FRANKFORT — The city of Frankfort is hoping to turn laughs into light.
In need of extensive repair, Frankfort’s North Breakwater Lighthouse restoration team hosts a fundraising event to help stimulate the project. At the height of Frankfort’s busiest tourist season, the city is banking on comedy shows at 4 and 7 p.m. July 5 at the historic Garden Theatre to further the cause.
On stage will be Andy Beningo, the comedian set to perform.
“We thought it would be fun, we thought it would be something different,” said Frankfort chair of the lighthouse restoration project Erin Griebe. “He’s really family friendly, he’s a really funny guy.”
When Griebe approached Beningo with the idea, the comedian was intrigued.
“We had a nice conversation about trying to do something and she mentioned that the Fourth of July is such a busy weekend up there in Frankfort and she said l’et’s try to do a couple of shows and let’s try to pack them.’ It goes for great cause, so I was definitely on board,” said Beningo.
Beningo was born in Michigan and grew in Milford, a small-town famous for being part of the General Motors Proving Grounds. A veteran of the stage, Beningo has performed more than 3,500 times, including at least one show in every state.
“I’m really looking forward to getting back up north. It’s a great community, very friendly and I have a lot of great memories going up as a kid,” said Beningo.
While the comedian has performed thousands of shows throughout his career, shows such as the one in Frankfort are the ones that he is most fond of.
“These are the events that I love doing, some kind of fundraiser, those are the shows that appeal to me,” Beningo said.
The show will be opened by Kate Brindle, who has worked with Beningo on multiple occasions.
“She’s a very good friend of mine, a very funny comedian,” Beningo said. “She has traveled with me for many years. I’ve known her for almost 20 years, and she does a great job on stage. She’s very likable, very clean, very funny,” said Beningo.
Frankfort’s North Breakwater Lighthouse faces both a deteriorating structure and cosmetic issues.
The lower level of the lighthouse is littered with hundreds of graffiti inscriptions, plus removing the lead-based paint from the lighthouse requires a cocoon-like wrapping of the building to protect the water from any toxic paint.
The upper half of the lighthouse, housing the priceless light fixture, has been assaulted with 19 bullet holes.
Frankfort Superintendent Josh Mills plans on repairing the mounting cosmetic issues, he said.
“I’d love to put a stop to the shooting. That’s something I can’t even comprehend. On the lower level, we want to put a paint on that’s vandal-proof, so to speak,” Mills said.
Currently signs are posted around the lighthouse with a public plea to inform police of any suspected vandalism.
Frankfort Lighthouse Restoration Project volunteers are trying to raise $1 million for the lighthouse, are often organizing clean-ups and events, and currently have a logo contest in place. The group has raised more than $190,000 as of the end of May.
The July 5 Laughs for the Light event donates all proceeds to the effort. Tickets are $20 adults, $10 kids 12 and under, and available to purchase on the Frankfort Lighthouse Restoration Project Facebook page.