Betty Robinson and the Easy Street band’s plans for a show at the Roanoke Rapids Theatre September 24 have been cancelled.

Robinson believes it may be for the best since the band’s lead singer had a burst appendix and had to delay plans to travel to Nashville for a recording session until October.

Still, Robinson wants the band to perform at the theater, which is now under the city’s control and is considering talking to city council at its work session Tuesday, not only about having the band perform but about a plan for a regular series of shows at the venue.

The city took control of the theater Wednesday after a preliminary injunction was approved by a judge in civil court Tuesday.

Robinson had to track down former theater manager Charles Davis to tell him to cancel ticket sales. The band pulled all the information about the Roanoke Rapids show from its website.

Robinson said she recruited someone willing to run the soundboard for $100 and planned to get someone to run the lights for the show.

All Robinson wanted was to cover expenses and pay the band $2,500. She said she still may consider trying to schedule the show in October and she and a partner are writing a proposal to use the theater for a weekly Grand Ole Opry style show.

Robinson said preliminary plans would include trying to draw bigger acts to the theater once a month. “The city can’t afford to bring in people like Clint Black for $50,000.”

She believes the initial plan should be trying to draw local, state and regional talent to the venue first. “It would be like a Grand Ole Opry. Eventually you would sell a lot of seats. Right now the Roanoke Rapids Theatre is not making any money.”Robinson believes the perceived hesitancy by the city on the show is simple. “I think they felt I was part of Mr. (Lafayette) Gatling. I wanted to put something in the theater.”