Lucille Ball Little Theater, located at 18 E. Second St. location in Jamestown. P-J photo by Michael Zabrodsky

Lucille Ball Little Theatre of Jamestown will not be staging a production of Miracle on 34th Street.

The show was scheduled to be performed Dec. 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, and 14, and is the last performance of the 2025 Season.

LBLTJ Board President Aubrey Russell shared an update on a recent Facebook post.

“Over the past 12 months, our board of directors has prioritized meaningful improvements to our building’s infrastructure and facilities,” Russell Wrote. “Between productions, we have taken time to clean, organize, and make thoughtful updates throughout the space. Through this ongoing work, we identified the need for essential repairs to both our electrical and sprinkler systems. These upgrades will result in a multiweek closure to ensure the work is completed quickly, professionally, and with the long-term health of the theatre in mind.”

In 2022, the season had to be delayed because of a stage issue. A building inspection showed the theater’s stage wasn’t safe for stage productions and needed to be replaced. The stage, which had a 20-year useful life, was 40 years old at the time and needed to be upgraded.

Russell said while the news is disheartening to many, every decision is guided by people who care deeply about what LBLTJ means to the community.

“What we are doing now is not easy, but it is necessary,” Russell noted. “Despite this temporary closure, we are embracing the moment as an opportunity. During this time, we will begin a long-envisioned project: transforming our small concession stand into a full-service concessions and bar area. This upgrade has been years in the making and represents the first step in a broader effort to revitalize our lobby to improve the comfort, flow, and overall experience.”

Despite the cancellation of the show, Russell said, board members are already planning programming to help keep the holiday spirit alive.

“We’ll be celebrating the year ahead with a full season announcement event before 2025 comes to a close. There’s more magic on the horizon, and we can’t wait to share it with you.”

The Lucille Ball Little Theatre originally began in 1920 as The Player’s Club. It became the Little Theatre in 1945, and in 1968 it was moved to its current location and built bigger after running out of space at the original location. In 1991, it was renamed The Lucille Ball Little Theatre.