Going the Music Hall in the day was THE theatrical experience. The lobby, the lounge and the huge auditorium. The organ, the orchestra on the risers, various stage effects. And all for peanuts. Now you spend $10 plus to sit in a space the size of your living room reclining in a chair similar to the one you have at home.
The Millenium folks did a spectacular job on the restoration of the auditorium. See the photo section. I would think only the techie stuff would have to be upgraded since it hasn’t functioned as a playhouse in several decades.
There had been some talk about adding a balcony to the Bellerose. The ceiling was certainly sufficiently high and there was a grand staircase which went up to the lounge. I believe when the theater was originally built the restrooms were in the basement and the upper lounge only done in later years. The theater was shuttered for a time in the 1940s and was renovated when it reopened. That may have been, if it was done later, when the upstairs lounge was created. However I don’t think the new marquee occurred until later.
As far as Bellerose vs. Floral Park is concerned, not too many years ago it was decided that the Nassau County portion of Bellerose not be serviced by the Bellerose Post Office (which is a hell of a lot closer than the Floral Park one to which it was assigned). It was already confusing enough with the Jamaica Avenue/Jericho Turnpike split but they compounded it by making Bellerose Nassau, Floral Park.
In retrospect I wonder why they put a new, modern marquee on the Bellerose. The ones on the Floral, Queens and Community (all Century operated) basically kept their old marquees but just modified them. The Bellerose most resembled the community but all the lights were incandescent. Same color scheme as the Queens, yellow running lights, green background, Bellerose letters in white.
Re being a discount house. After being a discount house the Bellerose was closed and the Floral became the discount house. Then the Bellerose was reopened. Don’t really know what the story was with the Floral. If nothing else the Bellerose was better situated with proximity to the Cross Island Parkway and the Q1 and Q36 bus routes. Parking was a problem however. Was just back in Bellerose in September, 244th between Ontario and Superior, and it looked liked the city. Not one open parking space to be seen. When I was a kid not everybody had cars and those that did, with one exception (and that was, I suspect, that they were show off their Chrysler) kept them garaged.
When I lived there the median island hadn’t been installed separating Jamaica Avenue and Jericho Turnpike. When it was they narrowed the sidewalks resulting in the marquee taking some bad hits.
Doubt if you’ll find pictures of the old marquee. If my memory is correct it was installed around 1950. Remember them modifying the steel and chipping some of the facade on the building.
An aside. Were you around when the, then, Franklin National Bank had the drive in window off 247/Colonial with a turntable? I believe the turntable may still be there.
I have been trying to get pictures of the Bellerose with the original boxy marquee. The Bellerose was alive and well when I moved east in 1967. At that time the store on the corner of Jericho and 246th Street, in the theater building, was a florist. The store to the west was the American Beauty Shop. Moskins was the double store further west, then the tailor, butcher and barber shops.
According to the archives of the Historical Society the Isis opened in 1949 and was operated by Fred Maller. There were still references to it in 1958. The building, which was located on Park Avenue (now Highway 290), no longer exists.
There is also a reference to movies being shown in the former People’s Saloon by Angus Linton in 1926.
Just watched the TV Christmas movie A Prince for Christmas. Filming was done in East Aurora and the exterior of the theater can be seen in several scenes.
A different Google Books author, Bonnie Wilson, sites 1926 as the year in which the theater opened. She also mentions that ushers would spray patrons with mosquito repellent as they entered the theater. Nice. The former theater became a retail store after it closed sometime in the 1940s.
In 2014 a plan was announced to convert Seibert into a tourist destination as a 1920s era town. Included among the proposed attractions was to be Tut’s Egyptian Theatre. Whether this would be a reincarnation of the Star was not indicated. Shares were being offered online.
Opened in 1984 as a four screen theater. Closed from January 2005 until April 1st of that year for modernization including stadium seating. Building expanded in 2007 to add three auditoriums. Has been operated within the Byrd family the entire time.
A proposal for the Montauk Playhouse Community Center has been submitted to the hamlet’s Citizens Advisory Committee. A cost of up to $8.5 has been projected, $2.5 of which has already been raised.
The center would be the historic Playhouse, itself, built in 1929 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Half the structure has already been renovated.
The design calls for an aquatic center with two pools, a cultural center including a second floor performance space and meeting rooms downstairs and a two-story lobby that would provide space for exhibits and art shows.
If completed the annual operating cost is estimated at $800,000
Uploaded a photo of the Opera House, circa 1930, from the Dixfield Historical Society found on the Maine Memory Network site. Original Oddfellows dated back to 1891.
I found snippets alluding to the installation of an organ in 1912, a fire in 1954 and live performances in the early 1960s. Unfortunately the full links were not available for me to elaborate further.
The Batavia Mall in which this theater is located came about as a massive urban renewal project in which a large portion of Main Street was demolished including the Dipson Batavia.
Going the Music Hall in the day was THE theatrical experience. The lobby, the lounge and the huge auditorium. The organ, the orchestra on the risers, various stage effects. And all for peanuts. Now you spend $10 plus to sit in a space the size of your living room reclining in a chair similar to the one you have at home.
The Millenium folks did a marvelous restoration of the auditorium. I would think that only the techie stuff needs to be upgraded.
The Millenium folks did a spectacular job on the restoration of the auditorium. See the photo section. I would think only the techie stuff would have to be upgraded since it hasn’t functioned as a playhouse in several decades.
There had been some talk about adding a balcony to the Bellerose. The ceiling was certainly sufficiently high and there was a grand staircase which went up to the lounge. I believe when the theater was originally built the restrooms were in the basement and the upper lounge only done in later years. The theater was shuttered for a time in the 1940s and was renovated when it reopened. That may have been, if it was done later, when the upstairs lounge was created. However I don’t think the new marquee occurred until later.
As far as Bellerose vs. Floral Park is concerned, not too many years ago it was decided that the Nassau County portion of Bellerose not be serviced by the Bellerose Post Office (which is a hell of a lot closer than the Floral Park one to which it was assigned). It was already confusing enough with the Jamaica Avenue/Jericho Turnpike split but they compounded it by making Bellerose Nassau, Floral Park.
In retrospect I wonder why they put a new, modern marquee on the Bellerose. The ones on the Floral, Queens and Community (all Century operated) basically kept their old marquees but just modified them. The Bellerose most resembled the community but all the lights were incandescent. Same color scheme as the Queens, yellow running lights, green background, Bellerose letters in white.
Re being a discount house. After being a discount house the Bellerose was closed and the Floral became the discount house. Then the Bellerose was reopened. Don’t really know what the story was with the Floral. If nothing else the Bellerose was better situated with proximity to the Cross Island Parkway and the Q1 and Q36 bus routes. Parking was a problem however. Was just back in Bellerose in September, 244th between Ontario and Superior, and it looked liked the city. Not one open parking space to be seen. When I was a kid not everybody had cars and those that did, with one exception (and that was, I suspect, that they were show off their Chrysler) kept them garaged.
When I lived there the median island hadn’t been installed separating Jamaica Avenue and Jericho Turnpike. When it was they narrowed the sidewalks resulting in the marquee taking some bad hits.
Doubt if you’ll find pictures of the old marquee. If my memory is correct it was installed around 1950. Remember them modifying the steel and chipping some of the facade on the building.
An aside. Were you around when the, then, Franklin National Bank had the drive in window off 247/Colonial with a turntable? I believe the turntable may still be there.
I have been trying to get pictures of the Bellerose with the original boxy marquee. The Bellerose was alive and well when I moved east in 1967. At that time the store on the corner of Jericho and 246th Street, in the theater building, was a florist. The store to the west was the American Beauty Shop. Moskins was the double store further west, then the tailor, butcher and barber shops.
Check out Denver: Curtis Street – Denver’s Old Theatre Row on Skyscraper. A lot of good info and photos.
According to the archives of the Historical Society the Isis opened in 1949 and was operated by Fred Maller. There were still references to it in 1958. The building, which was located on Park Avenue (now Highway 290), no longer exists.
There is also a reference to movies being shown in the former People’s Saloon by Angus Linton in 1926.
Just watched the TV Christmas movie A Prince for Christmas. Filming was done in East Aurora and the exterior of the theater can be seen in several scenes.
The Bartola information came from the historical society, but you know how that kind of information can be.
A different Google Books author, Bonnie Wilson, sites 1926 as the year in which the theater opened. She also mentions that ushers would spray patrons with mosquito repellent as they entered the theater. Nice. The former theater became a retail store after it closed sometime in the 1940s.
Photo of the Hotel uploaded.
Facade looks far richer than when it was first built.
The former theater is to the left of the three story building. Photo from the Ocala High School Class of 1957 – Old Ocala photos.
Cuddle pods with blankets and pillow? What no erotic massage? Whatever happened to the days when you took a seat and watched a movie?
In 2014 a plan was announced to convert Seibert into a tourist destination as a 1920s era town. Included among the proposed attractions was to be Tut’s Egyptian Theatre. Whether this would be a reincarnation of the Star was not indicated. Shares were being offered online.
Opened in 1984 as a four screen theater. Closed from January 2005 until April 1st of that year for modernization including stadium seating. Building expanded in 2007 to add three auditoriums. Has been operated within the Byrd family the entire time.
A proposal for the Montauk Playhouse Community Center has been submitted to the hamlet’s Citizens Advisory Committee. A cost of up to $8.5 has been projected, $2.5 of which has already been raised.
The center would be the historic Playhouse, itself, built in 1929 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Half the structure has already been renovated.
The design calls for an aquatic center with two pools, a cultural center including a second floor performance space and meeting rooms downstairs and a two-story lobby that would provide space for exhibits and art shows.
If completed the annual operating cost is estimated at $800,000
According to the Mineola Historical Society the years of operation were from 1931-1952.
Uploaded a photo of the Opera House, circa 1930, from the Dixfield Historical Society found on the Maine Memory Network site. Original Oddfellows dated back to 1891.
Images of this theater also appear in the You Tube video “Downtown Batavia As It Once Was”.
I found snippets alluding to the installation of an organ in 1912, a fire in 1954 and live performances in the early 1960s. Unfortunately the full links were not available for me to elaborate further.
The Batavia Mall in which this theater is located came about as a massive urban renewal project in which a large portion of Main Street was demolished including the Dipson Batavia.
Uploaded three photos. Two show the demolition approaching the Dipson. The third is a painting of how the area looked in the day.
The Winer & Sons site indicates one of their organs was installed in the Akron Theater in 1923. Same venue. Winer site was wrong?