Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts

Mortonman on June 22, 2008 at 7:59 pm

Until very recently a Wurlitzer Theatre Pipe Organ was slated to go into the theatre — It would have been maintained by the New York Theatre Organ Society. Unfortunately, with a change in managers the impetus was lost. The guy in charge of putting it in kept getting more and more resistance till he finally gave up.

wally 75 on September 6, 2007 at 12:35 am

hey now ct members….check out web site above..seating put to rest..

you need to check out this theatre in person…better yet see

a show there….

Bway on July 18, 2007 at 12:02 pm

It closed in the late 80’s to movies, so I dunno when the UA name began to be used. I don’t remember it ever being called “Prudential Patchogue” or “UA Patchogue”, but that doesn’t mean it may not have been used. It may have been called just straight “Patchogue Theater” obviously at least for many years, as obviously “Ward and Glynne” was dropped decades before it became the Patchogue Theater for the Performing Arts….

BobbyW on July 16, 2007 at 12:05 pm

I understand that Patchogue Village owns the Theater and Gateway Theater uses it for some of their shows.

BobbyW on July 15, 2007 at 9:10 pm

I stopped in at the Patchogue Theater today to get some information about an upcoming show. I found a young girl working in the box office. When I asked her questions about the show, she didn’t seem to know much about it. I spoke with her more and found out that she is the daughter of the Mayor. Need I say more? Is this how the Village of Patchogue hires their employees? No job skills required?

Bway on July 14, 2007 at 10:24 am

I think the Alhambra Theater on Knickerbocker Ave was also a Ward & Glynne Theater, but of course, I don’t know if Ruehl had anything to do with that one too.

wally 75 on June 28, 2007 at 12:16 pm

I WILL BE THERE THIS SATURDAY 6/30/07 FOR MICKEY B’s

OLDIES SHOW…ALWAYS A GREAT FEELING WALKING INTO THE THEATRE…

WALLY75

Bway on June 27, 2007 at 1:14 pm

I think most realize it isn’t a movie theater anymore. It says “Performing Arts” right on the top. The “single screen” refers to it being one auditorium, which it is.
I assume the loss of seats was over the years. 1800 was probably the original count.

jacktomai on June 1, 2007 at 9:48 am

Hi! I’m new to this website and am thrilled to have discovered it. My family had a summer house in Patchogue from the late 50s thru the early 70s. We spent all our summers there and it was one of the happiest times of my life. We lived in Brooklyn and it was so great to drive out on Sunrise Hgwy or Southern Ste Pkwy every Friday to “the Island”. Not only did my parents have a place there but so did my aunts, uncles, grandparents and even Bklyn neighbors! Back then, when I was a kid, it was such a treat to go to the Patchogue movie theatre to see movies. We saw everything that played there in the summer, believe me! From BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI to NORTH BY
NORTHWEST to A HOLE IN THE HEAD, etc. etc. I remember a coffee shop or ice cream parlor next to the theatre, if I’m not mistaken. If we didn’t go there after the movies, we went to the Bonanza Steak House for dinner. If we went to the drive-in (definitely one of my childhood highlights – esp. when we saw THE MYSTERIANS!!!!) which was one town away, I believe, we would stop at Ricky’s Hamburger Stand and bring burgers and shakes to the drive in. Saw every Jerry Lewis movie at the Rialto and we always sat in the balcony. Remember when the Plaza opened – it was high-class! – we saw Hitchcock’s MARNIE there and also AIRPORT. It is really amazing how you can remember the theater as well as the movie! I have extremely happy memories of the summers we spent in Patchogue and the friends I made there: Ronnie, Bob, Tony, Sharon & Ray, MaryAnn (my old girlfriend!), Joe, Eddie, Annlouise, Kathy, Billy, Patty, etc etc. And can anyone tell me if the Catholic Church is still there. I can’t remember the name of the church but I think it was Our Lady….something. We attended Mass there every Sunday. Originally it was downtown on Main St. and then they built a new, much bigger church on, I think, Medford Ave (?). If anyone has any info about this, I’d sure appreciate it. Thanks!

wally 75 on March 6, 2007 at 9:13 pm

I WAS AT THE THEATRE SATURDAY THE THIRD AGAIN FOR AN OLDIES SHOW..

THERE IS A NEW DISPLAY OF POSTERS NEXT TO THE BAR THAT MUST BE SEEN

IT HAS GRAND OPENING WARD AND GLYNNES 1923 AND PRUDENTIAL ADS

AS EARLY AS 1934…ALSO AN AD FOR HAROLD LLOYD…IN THE SHOWCASE THEY

HAVE AN 8 X 10 PHOTO I DON’T KNOW HOW OLD IT IS..BUT, WHEN YOU SEE

INSIDE OF THIS THEATRE IT WAS TAKEN LIKE IT WAS YESTERDAY…

I TALKED TO THE MANAGER, TOLD HIM ABOUT CT, SAID HE WILL SIGN ON

BE ON THE LOOK OUT..

WALLY75

Bway on July 5, 2006 at 6:33 am

Ed, the place is a real beauty. They did a tremendous job restoring the old theater. They had to completely recreate the lobby, as a fire in the 50’s destroyed it, and it was made much smaller and nondescript when they rebuilt the lobby soon after.
At some point, the Patchogue was twinned (perhaps even triplexed), and that was at some point in the 80’s. It closed around 1989 to movies (give or take a year). At somepoint, all the interior was covered over in sheetrock (I am not sure if that was after the 50’s fire, or with the 80’s multiplexing), but thankfully, it only covered over the interior ornamentation, not destroyed it.
In the 1996 renovation, they were able to remove the sheetrock/plywood wall covering and expose the beauty of the Patchogue Theater as a diamond in the rough. They the restored it beautifully to it’s former glory.

longislandwally75 on June 18, 2006 at 7:33 pm

thanks patv.

wally75

longislandwally75 on June 17, 2006 at 9:32 pm

going to see darlene love live ….6/24…will try and get some inside shots to share..

wally1975