I too remember Mr. Temporale and I remember his efforts to make a civic center out of it. I believe it would have been a wonderful addition to the Waterbury community. His plans called for its being used by local schools, arts groups, such as music, theater and dance. In fact, I remember that the Waterbury Oratorio Society was considering starting an opera group to perform Operas locally. I didn’t realize Mr Temporale died this past year, although I moved away over ten years ago and have not stayed totally up on the news up north, since I now live in Florida. We have very few grand old theaters like up north, although there are a few. Too many of these fine old edifices have been torn down all over the country. When I visited Key West this past spring I saw a beautiful old theater being made into a drug store. Tsk, Tsk, Tsk.
Re: the 84-110 address. I was born and grew up in Waterbury and remember the theater well. The building took up most of the block it is in and housed, even in the 1940s many stores, including the old Record Shop. There was a shoe shine parlor near the theater entrance, a newspaper and candy store, where we would buy candy before going into the theater. In those days, there was little, or no food available inside the theaters. As I remember it the theater had lights for the aisles, and there were a deep amber color, and had other lights which were designed, obviously, by the same person who designed the chandilier and the lighted concave area that it hung from. She was a grand old lady and I remember going to the vaudeville shows there, they were my first live stage shows, and the Plaza that was us the street on the same side was where I first saw a stage play, “Arsenic and Old Lace.” Can’t remember the year, but there was an accident outside of town, where a vehicle ran into the back of a hay wagon with many high school kids on a hayride. Thanks for the memories. Ed Duff (Kissimmee, FL)
I too remember Mr. Temporale and I remember his efforts to make a civic center out of it. I believe it would have been a wonderful addition to the Waterbury community. His plans called for its being used by local schools, arts groups, such as music, theater and dance. In fact, I remember that the Waterbury Oratorio Society was considering starting an opera group to perform Operas locally. I didn’t realize Mr Temporale died this past year, although I moved away over ten years ago and have not stayed totally up on the news up north, since I now live in Florida. We have very few grand old theaters like up north, although there are a few. Too many of these fine old edifices have been torn down all over the country. When I visited Key West this past spring I saw a beautiful old theater being made into a drug store. Tsk, Tsk, Tsk.
Re: the 84-110 address. I was born and grew up in Waterbury and remember the theater well. The building took up most of the block it is in and housed, even in the 1940s many stores, including the old Record Shop. There was a shoe shine parlor near the theater entrance, a newspaper and candy store, where we would buy candy before going into the theater. In those days, there was little, or no food available inside the theaters. As I remember it the theater had lights for the aisles, and there were a deep amber color, and had other lights which were designed, obviously, by the same person who designed the chandilier and the lighted concave area that it hung from. She was a grand old lady and I remember going to the vaudeville shows there, they were my first live stage shows, and the Plaza that was us the street on the same side was where I first saw a stage play, “Arsenic and Old Lace.” Can’t remember the year, but there was an accident outside of town, where a vehicle ran into the back of a hay wagon with many high school kids on a hayride. Thanks for the memories. Ed Duff (Kissimmee, FL)