The story starts in 1884…
1884 – Keith Neville
Keith Neville was born in North Platte on Feb. 25, 1884. He attended school in Annapolis, Maryland and returned home after graduation to manage the family farm and ranch.
The Fox was opened!
1908 – Grand Opening
In September 1908 the Keith Theatre officially opened on the west side of Dewey Street in North Platte. According to the North Platte Semi-Weekly Tribune, the theater was “one of which North Platte may be proud.”
A new member of the family…
1908 – Keith was married
Keith Neville married Mary Virginia Neill in Charles Town, West Virginia. The couple had four children: Mary Nelson, Frances Elizabeth, Virginia Neill and Irene Morell.
New leadership…
1917 – a new governor
Keith Neville was elected governor. He was only 33 years old and was often called the “boy governor.”
Welcome Fox Theatre!
1929 – Fox Theatre Opening
Keith Neville opened the Fox Theater in October of 1929. The building was designed by Omaha’s Frederick A. Henninger and completed by builder Alex Beck. Initially, it was used for vaudeville productions and later as a full-time motion picture theater.
Welcome NPC Playhouse
1955 – Welcome NPC Playhouse
The North Platte Community Playhouse was organized in 1955 at the home of Charlie and Rose Craig, who served bean sandwiches to members of the fledgling group. Virginia Neville Robertson, the daughter of Keith and Mary Neville, attended the first meeting, and became one of the founders of the North Platte Community Playhouse.
“Harvey” is produced…
1956 – many successful productions…
“Harvey,” the first show produced by the newly-organized thespians, was presented ‘in the round’ in the Crystal Ballroom of the Pawnee Hotel in February, 1956. The Pawnee Hotel was also built by Keith Neville. His daughter Virginia lived there as the wife of hotel manager Don Robertson. Virginia played the role of Veta in “Harvey”.
In a program note, the playhouse board welcomed the audience with the wish that “Harvey” would be the first of many successful productions. The note also stated that the Playhouse’s future was in the hands of the people of the community, because actors, musicians, directors, stage helpers, and financial support were needed.
Support given…
1968 – Playhouse Auxiliary
In 1968, the Playhouse Auxiliary was organized to give support and to organize money-making projects.
A new theater…
Donation of the Fox Theater…
1980 – Gracious Donation
The four daughters of Keith Neville donated the Fox Theater to the North Platte Community Playhouse in December, 1980.
Playhouse cited for theater renovations…
1983 – Renovations
The theatre underwent renovations, thanks to a fund drive and the labor of volunteers. It was transformed into the Neville Center for the Performing Arts. The renovation earned the Playhouse a Governor’s Arts Award.
Playhouse gets new chairs and movies are back…
2017 – New Chairs and Movies are Back!!
The theatre got a makeover with 850 new seats and a state-of-the-art movie projection system as part of “The Show Must Go On” project.
1955-1956
Harvey (non-musical)
Night Must Fall (non-musical)
1956-1957
The Man Who Came to Dinner (non-musical)
Claudia (non-musical)
Born Yesterday (non-musical)
1957-1958
My Three Angels (non-musical)
Witness for the Prosecution (non-musical)
See How They Run (non-musical)
1958-1959
Bus Stop (non-musical)
Gaslight (non-musical)
The Tender Trap (non-musical)
1959-1960
Picnic (non-musical)
The Fourposter (non-musical)
Broken Dishes (non-musical)
1960-1961
Our Town (non-musical)
Mister Roberts (non-musical)
Sabrina Fair (non-musical)
1961-1962
The Hasty Heart (non-musical)
The Reluctant Debutante (non-musical)
Three Blind Mice (non-musical)
1962-1963
The Gazebo (non-musical)
Everybody Loves Opal (non-musical)
One Acts (non-musical)
Sorry, Wrong Number (non-musical)
1963-1964
The Curious Savage (non-musical)
Hamlet (non-musical)
1964-1965
Blithe Spirit (non-musical)
1965-1966
The Man in the Dog Suit (non-musical)
Deadwood Dick, or A Game of Gold (non-musical)
1966-1967
The Chips Are Down (non-musical)
1967-1968
Come Blow Your Horn (non-musical)
The Drunkard (non-musical)
1969-1970
The Moon Is Blue (non-musical)
Dirty Work at the Crossroads; or Tempted, Tried and True (non-musical)
1970-1971
Harvey (non-musical)
The Rainmaker (non-musical)
Pure as the Driven Snow, or A Working Girl’s Secret (non-musical)
1971-1972
You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (musical)
Stalag 17 (non-musical)
Never Too Late (non-musical)
1972-1973
The Best Man (non-musical)
Barefoot in the Park (non-musical)
Annie Get Your Gun (musical)
1973-1974
Last of the Red Hot Lovers (non-musical)
Bye Bye Birdie (musical)
Laura (non-musical)
1974-1975
Mary, Mary (non-musical)
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (musical)
Catch Me if You Can (non-musical)
1975-1976
Two if by Sea (musical)
The Sunshine Boys (non-musical)
The Girls in 509 (non-musical)
1976-1977
You Can’t Take It with You (non-musical)
The Odd Couple (non-musical)
Sunday in New York (non-musical)
1977-1978
The Mousetrap (non-musical)
Play It Again, Sam (non-musical)
Gypsy (musical)
1978-1979
Arsenic and Old Lace (non-musical)
Wait Until Dark (non-musical)
Luv (non-musical)
1979-1980
The Music Man (musical)
The Man Who Came to Dinner (non-musical)
Spoon River Anthology (non-musical)
1980-1981
Come Blow Your Horn (non-musical)
Two by Two (musical)
Blithe Spirit (non-musical)
1981-1982
Vanities (musical)
Once Upon a Mattress (musical)
On Golden Pond (non-musical)
1982-1983
First Season in the Neville Center
Anything Goes (musical)
Life with Father (non-musical)
Snoopy! The Musical
1983-1984
South Pacific (musical)
Cactus Flower (non-musical)
Death of a Salesman (non-musical)
1984-1985
No Sex Please, We’re British (non-musical)
The Robber Bridegroom (musical)
South Pacific (musical)
1985-1986
Oklahoma! (musical)
Lo and Behold! (non-musical)
The Importance of Being Earnest (non-musical)
1986-1987
Enigma (non-musical)
Carousel (musical)
The Lady Who Cried Fox! (non-musical)
1987-1988
My Fair Lady (musical)
Canteen Reunion Over Here! (musical)
The Fantasticks (musical)
Noises Off (non-musical)
1988-1989
Brighton Beach Memoirs (non-musical)
Steel Magnolias (non-musical)
I Do! I Do! (musical)
Deadwood Dick, or A Game of Gold (non-musical)
1989-1990
Rehearsal for Murder (non-musical)
A Christmas Carol (non-musical)
Camelot (musical)
Squabbles (non-musical)
1990-1991
Fiddler on the Roof (musical)
All My Sons (non-musical)
Brigadoon (musical)
The Odd Couple (non-musical)
1991-1992
Paint Your Wagon (musical)
Alone Together (non-musical)
The Sound of Music (musical)
Love Letters (non-musical)
1992-1993
Arsenic and Old Lace (non-musical)
A Christmas Carol (non-musical)
Anything Goes (musical)
Harvey (non-musical)
1993-1994
Damn Yankees (musical)
Critic’s Choice (non-musical)
Guys and Dolls (musical)
Everybody Loves Opal (non-musical)
1994-1995
The King and I (musical)
Rumors (non-musical)
Run for Your Wife (non-musical)
Nunsense (musical)
1995-1996
Oliver! (musical)
Greetings! (non-musical)
Kismet (musical)
Opal Is a Diamond (non-musical)
1996-1997
Annie Get Your Gun (musical)
Play On! (non-musical)
Annie (musical)
The Foreigner (non-musical)
1997-1998
Grease (musical)
Exit the Body (non-musical)
Man of La Mancha (musical)
Lend Me a Tenor (non-musical)
1998-1999
Nunsense II (non-musical)
Anybody Out There? (non-musical)
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat (musical)
Blithe Spirit (non-musical)
1999-2000
The Wizard of Oz (musical)
Its a Wonderful Life (non-musical)
The Music Man (musical)
Moon Over Buffalo (non-musical)
2000-2001
A Grand Night for Singing (musical)
Miracle on 34th Street (musical)
Cinderella (musical)
You Can’t Take It with You (non-musical)
2001-2002
The Cemetery Club (non-musical)
Nuncrackers: The Nunsense Christmas Musical
Meet Me In St. Louis (musical)
Father of the Bride (non-musical)
2002-2003
The Miracle Worker (non-musical)
Quilters (musical)
Once Upon a Mattress (musical)
Flaming Idiots (non-musical)
2003-2004
Let’s Murder Marsha (non-musical)
Meshuggah-Nuns! (musical)
Mame (musical)
Over the River and through the Woods (non-musical)
2004-2005
Two by Two (musical)
Opal’s Million Dollar Duck (non-musical)
How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying (musical)
Come Blow Your Horn (non-musical)
2005-2006
Steel Magnolias (non-musical)
I Remember Mama (non-musical)
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (musical)
Who’s on First? (non-musical)
2006-2007
Little Shop of Horrors (musical)
A Christmas Carol: Scrooge and Marley (non-musical)
She Loves Me (musical)
Grace & Glorie (non-musical)
2007-2008
State Fair (musical)
A Christmas Story (non-musical)
Beauty and the Beast (musical)
On Golden Pond (non-musical)
2008-2009
Godspell (musical)
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (non-musical)
Hello, Dolly! (musical)
Barefoot in the Park (non-musical)
2009-2010
The Odd Couple (non-musical)
The Pirates of Penzance (musical)
Gypsy (musical)
Exit Who? (non-musical)
2010-2011
Seussical the Musical
Papa’s Angels (non-musical)
Urinetown (musical)
Dearly Departed (non-musical)
2011-2012
Mister Roberts (non-musical)
White Christmas the Musical
Arsenic and Old Lace (non-musical)
The Marvelous Wonderettes (musical)
2012-2013
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (musical)
A Tuna Christmas (non-musical)
Oliver! (musical)
Broadway Cabaret: A musical event
2013-2014
Noises Off (non-musical)
Almost, Maine (non-musical)
Jesus Christ Superstar (musical)
Annie (musical)
2014-2015
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (musical)
Away in the Basement: A Church Basement Ladies Christmas (non-musical)
Monty Python’s SPAMALOT (musical)
Sherlock Holmes (non-musical)
2015-2016
It’s A Wonderful Life (non-musical)
Mary Poppins (musical)
Altar Boyz (musical)
2016-2017
A Christmas Carol the Musical
The Little Mermaid (musical)
I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change (musical)
2017-2018
Tuck Everlasting the Musical
Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka (musical)
Faith County (non-musical)
2018-2019
Miracle on 34th Street (non-musical)
The Wizard of Oz (musical)
Gilligan’s Island: The Musical
2019-2020
Into the Woods (musical)
Matilda (musical)
Mamma Mia (musical)
2020-2021
Closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2021-2022
Fiddler on the Roof (musical)
Bus Stop (non-musical)
The Sound of Music (musical)
Clue (non-musical)
2022-2023
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (non-musical)
Godspell (musical)
Drinking Habits 2: Caught in the Act (non-musical)
Little Women the Musical
2023-2024
Cinderella (musical)
Steel Magnolias (non-musical)
Sister Act (musical)
Something Rotten! (musical)
2024-2025
The North Platte Canteen: A Musical Miracle
Little Shop of Horrors (musical)
Murder on the Orient Express (non-musical)
Footloose (musical)