New operator will re-open Grand Theatre

The Coulee will see an increase in arts and culture with the return of the Grand Theatre on Main Street in Grand Coulee, with a ribbon cutting and then an open-mic show later this month.

The 170-seat theater is reopening with a new vision from new owner Faran Sohappy, owner of Music & Beyond, a shop selling CDs, comic books, video games, movies, and more in the same building as the theater. He also owns C-Rez Records, which produces a variety of music and is setting up a recording studio in the building.

"What more can I ask for?" Sohappy said. "It's high time this theater opens its doors under a new vision and new leadership."

A ribbon cutting is planned for Jan. 24, with a time still to be decided, at which Sohappy plans to turn on all the lights and show people the theater that is in their community.

"I'm getting more excited as we get closer," Sohappy said. "We're going to turn on every damn light in here just so they can see it. There's a lot of people in town that have never seen this place! That's sort of surprising."

On Saturday, Jan. 26, Sohappy is opening the doors at 6:30 p.m. for a 7 p.m. open-mic show at which Sohappy anticipates about 10-12 acts performing for 10-12 minutes each, making for a two-hour show.

The open-mic night is still accepting participants, and that can range from any genre of music to any other form of entertainment.

"If they wanted to juggle, if they wanted to do poetry, it's an open mic, so it's just showcasing their talent," Sohappy said. "It's entertainment."

Those interested in performing at the open mic night can visit Music & Beyond at the Grand Theatre located on Main Street in Grand Coulee, reach out to Music & Beyond on their Facebook page, or visit http://www.themusicandbeyond.com.

The open-mic event will charge $5 admission for adults 18 and older, $3 for ages 12-17, $18 for a family of four. Children ages 12 and under will be granted free admission.

The theatre includes 29 upper-level, balcony seats, as well as 141 lower-level seats.

Beyond January, Sohappy is planning to host various concerts and other events, including a Valentine's Day couples night, concerts made through Sohappy's music connections, and more.

A band known as The Vision Seekers is scheduled for Feb. 28, and Rez Loyal, a rap group out of the Omak area, is expected to perform sometime in April.

"There's a few times I walk in here and look up [to the stage], for the different things we could host," Sohappy said. "We could host a comedy night, we could host a concert. Maybe [Northwest Native Development Fund] will want to host a conference here. A couple churches asked me if they could use this place for a get-together type of deal, and I told them, 'sure.' I want to try to have at least a couple events a month. I'm trying to shake the events up a little bit; I don't want to be routine."

Sohappy has produced a variety of acts with C-Rez Records, and is a musician himself, working on producing an album of his own. He is also part of the drum group White Hawk, whose album "Finally" is for sale in Sohappy's shop.

A long road took Sohappy to this point, involving a lot of stress and money, pouring his heart and soul into the project, he said. Originally locating Music & Beyond off Midway Avenue, Sohappy began renting the theater on Main Street, taking on challenges involving getting the water turned back on in the building, then repairing leaks that were revealed once the water was on, cleaning up the building, and more.

"I've always questioned myself, 'why did I do this?'" Sohappy said. "WIth a theater like this, I can do so many things: working with the tribes for a cultural thing, or the cities for an event. All these different types of things."

"It's been a heck of a journey to get this far. We worked so frikken hard, we spent a god-awful amount of money," Sohappy said with a laugh, excited for all the possibilities.