Tony Rivenbark, longtime leader in Wilmington theater community, dies

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A longtime member of the Wilmington theater community has died.

The Board of Trustees and staff of Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts, Inc. announced Tuesday Executive and Artistic Director, Tony Rivenbark, died last night.

As an administrator, historian, actor, author, fundraiser, producer, and visionary, Rivenbark was an instrumental force in the cultural life of the Cape Fear region for decades and inspired and mentored countless people in the arts and preservation fields across the world.

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.

His tenure fundamentally transformed Thalian Hall into the vibrant, civic, and cultural center that our community cherishes today. In 1983, Rivenbark championed efforts to develop a Master Plan for the expansion of the theater and the renovation of the stage. From 1988 to 1990, Rivenbark led Thalian Hall through a $5 million dollar restoration and expansion, which included the construction of modern restrooms, ADA accessibility, expanded lobbies, the Ruth and Bucky Stein Theatre, backstage improvements, and a new northern wing. The project culminated in the reopening of Thalian Hall on March 2, 1990, for a two-week performing arts festival. In 2010, Rivenbark led Thalian Hall through a $3.6 million renovation, including the reconfiguration of the main stage’s seating, a hydraulic orchestra pit, and the introduction of “Alice,” the beloved Victorian-style chandelier. The Hall is just completing its most recent improvements, with backstage upgrades, restorations in the main hall, and a new stage surface.

Rivenbark was a veteran of over 200 stage productions. Prior to taking the position in Thalian Hall, he did 11 seasons of UNCW’s SRO Summer Stock and appeared off-Broadway in Holy Ghosts with Beth Grant and The Passionate Men with Peter Bartlett.

Rivenbark was awarded Wilmington’s Lifetime Achievement for the Arts in 2004. He was a member of the Board of the League of Historic American Theatre and was the second recipient of the LHAT Individual Award in 2005. In 2014 at the Wilmington Theatre Awards he was the recipient of the Most Enduring Contribution to Wilmington Theatre.  In 2019 he received the Star News Lifetime Achievement Award, and most recently was awarded the Thomas and Elizabeth Wright Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Historic Wilmington Foundation, recognizing lifelong dedication to historic preservation in Wilmington and the Lower Cape Fear region.

Beginning Tuesday evening, Thalian Hall, CFCC’s Wilson Center, UNCW’s Kenan Auditorium, and the City of Wilmington’s Meadowlark Lemon Bridge, will pay tribute to Rivenbark by lighting their facades in purple through Saturday. Additionally, the League of Historic American Theatres will be sharing this remembrance with venues across the United States to participate in this lighting tribute.

The Board of Trustees will release further information on leadership continuity, as well as Rivenbark’s Celebration of Life in the coming days.