Grand Rapids, MI.  (July 8, 2020) — Following four months of near-complete, nation-wide blackout of movies and live music, Studio C announces two new programs, created for social distancing, set to take place outdoors on the piazza at Studio Park.  

“Holding events responsibly in 2020 requires some new thinking,” says Quinn Mathews, manager of Listening Room.  “Our team has been focused on that for months now.  We all want to get back to doing the things we love, but we want to do it thoughtfully.  That’s what Sunset Cinema and Listening Lawn are all about.”  The following practices and procedures will be in place to create this unique space at Studio Park:

• Most significantly, physical distancing measures will require a minimum purchase of four tickets, which will reserve a section of the lawn for a grouping of up to four people.  Guests are welcome to come in smaller groups, but will need to purchase the entirety of the space.   Each group will be spaced at least six feet from other guests. The total capacity of the space will be limited to the most recent state guidelines.

• Studio C staff will wear personal protective gear, including face masks.  Sunset Cinema and Listening Lawn guests are asked to bring a mask to wear while moving about, though they are welcome to remove them while seated.

• Piazza dinners, appetizers, movie treats, and an outdoor cash bar will be available through One Twenty Three Tavern.  Other onsite restaurants include Leo’s Coney Island, Malamiah Juice Bar & Eatery and the soon-to-be-open Pumphouse Frozen Yogurt.  No outside drinks permitted.

• Customers are required to pre-purchase tickets online.  Tickets for Sunset Cinema can be secured at celebrationcinema.com or via the Celebration Cinema app.  Tickets for Listening Lawn concerts can be secured at listeningroomgr.com starting next week.  Standard online convenience fees are being waived for both of these series.

• Guests are asked to bring their own chairs.  Height restrictions do apply and blankets are discouraged.  

• A full list of details can be found at studioparkgr.com/piazza-faq 

Celebration Cinema presents Sunset Cinema on Wednesdays, beginning July 15.  This series of outdoor movies is programmed with movie-lovers in mind.  The first movie presented will be Yellow Submarine, presented exclusively for outdoor cinemas throughout the country, followed by Baby Driver on July 22 and Parasite on July 29. The lawn opens at 6pm; movies will begin at 8pm with a ticket price of $5.00 per person.  All movies will be open captioned. More dates and films are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

Listening Room presents Listening Lawn on Thursdays.  This outdoor concert series will feature local, regional and national musicians.  Luke Winslow-King will kick things off on July 23rd, bringing a unique blend of Mississippi delta blues, folk, roots and rock n’ roll to Grand Rapids.   This will be followed by a concert headlining Asamu Johnson & The Associates of the Blues on Thursday, July 30. The lawn opens at 6pm; concerts will begin at 8pm.  Ticket prices may vary. More dates to be announced soon.

“The piazza at Studio Park was built for this kind of programming,” says Quinn, “and we’re even more thrilled to share this space with the community right now – out in the fresh air, under the evening sky, with full attention to sound and the whole experience.”