ONEONTA _ A State University College at Oneonta student is teaming up with his college's radio station for a concert Saturday at the Oneonta Theatre, designed to help raise money for its restoration and operation.
As part of his rock combo class, Rich Rogers, a junior studying the music industry, is required to plan a gig for his band.
But Rogers, working with Annika Widman of WONY, is taking it a step further by using the opportunity to help Friends of the Oneonta Theatre in its efforts to restore and utilize the 112-year-old building at 47 Chestnut St.
FOTOT is a volunteer group dedicated to saving and coordinating programming at the landmark.
Rogers said SUNY Oneonta music professor Anthony Scafide suggested he look at the theater as a possible place for his band to play.
"It just kind of fell together," Rogers said.
There is a $5 admission price for the event that starts at 9 p.m., with half of the proceeds going to FOTOT and the other half to the radio station, which is promoting and sponsoring the concert.
Rogers said three SUNY Oneonta bands from the rock combo class and one from the blues band class are expected to play.
Rogers is the singer for his band and said he is excited about performing on the historic 35-foot-wide stage.
"We play classic rock and bluesy kind of stuff," Rogers said.
Widman, a junior majoring in business and economics, is the public-relations director of WONY, which is student-run.
Widman said she only recently got to see the inside of the theater.
"I had never been in the theater before," Widman said. "It's so cool to see. It's such a piece of history. I am really happy they are restoring it."
The theater has 675 seats, plus an enclosed balcony, an orchestra pit and a 60-foot fly space. Since it was built in 1897, it has hosted vaudeville acts, movies and other performances. The property is listed on state and national registers of historic places.
The theater, which had been in a state of disrepair for several years, was sold to a new owner this summer. The owner, Thomas Cormier, made an arrangement with FOTOT to allow the group to operate the theater portion of the building and make improvements.
Sarah Lynn Hazard of FOTOT said the concert is a win-win situation.
"We're really trying to get people into this space," Hazard said.
Hazard said that including this concert, there have been events scheduled each week for the last several weeks.
"We are open for business," she said.
FOTOT is still looking for help, and there will be a meeting for prospective volunteers at the theater at 1 p.m. Nov. 21.
