New Owners of Old Log Theatre Introduce 'Loop' for Hearing Impaired

Greg and Marissa Frankenfield, new owners of the Old Log Theater, are bringing the historic Lake Minnetonka gem into the 21st Century—and they’re doing it in style.

On Oct. 10, around 100 people will be bused in from local senior living communities to attend a showing of the “Cowgirls” musical. What makes this showing different is that all of these attendees will be tuning directly into the Old Log Theater’s sound system via a wireless hearing aid and streamer accessory.

The Old Log Theater has partnered with The Hearing Shoppes, an Edina-based audiology practice and ReSound, a Bloomington-based hearing technology manufacturer, to restore the full experience of the theater to attendees with hearing loss. 

Upon arrival, attendees will be professionally fitted with ReSound hearing aids by the audiologists of The Hearing Shoppes. During the musical, the audio will be streamed directly to the audience’s hearing aids, providing a clearer, more enjoyable experience for people that normally struggle to hear.

“These are people who have stopped going to plays, movies and musicals because of background noise or the inability to hear properly,” says Matt Mathis, owner of The Hearing Shoppes. “Via this special event, we’re going to show them that they can have their old lives back again.”

More and more public places, like churches and theaters, are introducing the technology “loop”, whereby people with hearing loss can tune their hearing aids directly into the venue’s sound system for an enhanced listening experience. From October 10 onwards, anyone wearing a ReSound wireless hearing aid will be able to get “in the loop” at the Old Log Theater.