the early stages of her career, one of the first places she showed off her talents was at a local theater located in the heart of Murray. That’s according to Mayor Brett Hales.
At the request of hometown pop sensation David Archuleta — who at the time was fresh off “American Idol,” Hales agreed to go to the theater to see an unknown female act.
“And he called up and said, ‘I want to go see this (young) lady sing,’” Hales recounted.
To his surprise, the singer would go on to take the music industry by storm, selling millions of records and gaining a legion of fans around the world.
“We had Adele at the Murray Theater back in 2009; she must have been just starting out at that time,” Hales said.
That’s just one example of the magical moments to occur inside the historic venue.
Late last month, after a nearly decade of being closed to the public due to renovation efforts, the Murray Theater reopened its doors. Hales says he hopes the revamped theater will be a space that holds similar memorable experiences for generations to come.
“It’s kind of a dream come true (for me), because this is something we wanted to do for a long time,” he told KSL.com.
But the road to Murray Theater’s revival was anything but smooth.
Originally opened in October 1938, the venue offered a range of entertainment from musicals, movies and local productions. For decades, the theater’s marquee shined bright along State Street in Murray, signaling a treasured community space, dazzling crowds with a variety of live performances.
The theater’s exterior and interior designs made it stand out with cutting-edge features for its time — including microphonic sound, fluorescent lighting, and air conditioning — which according to the city’s website made it one of the most modern entertainment venues in the state.
However, the venue fell on hard times in the 2010s as owners struggled to keep up with modern upgrades.
Murray purchased the theater in 2015, with plans to restore it back to its glory days.
The theater closed in 2017 for renovation plans to begin, but the efforts hit several snags along the way, including the loss of funding during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Hales.
Eventually, the city regained funding, allowing the restoration process to move forward.
“I’ll tell you, our residents really pushed for this, because it ended up being a bigger project than we thought,” he said.
The project cost more than $3 million, funded in part through Salt Lake County’s tourism, recreation, culture and convention program, according to a city-issued press release.
Katie Lindquist, theater operations manager, said one of the main goals of the renovation was preserving its historical elements, and restoring the theater to its original appearance.
“We really wanted to try to restore it back to what it originally looked like,” she said. “By the time we bought the building or purchased it, (it had) changed a lot of hands, and the stage and the auditorium went through a lot of different remodels, and so our goal is to try to put it back to the 1938 look.”
Eight years later, the 333-seat venue welcomes the community back to soak in its vintage charm with state-of-the-art technology and amenities.
Murray Theater celebrated its grand reopening on Sept. 26, with a concert headlined by city native and internationally known songstress Loren Allred.
She is best known for her rendition of “Never Enough” in “The Greatest Showman” and her standout performances on “America’s Got Talent.”
City officials say the theater’s revitalization is part of the broader Love, Murray initiative — a citywide campaign launched in early 2025 to celebrate and preserve Murray’s unique cultural identity.
Lindquist said now with the Murray Theater in its restored era, it aims to be a place for both longtime Murray residents and newcomers, maintaining a personal touch and community pride.
She hopes people of all ages embrace the renovated theater and leave them yearning for the next time they can experience a show, musical, or movie inside the venue.
“I hope they have a wonderful time here; but I’m hoping that they walk away like, when can I come back,” she said.
For a full list of upcoming performances, including dates and times, visit MurrayTix.com.