03/05/2026
For Immediate Release
Benefit Set for March 15 to Support Vista Theatre at Strega Nonna
Features Leslie Parkkonen in a Special Dinner Theatrical Production
Negaunee, Michigan--In the modern world, we know that talent comes in many forms, but no combination of talent is quite as fulfilling as dinner theater. The talented culinary artisans at Strega Nonna are partnering with local playwright Leslie Parkkonen—
best known for her powerful, soulful singing voice—to create a feast for the senses. IronArts, also known as the Peninsula Arts Appreciation Council, is helping to produce the event, which will raise money for the restoration of the Historic Vista Theater. The premier event is set for Sunday, March 15, 2026, at Strega Nonna (432 Iron St.) in Negaunee.
Parkkonen’s “Leading Lady: Stories from the Stage...and Life,” uses musical theatre to blend sharp-witted humor and storytelling while exploring ambition, love, loss and the courage it takes to keep showing up when life goes off-book.
Although woven together with Broadway songs, don’t mistake this production for a nostalgia act or a greatest-hits r***e. Leading Lady is in fact “a raw, funny, and fiercely honest meditation on what it means to lose the roles you thought defined you—and to discover that the most powerful part you’ll ever play is the one where you choose yourself.”
The show also features the talented Claire Decker-Pepin, and Allyse Belanger on vocals, with Negaunee native Marcia Nora Hicks providing accompaniment.
IronArts President Rusty Bowers said he is honored to be involved in a show written by a person as talented as Parkkonen. “I have known Leslie for decades as a generous and gifted singer, actor and director,” Bowers said. “I have seen her put her heart and soul into Vista Theater shows time and time again. The fact that she’s using her personal journey to benefit the building’s restoration does not surprise me.”
Strega Nonna itself is the perfect venue for such an event, he said. “Rachael and her staff have been so generous with their time and talent, and I have no doubt this delicious dinner will reflect the care she has for her craft and her community,” said Bowers.
Negaunee’s City Manager Nate Heffron will also make an appearance during the event to share an update on the Vista’s restoration since the city took ownership two years ago. “The work on the Vista is continuing and we know IronArts is eager to help in any way it can,” Heffron said. “The city is grateful to Strega Nonna and all the efforts of everyone involved in this production.”
Doors will open at 5 p.m. Tickets are $75 each and include a delicious buffet dinner, live preshow music with John Mallo, and theatre performance with dessert spread during intermission. To learn more or purchase tickets, visit Strega.fun Events section or https://strega.fun/events/dinner-theatre-fundraiser-for-paac-vista-ironarts-at-strega-leading-lady
