It had been a firehouse and then divided with the Firehouse Theater featuring live plays on one half and retail on the other. Novikoff got the theater lease when it became available and made it a success despite poor sight lines. When the other half became vacant he did the best he could to create two small screening room like theaters to show more adventurous offerings. No auditorium was ever divided. As to cockroaches—there were also rats—and they all came from the very popular Cordon Blue French Vietnamese restaurant next door. They left food and dirty cookware out over night to be cleaned the next day. I remember passing the window more than once in the morning and seeing the creatures on the stovetop and counters. But when the owners arrived the vermin scurried next door to the theater not open for the day—looking for popcorn.
It had been a firehouse and then divided with the Firehouse Theater featuring live plays on one half and retail on the other. Novikoff got the theater lease when it became available and made it a success despite poor sight lines. When the other half became vacant he did the best he could to create two small screening room like theaters to show more adventurous offerings. No auditorium was ever divided. As to cockroaches—there were also rats—and they all came from the very popular Cordon Blue French Vietnamese restaurant next door. They left food and dirty cookware out over night to be cleaned the next day. I remember passing the window more than once in the morning and seeing the creatures on the stovetop and counters. But when the owners arrived the vermin scurried next door to the theater not open for the day—looking for popcorn.
I booked the Senator and El Rey from 1972-76 and they were both already owned by UATC and had been for some years.
Gary Meyer