‘It’s very Tony’: Late Tony Rivenbark directed his final farewell before he died
The Obsequies of Tony Rivenbark is the final event directed by the late executive director of Thalian Hall.
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The Obsequies of Tony Rivenbark is the final event directed by the late executive director of Thalian Hall.
The event will begin on the Main Stage of Thalian Hall at 5 pm on Saturday. All three levels of the auditorium will be open for seating. City Council Chambers will be open for overflow seating inside the hall for people to view the service via livestream. It will also be available to watch remotely.
After the ceremony, a traditional New Orleans-style Second Line will lead people up Third Street to the Wilson Center for a reception. The procession will be led by the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard, a horse-drawn hearse, and the Treme Brass Band from New Orleans.
“It’s a really well respected, one of the oldest second line bands in New Orleans and it’s very special,” Shane Fernando said. “They make few trips around the country and this is one they agreed to do so this is very special for our community.”
Shane Fernando serves as the artistic director of the Wilson Center and is a dear friend of Rivenbark’s. He says the late arts giant had his final show planned before he died.
“A lot of it is recordings of his work, his performances, so we’ll be hearing a lot of his voice as he says goodbye to us and we say goodbye to him. At the same time, also remember so much of him that will be around us for a very long time,” Fernando said.
For more than 42 years, Rivenbark served as leader of Thalian Hall, one of America’s oldest and beloved historic theatres. Rivenbark was an eighth generation native of Duplin County, from Warsaw, NC. As a student at UNCW, he first appeared on Thalian Hall’s stage in 1966 in the musical, Good News.
The Board of Trustees and staff of Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts, Inc. announced the long serving executive and artistic Director died on July 19.
The event will not only be a remembrance of greatness, but a celebration of a legacy that will remain and a love for community that will last forever.
“It’s very Tony. It definitely captures his spirit,” Fernando said. “We will feel his presence here on Saturday. It’s a celebration of Tony, but it’s a celebration of our community. That’s, at the end of the day, that’s what Tony worked for every day…our community and to bring our community together.”
The event is free and open to the public. Umbrellas and festive Mardi Gras attire are highly encouraged.
