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Renovations
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March 3, 2004
Jewett City’s State Theatre to Reopen
JEWETT CITY, CT — The State Theatre, which closed in April 2003, is nearly finished with a year’s worth of renovations and is expected to reopen under new ownership this April, according to this report in the Norwich Bulletin.
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March 2, 2004
Hippodrome Renovation Photos
BALTIMORE, MD — Ed Dobbins sent in some great shots of the recently reopened Hippodrome Theatre, along with this note:
“I went to a public open house at the Hippodrome last Saturday morning. I got some really nice pictures you can have. You can see in the daylight picture that the new complex takes up the whole block, this place is fantastic! Finally something got done right. Also from what I hear the Town Theater around the corner on Fayette street is being renovated, not sure for what purpose, movies/plays or both. I’ll have to check it out soon.”
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February 24, 2004
Met Theatre Renovations Forge On
MORGANTOWN, WV — Thanks to the efforts of concerned citizens and local officials, the Metropolitan Theatre continues to work on a major renovation, according to a report in the Sunday Gazette-Mail.
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February 19, 2004
Sioux City Riviera Twin to Reopen
SIOUX CITY, IA — The Riviera Theater is getting ready to re-open. According to Eric Hilsabeck, a co-owner of the Riviera, the theater, which was built in the 1970s, needs a little work before it’s ready for moviegoers.
Hilsabeck managed the Plaza Theater in the Marketplace shopping center before it closed to allow for renovation of that mall. Hilsabeck says the screens will be the second largest in Sioux City — “only the Historic Orpheum is larger”.
The Riviera is scheduled to open on Feb. 27.
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February 10, 2004
Pictures of the Hippodrome Renovations
BALTIMORE, MD — Thanks to Ed Dobbins, we’ve got some shots of the Hippodrome Theatre taken during the final stages of the theater’s renovation. (We’re also close to getting a batch of official shots from the Hippodrome/France-Merrick staff. As soon as we get ‘em, we’ll post 'em.)
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February 6, 2004
Photos From the Los Angeles/Palace Theater Relighting
LOS ANGELES, CA — Thanks to the generous permission of photographer Julie Silliman at the CRA/LA, we have obtained several awesome shots from the relighting of the Los Angeles and Palace theaters. (See previous story).
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February 5, 2004
Spectacular Hippodrome Theatre Reopens
BALTIMORE, MD — According to a report in the Baltimore Sun, the Hippodrome Theatre reopened on Tuesday, thanks to the efforts of a five-year, $62 million restoration and redevelopment project.
Closed since 1990, the theater has been restored and incorporated — along with four other historic buildings — into the massive France-Merrick Performing Arts Center. The center, designed to spark a renaissance in Baltimore’s long-dormant Westside neighborhood, seats 2,257 and will produce over 270 performances per year.
An official opening gala is planned for February 10 to celebrate the opening of the center.
Additional links and information:
Baltimore Sun: Revived theater revitalizes hope
Baltimore Sun: Slideshow of the Hippodrome restoration
Baltimore Sun: Special Hippodrome section (with tons of articles)
France-Merrick Performing Arts Center website
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February 4, 2004
City of Los Angeles Funds Illumination of Classic Theaters
LOS ANGELES — Last Tuesday, January 27th, a switch was flipped and suddenly the marquees of the Los Angeles and Palace Theaters in downtown were illuminated.
The city is attempting to bring life to the historic Broadway section of downtown that is home to many classic movie palaces. Michael Delijani, who owns the two theaters as well as the State Theater nearby, did not have to pay for the relighting but was required to agree to keep the signs lit for 10 years.
Read more about the relighting on LA Downtown News Online.
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January 30, 2004
Thomaston Opera House Receives Grant
THOMASTON, CT — The Thomaston Opera House has received a grant to begin a multimillion dollar restoration project intended to return the theater to its original 1883 glory, according to a report in the Republican-American.
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January 29, 2004
Berkshire Music Hall to Open This Spring
PITTSFIELD, MA — The former Union Square Theatre and Berkshire Public Theatre is now the Berkshire Music Hall, according to the Berkshire Eagle. Raymond Schilke is spending $500,000 to bring back the theater which last hosted performances in 1995. Both live shows and movies will play at the newly renovated Music Hall once it reopens.
Here are a few recent photos of the theater. (More details are also available on the Berkshire’s official website.)