Fire Guts Theatre

A fire destroyed the North Shore Music Theatre‘s stage and 1,800 seats July 14th, forcing the Beverly, Mass., venue to cancel all shows through August 23rd.

Fire officials said the blaze, which also caused extensive smoke and water damage, was caused by an accidental electrical malfunction.

No one was in the building when the blaze started about 90 minutes after a production of “Cinderella” let out. Fire departments from 11 communities showed up to help extinguish the three-alarm fire, which caused an estimated $3 million in damage. The theatre’s sprinkler system likely prevented more extensive damage, a fire official said.

Concerts by Ruben Studdard, ABBA Gold, Engelbert Humperdinck, Kenny Rogers, The Charlie Daniels Band, and The Beach Boys were among the events affected. Venue officials said they hope to reschedule the shows.

The 1,860-seat theatre is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.