BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) - The music of Charley Pride opened the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in 1977. Since then, crowds have roared, and plenty of memories have been created over nearly five decades.
The venue continues to bring generations together with teamwork, making each event happen.
“I see hard work is what I see,” assistant executive director Michelle Menningmann said.
Looking around the Coliseum, the hard work of assistant executive director Michelle Menningmann is talking about comes from the behind-the-scenes crew’s ability to transform the arena.
“Without them, what we do here, the events we host wouldn’t happen,” Menningmann said. “From a broken chair to a bent railing, to a hockey light that’s out, the ice rink we’re standing on right now.”
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Long after the lights go out, and out of the sight of the spectators, the work continues for Cristin Kent in the repair shop below the stands.
“People come here to have a good time, and we all work together as a team to make a good experience for the customer,” Kent said. “That feels really good.”
Kent’s dedication to making sure the show goes on is inspired by her father, who also spent many years working at the Coliseum.
“He [my father] taught me a lot in here; he taught me how to weld,” said Kent. “My son works here too, so there’s three generations.”
All of the Coliseum crew carry on a legacy every time the setup for another event is completed.
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“There’s a guy who taught me, his name is Jeremy Forehand, I do it for Jeremy,” Ryan Collins said.
Forehand passed away earlier this year following a long battle with cancer. He spent more than two decades working at the Coliseum. Now, following his example, his co-workers keep the shows going.
“It’s satisfying because we put it all together, watch it go through, and we pick it all up after it’s done,” operations team worker Roy Washington said.
“It’s satisfying to see the artists perform on what you built on the stage, the crowd enjoying themselves, and it makes you feel good after the night is over with,” Collins said.
You may not realize it, but ice covers the Coliseum floor for about half the year. The ice chiller was first installed 30 years ago; it’s still doing its job with plenty of repairs and maintenance to keep it going. While it might be a slippery process, event setups over the ice are routine.
“We can do it overnight, there are many times that we have a hockey game, then we have to do a conversion into a concert, and then we have to convert it right back the next night to hockey,” Director of Facilities Christina Pohlmann said.
“I can go from this to a hockey game in eight hours, then back to a rodeo in another eight,” operations team worker Michael Lunstrum said. “It’s very satisfying taking something and turning it into something.”
The staff responsibilities also include setting up next door in the convention center. While the property continues attracting top entertainment, there’s no shortage of challenges.
“To continue to operate a 48-year-old building out of our operating budget is unheard of, but we’ve done it for 48 years and we’ll continue to do it for as long as we can,” Menningmann said. “There’s so many memories this building has created, and I’d be very sad to see that go away if we don’t start paying attention to an aging facility.”
Even though the spotlight doesn’t always shine on the crew of less than 20, the evidence of their work is in plain sight every time thousands pour through the gates.
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“People ask me all the time what I do for a living. You know those shows at the coliseum, they say the show must go on, and we are the ones that make it happen,” Lunstrum said.
Big events coming up at the Coliseum over the next couple of months include Dierks Bentley and Luke Bryan concerts.
For a full list of what’s happening at the Coliseum, visit their website.
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