DEFAULT IS NOT IN OUR STARS, BUT IN OURSELVES: Part 14 — Summer Someday In The Park (Wenonah Park) Without Mike

“We have not made any arrangement with the City nor committed to any contracts at this time.” Midland Center for the Arts spokesperson

There’s no summer savior — yet.

And, to paraphrase Don Henley, time, time, is tickin’, tickin’, tickin’ away.

On March 8, 2023, Mike Bacigalupo took to the stage of the State Theatre to announce the 2023 summer lineup. Included were Joan Jett & the Blackhearts and Rick Springfield — and you know how that ended.

While Bay City’s Downtown Management Board has announced it will be “spearheading” the free “Wednesdays in the Park” summer concert series, time’s running out for a replacement for last year’s Rockin’ The River concert series.

With the State Theatre a named defendant, along with Mike Bacigalupo, in the “follow the bouncing checks” civil action filed February 6, 2024 on behalf of Rick Springfield, it’s tough to get the likes of William Morris Endeavor Entertainment to return a call.

James Felton at WNEM TV5 recently reported that Wednesdays In The Park was “under new management”, and that Bay City’s Downtown Management Board was “working very closely with the State Theatre on a number of things.” A spokesperson told WNEM the Board wants “to make sure that everything that was happening through the State Theatre continues on in Wenonah Park.”

(Hope that doesn’t include the big duffle bags.)

And don’t look to the Midland Center for the Arts to save the State Theatre’s bacon: on February 19, 2024, the Center’s Vice President of Marketing & Communications confirmed to me in an email that no deals have been struck:

“While we have met with representatives from Bay City to conceptualize presenting ticketed events at Wenonah Park this summer, we have not made any arrangement with the City nor committed to any contracts at this time.”

Just how I like it: terse, and to the point!