What are we doing?

Led by long-time Delavan resident and business owner, Jim Beall, we are a dedicated group of locals, young and old, who believe in the magic and strength of community and entertainment. We are working towards reviving the old Delavan Theater, which is currently in an unusable state. The building will undergo a full-scale renovation, returning it to the Mediterranean atmospheric theater that it was constructed as, and be known thereafter as Wishing Star Theater. The restored theater will return to the community as a state-of-the-art multi-purpose venue, capable of hosting everything from weddings and banquets, to community events and live performances.
In taking on this project, we aim to bring big entertainment to an intimate stage, provide unique and exciting career opportunities, bring together diverse audiences, and promote the arts. Most importantly, we intend Wishing Star Theater to serve as a community center and gathering place for our county’s many organizations. With a variable capacity capable of hosting up to nearly 400 seats, our theater will be one of the largest spaces in the area that is capable of holding events throughout the year. Our flexible seating arrangements along with our modernized safety and accessibility features will allow us to adapt to meet our customers’ needs with ease.


We are a shovel-ready project, and have already “dotted the i’s and crossed the t’s” in preparation for construction, but to bring the dream to reality, we need your help.
We are currently fundraising to reach our goal of 2.5 million in order to bring this project to life. We are working on establishing a way to donate online, which should be up and running soon. Until that time you can submit your contributions via check in the mail to our 501(c)3 organization, Friends of the Wishing Star Theater.
If you would like to help us reach this goal in other ways, you can contact us by emailing fundraising@wishingstartheater.com to learn more about how you can get involved with this endeavor.



