Toni Trucks Returns to Manistee for ‘SEAL Team’ Premiere
MANISTEE — “SEAL Team” star and Manistee native Toni Trucks says it feels like she’s back to square one when she plans to return home this month for the season premiere at the Vogue Theatre.
Trucks has good reason for the feeling of bringing the small screen to the big screen at a local theater. She hosted a similar event in 2017 when the show first debuted on TV.
This is the seventh and final season of the Paramount+ show. Trucks says it’s sometimes hard to believe it’s been seven years since she started as Ensign Lisa Davis.
“Manistee has always been a big presence for me in my life and my career, and when we did the first ‘SEAL Team’ event, it was a full capacity event,” Trucks said. “It was a time when no one really knew what the show was about and they weren’t as attached to the story or the characters at the time as they are now.”
Trucks said that now that she knows there’s a huge fan base beyond her hometown support, she’s excited to help bring the final season premiere back to her hometown. She also extended a personal invitation to reserve seats for veterans to attend the screening for free and plans to honor them at the event.
“It makes me feel like I’ve come full circle and it’s more special,” she said. “That’s how I always envisioned that whenever this show ends, I want to do it again. I’m really excited to celebrate with my hometown family.”
The idea to bring the final season premiere to the Vogue Theatre came months ago, through a seemingly unlikely coincidence when Paramount+ vice president of marketing Stacey Batzer was tasked with marketing this year’s “SEAL Team.”
Batzer is also a former Manistee resident, and she and Trucks struck up a friendship that led to bringing the premiere to Manistee. Batzer will co-host the premiere on Aug. 11 to meet the public and answer questions.
She’s also excited about the prospect of returning to her hometown for the event.
“It’s going to be fun to be back in Manistee; I was just there for the Fourth of July,” Batzer said. “I love Vogue and probably saw my first show there years ago when I was in line to see “Star Wars.” I think it’s going to be a fun experience.”
It’s all made possible through the combined efforts of Paramount+, “SEAL Team” officials, Vogue Theatre, Trucks and Batzer.
“I work with the most amazing team at Paramount+, and they’re just great people who want to support Toni with whatever she needs and show the fans that we obviously love the show and support the show,” Batzer said. “If Toni and I want to do something special in Manistee, Paramount+ is like, ‘Go for it.’” According to Vogue Theatre executive director Kris Sumner, a big night is already in the works. Tickets are free and will be on sale starting Wednesday at Vogue, located at 383 River St. in Manistee; call 231-222-5199 or visit voguetheatremanistee.org/. There’s a limit of four tickets per household.
“We’re really excited about it and it’s going to be a great night,” Sumner said. “None of our current staff have been here when this event has happened before, so we’re really looking forward to it.”
It’s not often that locals get the chance to watch the season premiere of a hit TV show alongside one of its stars.
A reception will be held from 4:30-6 p.m. on Aug. 11 at TJ’s Pub before the premiere. 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 Vogue for the screening. Trucks and Batzer will participate in a Q&A after the screening and plan to host a “SEAL Team” giveaway for the audience.
Trucks said it will be a very casual event; she looks forward to chatting with people and taking pictures with attendees.
“You can just come and anyone who wants to take a picture with me is welcome,” Trucks said.
Sumner said the main theater, which seats 187, and the small theater, which seats 44, will screen the first episode at the same time, providing a total of 231 seats. Trucks is also sponsoring the cost of a small portion of popcorn and a free bottle of water for everyone who attends.
“If we have a full house, that’s a big crowd and we love that,” Sumner said.
Sumner said there will also be an additional special feature on the night, which is being kept secret.
“It’s going to be a great night and a chance to see one of our hometown girls do well,” Sumner said.
