Just to correct something: the roof was not replaced when the State was reopened, simply repaired.
I am certain that movies can come back to the state as soon as an entrepreneur comes up with the capital to make it happen. It didn’t happen in ‘97, and I suspect it would be even less likely to happen now.
Harlequin is embarking on a capital campaign to do the following:
-Repair and insulate the roof. The current roof leaks in many places and is basically uninsulated.
-Remodel the current box office space. As it stands right now it is very inefficient for current staff.
-Build dressing rooms into currently dead space (actually, always dead space – not used in the original floor plan but inside the building)
-Build administrative offices
-Install new HVAC
-Rebuild the marquee again
-Retire the mortgage
You can read about it here: View link
It’s wonderful to work in a space that is so loved by so many people. The Harlequin folks really do work harder than has ever made sense because they love being in that space. When so many movie palaces are falling into disrepair, not operating or even being knocked down, to have one be lived in and loved is a wonderful thing, whether it is showing movies or live entertainment. It’s easy to say that you would do a restoration differently, or you would rebuild something that’s currently in disrepair; other people are out there trying to actually do that and I’m glad to help support their efforts.
Oh, and the inside does preserve some of the original architectural elements. The art on the walls was restored as part of the remodel, and the light fixtures on the walls are original. The original chandeliers have been stored in the old projection booth, and if you saw the production of The Constant Wife last season, you saw one of them used as the chandelier on-set. The lobby was also lovingly upgraded, though again with original elements such as the drinking fountain. The new mural ‘Phoenix Rising’ on the celing commemorates the rebirth of the space.
The theater seats 212 in the current configuration, 80 in the center and 66 on each side. There are also a few seats in the gallery, mostly reserved for ushers although a few have been sold at the day of show for sold out shows. The two side theaters no longer exist and have been removed. Since the theater was never a vaudeville house, it does not have much backstage space, so some of the old back seating is used for office and technical space, along with costume and props storage. The old projection booth still exists and is currently used as an extra dressing room for large shows. The marquee was rebuilt along with the restoration, and the ticket booth was left as is. Currently they don’t have a use for the ticket booth, though from time to time we try to come up with one.
As part of the terms of the sale, Harlequin is not allowed to show movies there, so it will never be a movie theater again. However, as a live theater space it is quite nice, with the semi-thrust stage raised 16 inches at the start of the last season to add even more intimacy. Harlequin puts on six shows a year as part of their normal season, and other user groups put on shows ranging from a single show to an entire week throughout the rest of the year.
Harlequin is currently undergoing a capital campaign to perform some needed upgrades and maintenance to the building. The primary focus of this is replacing the HVAC system and repairing or replacing the roof. There are a lot of buckets currently hidden in the catwalks and the structure above the false roof.
Just to correct something: the roof was not replaced when the State was reopened, simply repaired.
I am certain that movies can come back to the state as soon as an entrepreneur comes up with the capital to make it happen. It didn’t happen in ‘97, and I suspect it would be even less likely to happen now.
Harlequin is embarking on a capital campaign to do the following:
-Repair and insulate the roof. The current roof leaks in many places and is basically uninsulated.
-Remodel the current box office space. As it stands right now it is very inefficient for current staff.
-Build dressing rooms into currently dead space (actually, always dead space – not used in the original floor plan but inside the building)
-Build administrative offices
-Install new HVAC
-Rebuild the marquee again
-Retire the mortgage
You can read about it here: View link
It’s wonderful to work in a space that is so loved by so many people. The Harlequin folks really do work harder than has ever made sense because they love being in that space. When so many movie palaces are falling into disrepair, not operating or even being knocked down, to have one be lived in and loved is a wonderful thing, whether it is showing movies or live entertainment. It’s easy to say that you would do a restoration differently, or you would rebuild something that’s currently in disrepair; other people are out there trying to actually do that and I’m glad to help support their efforts.
Oh, and the inside does preserve some of the original architectural elements. The art on the walls was restored as part of the remodel, and the light fixtures on the walls are original. The original chandeliers have been stored in the old projection booth, and if you saw the production of The Constant Wife last season, you saw one of them used as the chandelier on-set. The lobby was also lovingly upgraded, though again with original elements such as the drinking fountain. The new mural ‘Phoenix Rising’ on the celing commemorates the rebirth of the space.
The theater seats 212 in the current configuration, 80 in the center and 66 on each side. There are also a few seats in the gallery, mostly reserved for ushers although a few have been sold at the day of show for sold out shows. The two side theaters no longer exist and have been removed. Since the theater was never a vaudeville house, it does not have much backstage space, so some of the old back seating is used for office and technical space, along with costume and props storage. The old projection booth still exists and is currently used as an extra dressing room for large shows. The marquee was rebuilt along with the restoration, and the ticket booth was left as is. Currently they don’t have a use for the ticket booth, though from time to time we try to come up with one.
As part of the terms of the sale, Harlequin is not allowed to show movies there, so it will never be a movie theater again. However, as a live theater space it is quite nice, with the semi-thrust stage raised 16 inches at the start of the last season to add even more intimacy. Harlequin puts on six shows a year as part of their normal season, and other user groups put on shows ranging from a single show to an entire week throughout the rest of the year.
Harlequin is currently undergoing a capital campaign to perform some needed upgrades and maintenance to the building. The primary focus of this is replacing the HVAC system and repairing or replacing the roof. There are a lot of buckets currently hidden in the catwalks and the structure above the false roof.
The official site (just updated) is at http://www.harlequinproductions.org/