SWAMPSCOTT, MA — The transformation of the former Hawthorne Restaurant into the new Swampscott Center for the Performing Arts will be unveiled to the entertainment-viewing public for the first time this weekend as the Atlantic Avenue property hosts its first show on Saturday night.
Fats Arnold and His Midnight Hot Dogs is the first show scheduled for Saturday in the space renovated into the Dory Showroom.
"After all these months of work and toil, it looks like The Dory Showroom at The Swampscott Center for the Performing Arts is finally becoming a reality," venue operator Johnny Nicastro, aka Johnny Ray, said in a social media post on Thursday.
The Swampscott Select Board selected the Swampscott Center for the Performing Arts for a 30-month temporary lease in June, while the town looks for a developer for the property and lot that it purchased for $7 million in 2022.
Ray also owns The Beacon Restaurant and Johnny Ray's Music Emporium in Marblehead.
Nicastro said the performing arts center will host local and national music and comedy acts. He said community functions and other smaller events can be held there on nights when dates are not filled.
The venue is also available to rent for private events and parties.
Tickets for Saturday's grand opening event are $20 and available here. Doors open at 5 p.m. with the show set to begin at 8:30 p.m.
The venue includes a full restaurant, spirits menu and a view of the ocean. Parking at the Humphrey Street lot is free.
The Swampscott Select Board recently approved the parameters for a Request for Proposals for the further development of the property beyond the performing arts center's lease.
That may or may not include the demolition of the main building.
The RFP was approved with a restriction that the property not include housing units.
More on Patch:
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
Swampscott Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.