Renovations

  • January 24, 2007

    New life at the Rex Cinema

    Members will be interested in the restoration of the Rex Cinema in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire. The theater currently shows first and second run films.

    To see more, go to the Rex Cinema Site.

  • January 18, 2007

    Green Theater’s search for identity

    LAPLATA, MO — The Green Theater Restoration committee is busy raising funds and looking for a purpose for the long closed movie theater.

    The Green Theater Restoration committee has been busy since first buying the 1935 theatre in 2006. They have raised more than $32,000 through various fundraisers and took possession this week of an adjacent building that shares a door with the theatre.

    They have also hired an architect, Linda Derrick, who met with the group Monday night at the Depot Inn and Suites. She told the 20 supporters they need to agree on a direction and a purpose and they need to put it in writing.

    To read more on this story, go to theKirksville Daily Express.

  • January 1, 2007

    Hollywood Theater - Pittsburgh, PA renovation

    PITTSBURGH, PA — Today’s Pittsburgh Tribune-Review includes an article with photos on the current renovation of the Hollywood Theater in the Dormont neighborhood of Pittsburgh.

    “The theater will draw in people from all over the South Hills,” said Garry McGrath, chief financial officer for the Bradley Center, which has campuses in Mt. Lebanon and Robinson. “It’s too much of an asset to remain closed.”

    McGrath said the theater will seat about 300 patrons — 250 in large theater seats and an additional 50 or so in a coffeehouse-style setting. The interior has been repainted, and a concessions stand has been installed that will be run by teenagers from Bradley.

    For more, go to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

  • December 29, 2006

    Re-opening of Pulaski Theatre draws near

    PULASKI, VA — With new seats and refurbished walls, The Pulaski Theatre is on pace to reach its ideal spring 2007 reopening date.

    Passers-by on the town’s Main Street can see one big sign of visible progress: the new marquee made by Sign Systems of Radford to resemble the old and long-gone marquee the building sported when it last housed a movie theater.

    The new marquee was lit for the first time for Pulaski’s Christmas parade. And the theater’s outside brick work is cleaned up. New poster cases are on the walls.

    For more on this story, go to the Roanoke Times.

  • November 28, 2006

    Baltimore’s Town Theatre gets a new lease on life

    BALTIMORE, MD — The city of Baltimore is throwing more and more dollars at revitalizing old theaters; this time the Town Theatre taking centerstage.

    In a development that could further the transformation of downtown Baltimore’s west side from a neglected shopping district into a vibrant arts center, Everyman Theatre, a thriving regional troupe, will move into a vacant vaudeville house across from the restored Hippodrome.

    Civic leaders say the shift into the Town Theatre – to be announced today – will build on the Hippodrome’s momentum, reviving a once-grand theater district. The development comes in the midst of improvements to the west side, which has added restaurants and more than 750 apartments in the past two years, a turnaround after the shopping district’s long slide.

    The Town – which once played host to such stars as Mae West and Joe E. Brown – is the final parcel in Bank of America’s Centerpoint project, a major mixed-use complex of retail and 392 apartments that wraps around the Town. Bank of America’s donation of the Town to Everyman will be made public at a celebration this afternoon of the completion of Centerpoint.

    For more, go to the Baltimore Sun

  • November 22, 2006

    Shores Theatre closing for renovation/expansion

    ST. CLAIR SHORES, MI — The Shores Theatre in the Detroit suburb of St. Clair Shores will close for five months to allow for expansion and renovation to create a five-screen cineplex with stadium-style seating.

    About two years in the making, the theater project has begun with interior demolition scheduled for later this month, said David Tolfree, operational manager for the theater. The goal, he said, is to have the project wrapped up for a May 1 grand opening with the premiere of “Spider-Man 3.”

    The theater interior will be gutted to make way for five theaters with stadium seating, two concessions stands, a larger lobby and two entrances. The exterior of the facility, which was built in 1935, will feature two automated ticket kiosks and new signage.

    The theater’s existing marquee will be preserved by the city’s historical society, said theater spokesman Bruce Ferguson.

    For more details go to The Detroit News.

  • November 10, 2006

    Warner Grand Theatre reopens after major redo

    SAN PEDRO, CA — The Warner Grand Theatre, L.A.’s venerable Naby reopened this past Saturday with a stunning performance by the resident, Golden State Pops Orchestra.

    This marked the first performance with the near completion of an $800,000 restoration
    including the rebuilding of the original seats, complete down to a near ‘dead-on’ re-covering of the 1500 plus seats with a customed loomed fabric, replicating the original.

    Also included was the complete strip of the stagehouse from its original hemp system, to a more modern “T” rail, complete with a new loading dock and a new screen system and updated film sound capabilities.

    Funding for this major restoration was accomplished and continues by the community theatre support group, Grand Vision Foundation.

    For info about future programs, visit The Warner Grand Official Website.

  • November 7, 2006

    Adler Theater marks it’s 75th Anniversary

    DAVENPORT, IA — The Adler Theatre has just reopened after over a year of extensive renovation to the stage so it can attract more broadway plays. Plus, it will be celebrating it’s 75th anniversary this year.

    The Adler reopens this weekend after $9 million in improvements – including a deeper stage, a loading dock, additional dressing rooms, improved sound and computerized rigging systems – just in time for the 75th anniversary of the former RKO Orpheum Theatre.

    The changes will allow a wider array of Broadway shows and concerts to be performed on the Adler stage.

    The renovations came after the City of Davenport purchased the adjacent Mississippi Hotel so the Adler stage could be expanded.

    Paul Westlake, the architect for the project, said it was the most complex of 75 theater renovations in which he has participated.

    To read more about this restoration and it reopening, visit the Quad City Times.

  • October 26, 2006

    Garden Theate facade unveiled

    WINTER GARDEN, FL — Here is a computer realization by Phil Baker of the completed facade of the Garden Theatre, now undergoing restoration. The Garden is an atmospheric theater, incorporating a Spanish garden theme. A theater organ has also been donated for it.

    The theater is being renovated by the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, and is expected to open in December, 2007.

    (Thanks to Irv Lipscomb for providing the photo.)

  • September 29, 2006

    Globe Theater Reconstruction

    GLOBE, AZ — After the devastating fire, Globe-Miami’s own Globe Theater is being rebuilt. The theater will be built over the lot of the building next store that was the Trust/Hotel building. The new Globe will be built with four screens and stadium seating. A brick face will surround the theater using some of the original bricks from the Hotel.

    The marquee is being spruced up a bit; the original marquee was changed in the 1960’s-1970, but is being put back to the original design with neon lignting all around the historic sign. After the restoration of the marquee, the marquee will be place on the corner of Broad and Cedar Streets. This is an exiciting move forward for this historic small-town community.