Vero Voce in St. Charles set to close its doors by end of May

Over the years, Vero Voce Theater and School of Performing Arts in St. Charles has done its best to teach children confidence and self-esteem.

After being in business since 2001, Vero Voce is set to close its doors at the end of May. As owner Dennis Brown noted, the pandemic has adversely impacted Vero Voce's operations.

"That is a major reason for closing," Brown said, who also is an instructor at the school. "Parents don't want their children to do Zoom. We actually kept our head above water by physically doing Zoom instruction in voice, piano and also the theater. But it's not the best in any way, shape or form as a long-term prospect."

Vero Voce began in 2001 as an in-home studio, specializing in private voice, piano lessons and musical theatre coaching. It moved into a building on State Avenue in St. Charles in 2012 and has been at its current location at 3755 E. Main St., Suite 158, since 2019.

Brown owns Vero Voce with his wife, Dawn Harkins, who is a voice and musical theater instructor at Vero Voce.

"She's really the president of the company," Brown said. "Vero Voce is actually her company, as it were, and we've been both running it since 2012."

The couple will be moving to West Virginia. Their son is set to go into high school later this year, and they don't want to disrupt his education.

"This would be a beneficial time to go," Brown said. "It's either now or in four years' time."

He imagines they will continue to be involved with the performing arts after they move to West Virginia. However, they are sad about having to close Vero Voce.

"We are very sad about it because we love what we do," Brown said. "It's very upsetting from our point of view, but it's another door opening, I suppose. It is time to close this operation and move on to our next life experience."

Vero Voce's final production will be a murder mystery dinner theater on June 3 and 4 at the Prairie Centre Clubhouse, 2049 Marlowe Blvd, St. Charles. Tickets are available at Vero Voce's website, verovoce.com.

Any theater groups interested in Vero Voce's space can contact Brown or Harkens at (630) 584-0139.