MANISTEE — “SEAL Team” star and Manistee native Toni Trucks said she feels a sense of coming full circle as she plans to return home this month for the season premiere showing at the Vogue Theater.
Trucks has good reason for those feelings of bringing the small screen to the big one at the local theater. She hosted a similar event in 2017 when the show first premiered on TV.
This is the seventh and final season of the Paramount+ show. Trucks said sometimes it is hard to believe it was seven years ago that she began in the role of Ensign Lisa Davis.
“Manistee has always shown up for me in such a robust way in my life and career, and when we did the ‘SEAL Team’ season one event it was a full capacity event,” said Trucks. “That was when no one really knew what this show was about and they didn’t have an attachment to the story or characters at the time like they do now.”
Trucks said now knowing there is a fan base on top of the hometown support, leaves her feeling great about helping to bring the final season premiere back to her hometown. She is also extending a personal invitation to reserve seats for veterans to attend to the free showing and plans to recognize them during the event.
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“It does make it feel like coming full circle and extra special,” she said. “That is how I always conceived it in that whenever this show ends I wanted to do that again. I am really excited to celebrate with my hometown family.”
The idea of bringing the final season premiere to the Vogue Theater originated months ago, through an almost unbelievable coincidence when Paramount+ vice president of marketing Stacey Batzer was assigned to marketing duties for the “SEAL Team” show this year.
Batzer is also a former Manistee resident. She and Trucks struck up a friendship that led to bringing the premiere showing to Manistee. Batzer will be co-hosting the Aug. 11 premieres to meet with the public and answer questions.
She is also excited about the prospect of coming back to her hometown for this event.
“It will be fun to be back in Manistee; I was just there for the Fourth of July,” said Batzer. “I love the Vogue and probably saw my first show there many years ago standing in line to see “Star Wars.” I think this is going to be a fun experience.”
It is all being made possible through a team effort of Paramount+, “SEAL Team” officials, the Vogue Theater, Trucks and Batzer.
“I work with the best team here at Paramount+ and they are just fantastic people who want to give Toni the support she needs and to show the fans we obviously love the show and are behind it,” said Batzer. “If Toni and I wanted to do something special in Manistee, Paramount+ were like ‘go for it.’”
A big night is planned, according to Vogue Theater operations director Kris Sumner. Tickets are free and will be available starting Wednesday at the Vogue, at 383 River St. in Manistee; calling 231-222-5199 or visiting voguetheatremanistee.org/. There is a limit of four tickets per family.
“We are really excited about it and it is going to be a great night,” said Sumner. “None of our current staff were here when this was done before, so we are really looking forward to it.” Local citizens don’t often get the opportunity to watch the season premiere of a hit television show alongside one of the show’s stars.
A reception will be held from 4:30-6 p.m. on Aug. 11 at TJ’s Pub prior to the premiere showing. Attendees can meet Trucks and Batzer and “SEAL Team” themed drinks and food will be available for purchase. Doors open at 6 p.m. at the Vogue for the showing. Trucks and Batzer will take part in a question and answer session after the showing, and plan to have “SEAL Team” giveaways for the audience.
Trucks said it was going to be a very casual event; she looks forward to talking with people and taking pictures with those in attendance. “It will be a come as you are and anyone who wants to take a picture with me is welcome to do so,” said Trucks. Sumner said the main theater, which has 187 seats, and the small theater, 44 seats, will be both showing the first episode at the same time, providing a total of 231 available seats. Trucks is also sponsoring the cost of a free small popcorn and bottle of water for everyone attending.
“If we get a full house that is a large crowd and we love that,” said Sumner.
Sumner said there is also going to be a special added feature to the night, which is being kept under wraps. “It’s going to be a great night and a chance to see something one of our hometown girls has done well at,” said Sumner.
