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The latest movie theater news and updates
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July 27, 2016
Batesville, AR - Melba Theater opening to celebrate old, new
From the Three Rivers Edition: Downtown Batesville’s historic Melba Theater has come a long way from the deteriorating state the theater’s current owners found it in just over a year ago. Now, as the last bits of sawdust are being swept away and fresh layers of paint dry, the theater is wrapping up finishing touches and will soon reopen to the community.
The grand opening of the Melba Theater, 115 W. Main St., will take place Aug. 12. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the event will begin at 7 p.m. Tickets are $50. Melba Theater owners have spent a year updating and preparing the building for opening night and look forward to seeing people’s reactions to the improvements.
“It’s been reiterated to us through people’s excitement,” said Janelle Shell, who co-owns the building with her husband, Joe, and another couple, Adam and Mandi Curtwright. “They remember their first movie here, their last movie [here], they remember their first date was here, their first job was here. There are so many attachments that people have to this particular theater that I think we’re excited to bring that back to life.”
Owners encourage formalwear for the theater’s red-carpet-themed grand-opening celebration, which will include gift bags for guests.
Adam, who while in banking school with Janelle in Memphis began brainstorming about bringing the theater back to life, has a personal connection to the building.
“It was my first job in high school, working here,” he said. “My grandma, she graduated high school in this building.”
The theater is believed to have opened in 1875 as an opera house. In 1916, the building was a mercantile store, then opened as the Melba Theater in 1940. The Batesville Commercial Historic District, which includes the theater, is part of the National Register of Historic Places.
“The Melba actually opened down the block a little ways in 1934, but it opened here in 1940,” Joe said. “We’ve tried to maintain the history and the spirit of what they originally built there. The ticket booth had been moved to the side and changed, and there were several changes that’ve been made. We tried to kind of go back to the original, of the way it looked, and tried to restore as much as possible.”
Ticket prices for movies at the 496-seat theater will be $4 across the board — no matter one’s age.
“We are keeping our pricing low so that families have affordable, family-friendly entertainment,” Janelle said.
Adam said that moviegoing is a fun experience because while he can’t remember every movie he’s ever seen, he can describe what the moment was like while viewing them.
“That’s kind of what we were wanting to generate here,” he said. “It might not be the best movie in the world that’s being shown, it might not be the top-rated film of all time, but if you can come and have a good time, and you can afford it and actually sit back and let the rest of the world kind of go to the side for a minute and enjoy yourself, then I think that’s what we’re trying to do.”
Joe said that many people who have visited the theater have a “Melba story.”
“People that are not from this area that come in and visit say, ‘Oh, I was here back in the ’80s,’ or ‘I did this,’ or ‘I met my husband here,’” he said. “We met one lady whose dad died not long after he brought her here as a young child, and this is one of her few memories of her dad. It’s not just, ‘Oh, we went there and had fun.’ It’s a life-changing experience sometimes, which is an amazing thing to us.”
Before renovations, Joe said, the building had water damage and asbestos, and also needed treatment for mold and termites. During work on the building, Adam even stepped through the floor because of weak wood. But the building’s steel structure proved sturdy, Joe said, and the owners did not have to replace the existing screen in the theater.
“As in any old building or an old house or anything, you pull something back and you think, ‘Well, I’m going to fix this one thing,’” Joe said. “And you pull it back and find out you have to fix three things behind it in order to fix it. That’s a lot of the nature of what the job has been.”
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July 26, 2016
Lakewood, NJ - Behind-the-scenes at the Strand Theater
From The Asbury Park Press: Glenn Harrison has distinct memories of growing up in Lakewood — some fond, others a tad more awkward.
It was 1969, and like many pre-teens, Harrison was venturing in the world of dating. He took his crush to the Strand Theater, which used to solely operate as a movie theater.
“I probably shouldn’t even tell you this,” Harrison said, “but I remember being 13 years old and taking a girl on my first date (to the Strand). I saw the movie ‘To Sir, With Love’ with Sidney Poitier. I spent the whole time trying to get my arm around her. I was pathetic.”
Today, Harrison is 60, and he’s reunited with his first love.
No, not the girl. The theater.
The Strand Theater in Lakewood is approaching its 95th anniversary, and for many the venue has an air of nostalgia. Harrison, who serves as president of the board, is one of the many people working tirelessly behind-the-scenes to keep the theater relevant and make sure it remains an arts center.
Behind-the-scenes
Walking inside the theater, visitors are greeted by maroon, blue and tan colored walls and ceilings — all adorned in gold leaf accents.
The Strand puts on about 150 shows throughout the year. There’s local and national acts, including musicals, ballets, comedy acts and live music.
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Mission, KS - Mission Theatre building on Johnson Drive to reopen as wedding and event space after renovation
From the Shawnee Mission Post: The historic Mission Theatre building on Johnson Drive will reopen later this summer as a wedding venue, according to the owners who are in the process of rehabbing the building.
The building has not been used as a movie theatre for a number of years. The renovation of the building started last fall. Main Street Events, an events management company now owns the property and intends to open it for weddings and other events when the renovation is complete.
”It’s such a privilege to be right in the heart of Mission, Kansas in an iconic building,” said Kip Unruh, owner of Main Street Events along with his wife, in a release. “It seems like every day people stop by to express their appreciation for the investment and work we are doing to restore this building and bring it back to life.”
The theatre was built in 1938. Unruh said the renovation has tried to preserve as much of the past as possible. “I loved tearing into this building which was one of the first theatres in the country made from all concrete walls,” said Unruh. “We discovered some really cool things like the original glass block concession stand that we have protected and incorporated into the bar. Also, when we tore into the drop ceiling, we discovered a barrel vaulted wood ceiling. It was made from the original boards that were used to form the concrete walls and was covered up from the moment they finished the building in the early 1930’s. We are really looking forward to making this place come alive again.”
The building will be available for all types of events – from corporate luncheons and gatherings to elaborate weddings. It will have a new stage and sound equipment plus a prepping area for caterers to serve up to 250 for a sit-down dinner or 425 for a standing party. Bride and groom suites will be in a loft area.
The company is opening three venues by 2017, including one in Grandview and one 30 minutes south of Kansas City in a rustic barn on family property of the Unruhs.
“We love being a part of the community of merchants on Johnson Drive. There’s something special going on here,” said Kris Unruh. “Some of the friendliest, hard- working people we have ever met are doing business shoulder-to-shoulder. They seem to really want each other to succeed and they’ve made us feel quite welcomed.”
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July 25, 2016
New York, NY - Sneak Peek of Hudson Theatre Restoration
From Broadwayworld.com:
Situated just off Times Square in New York on 44th Street, between Millennium Broadway Hotel and The Premier Hotel,The Hudson Theatre opened on October 19, 1903 with a production of Cousin Kate starring Ethel Barrymore. Built by Henry B. Harris, a famous Broadway producer of that period, The Hudson Theatre is one of New York City’s oldest Broadway showplaces. The 100-foot long lobby was the largest ever seen on Broadway at that time. Among the stars that have graced the Hudson’s stage are Douglas Fairbanks, William Holden, Helen Hayes, Edward G. Robinson and Dorothy Gish. Barbara Stanwyck and Judith Anderson both made their debuts on its stage. On September 27, 1956 the first nationwide broadcast of “The Tonight Show” starring Steve Allen originated from The Hudson Theatre. It was granted landmark status for both its internal and external features in 1987.
The venue will receive significant front-of-house improvements to better serve its patrons including all new state-of-the-art seating, Ambassador Lounge premium lounge service, and increased and improved ladies' washrooms. In addition, significant backstage and technical upgrades, including new and expanded dressing rooms and new fly systems will transform The Hudson into a leading legitimate Broadway theater and destination for producers, directors, actors and creative teams. The anticipated re-launch of the theater is slated for the 2016/2017 Broadway Season.
Ambassador Theatre Group, through its subsidiary, Hudson Theatre LLC, has entered a long-term lease for The Hudson Theatre, its second theater on Broadway, from a subsidiary of Millennium & Copthorne Hotels plc (M&C). M&C and ATG will be, in a multi-million dollar project, restoring the landmark venue to its former glory as a Broadway playhouse.
M&C’s Chairman Kwek Leng Beng, said,
“The Hudson Theatre is one of the great historic landmarks in New York City and we have always been proud to have it in the Millennium & Copthorne family. We have proudly owned and maintained the theater as a cherished conference venue within our New York hotel estate since we acquired the Millennium Broadway Hotel New York in 1994. It was time for The Hudson to again become a destination where New Yorkers and visitors from around the world will experience great theater and entertainment. We are so pleased to have Ambassador Theatre Group partner with us on this new journey for The Hudson Theatre.”
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July 23, 2016
Red Bank, NJ - Count Basie gets approval on $20M expansion to historic theater
From the Asbury Park Press: Curtains have gone up on a $20 million expansion project for Count Basie Theatre, after the borough’s Zoning Board approved the project on Thursday night.
The board’s approval means engineering work can begin and building permits can be pulled, though it could still be months before any construction commences on the site.
Adam Philipson, president and CEO of the nonprofit that runs the theater, did not return calls on Thursday and it’s unclear when work on the expansion would begin.
What does the plan include?
Plans call for the expansion of both ends of the current theater, doubling its footprint and occupying an entire block on Monmouth Street, between Maple Avenue and Pearl Street.
The east expansion is two stories and totals 11,489 square feet, including a larger entryway into the theater, more concessions, a lounge and an elevator. The work on the building’s west side will be a three-story, 30,000-square-foot expansion. The west wing will have a second performance venue, improved dressing rooms, rehearsal space, classrooms for community education, two elevators, a roof deck and restrooms.
Improving Basie’s backstage facilities was among the top priorities of the project. At a zoning meeting last month, Philipson told the story of singer Harry Connick Jr. calling the dressing rooms unacceptable in front of a Count Basie crowd.
Count Basie officials asked the zoning board to approve an exception on building height restrictions. The building will rise to just over 66 feet, slightly taller than allowed. Board members had few problems with that issue and focused mainly on parking, which is at a severe shortage in Red Bank.
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Chicago, IL - Congress Theater Hotel Rooms? They Are Part Of The Latest Overhaul Plans
From DNAInfo: The massive overhaul of the historic Congress Theater took a new twist Thursday, with news that plans could include an additional 10-story residential building across the street from the theater.
The new plans reveal the developer, New Congress LLC, also is considering building hotel rooms on the site.
The theater, 2136 North Milwaukee Ave., has been closed since 2013.
There have been multiple proposals presented by the developer over the last few years, but this is the first time the 10-story residential building has been considered.
That new building would be built on a vacant lot across Rockwell Street from the theater and could include 120 residences, according to the plans.
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Medina, OH - Medina’s first movie theater gets its final close-up
From Cleveland.com: There won’t be a happy Hollywood ending for the home of Medina’s first movie theater.
The former Medina Theater at 139 W. Liberty St. has a date with the wrecking ball, as the city prepares to demolish the Masonic Temple that houses the twin screen auditoriums, concession stand and iconic long ramp up from where the marquee once spelled out the classic films of the 1930s through the 1990s.
Generations of Medina families swarmed the city’s theater during its glory days in the middle of the last century, sharing popcorn and penny candy as they gathered with friends and neighbors on date night Fridays and matinee Saturdays.
The long-neglected theater – which closed in 2000, then twice attempted a comeback as a concert club before a community theater group gave up the ghost in 2014 – has clearly seen better days.
Like its surrounding building, it is dotted with asbestos and mold. The walls are pockmarked with holes and the edges of the floors are crumbling.
Movie posters no longer grace the long hallway leading up to the concession stand, which looks diminished without the popcorn and soda machines and the brightly colored candy wrappers.
The original sturdy, velveteen-covered theater seats still stand in stately rows, pointed toward the ripped screen in the main auditorium. The second auditorium has been stripped of furnishings, leaving an empty stage in the shadows at the front of the room.
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Richmond, VA - Cinephiles plan first take along East Broad Street
From Richmond Biz Sense: Inspired partly by the closure of a West End movie theater, two Richmonders plan to open a film center in a recently redeveloped downtown property.
James Parrish and Terry Rea plan to open in August the Bijou Film Center at 304 E. Broad St. The pair have a short-term lease for the 1,400-square-foot space on the ground floor of the three-story building.
“We wanted to bring movies back to Broad Street,” Parrish said. “We see it as a starter home. We’re going to start with folding chairs.”
The Bijou Film Center will show movies and sell beer, wine, coffee, popcorn and other food. The August opening won’t be for a fully realized Bijou, but the single-screen film center will have limited screenings until the building is fully built out later this year.
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July 20, 2016
Stevens Point, WI - Fox Theater revival project at a standstill
From the Stevens Point Journal: Three years after a group started raising money and pledged to reopen the historic Fox Theater in downtown Stevens Point, its members have collected around $200,000 in donations but made no progress toward restoring the crumbling building.
Organizers say they have funds in the bank — enough to pay this year’s property taxes and insurance — after having spent $30,000 to study the building'sarchitecture, plus money on a temporary roof repair and on general building upkeep, taxes, insurance and utility bills. Organizers have collected donations including money, celebrity appearances and time from students.
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Dillsburg, PA - Fire destroys Dillsburg drive-in theater’s old movie screen
From the York Dispatch: Fire destroyed the remnants of the old movie screen at Haar’s Drive-In Theatre just outside Dillsburg early Tuesday morning.
Fire crews were dispatched to the blaze at 185 Logan Road in Carroll Township about 3:45 a.m., according to a York County 911 Center supervisor.
Demolition crews had already reduced the old screen to a pile of wood and debris, which is what caught fire, according to Fire Chief Scott McClintock of Dillsburg’s Citizens Hose Co.
A track hoe that was left parked next to the pile sustained a good deal of fire damage, he said.
“It’s not destroyed, but it’s going to need a lot of work and repair,” McClintock said.
No one was hurt, he said, and crews had the blaze under control in about 15 minutes.
Demolition crew called: It took about 90 minutes to fully extinguish flames.
“We had to wait on scene to get the demolition people there to operate the heavy equipment needed to move around the pile,” McClintock said.