This Myrtle Beach theater reopens with Motown, Elvis shows after COVID-19 forced shutdown
James Stephens III figures now is the time to give reopening a shot.
He has reopened the Asher Theatre in Myrtle Beach this month and has a lineup of shows for the next couple of months.
The theater off U.S. 501 has been shut down since the coronavirus forced its closure in March, with the exception of individual shows on the Father’s Day and Labor Day weekends.
The longtime performer and comedian has scheduled an Elvis tribute show for Wednesday and Friday nights, his show “The Man of 1,000 Voices” on Thursdays, and the Motown tribute show “Motown ’59” on Saturdays for the next several weeks.
“We lost the whole summer. People have been afraid to come so it has been tough,” said Stephens, who opened the event venue in 2018. “I’m so happy to be open. For The Man of 1,000 Voices I wrote a whole new set with covid material.”
Motown ‘59 features Ian Davis, an R&B singer who released his first album in 2015 and is a multiple winner of Showtime at the Apollo, The Voice participant and southern soul singer Kayla Wilson, a.k.a. Kay Love, and others playing the music of Diana Ross and The Supremes, Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, The Temptations, Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, The Jackson Five, Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson and more.
“It’s going to be a fun show. We’ve got some great talent,” said Stephens, who is a performer in the show as well.
Seating in the theater is being limited to 50% of capacity, or about 100 seats, and South Carolina COVID-19 prevention guidelines including masks and social distancing will be followed, Stephens said.
“The King: A Tribute Show” is performed by the award-winning Travis Powell, who has been featured at Legends in Concert in Myrtle Beach. Travis’ rendition of Elvis is from a peak of his career in 1970-1973.
Also upcoming at the theater is *Divas: The Show” featuring Kay Love and her band on Nov. 27. It includes the music of Etta James, Mary J. Blige, Patti LaBelle and Whitney Houston.
Old-school rapper Chubb Rock is scheduled to perform on Nov. 28, following a Spades team card tournament earlier in the day.
