Castro Theatre

The Castro Theatre’s contentious renovation is costing more than double its initial budget, further delaying reopening plans. The century-old theater has been closed since 2024 while Berkeley-based concert promoter Another Planet Entertainment converts it into a multipurpose venue. During that time, the budget for the renovations has grown by more than $20 million.

https://www.sfgate.com/sf-culture/article/renovations-sf-landmark-20-million-budget-20217522.php

KTVU had a story w/ video as the renovations begin

https://www.ktvu.com/news/restoration-work-at-historic-sf-castro-theatre-starts-after-years-of-contentious-debate-and-opposition

Status should be changed to “Closed” “Renovating”

Castro Closes For Renovations

The final film has been announced by ape on Feb 4th. a sing-a-long presentation of Victor/Victoria. Odd that as the only songs worth singing along to are “Le Jazz Hot” & “Shady Dame from Seville”

Proof how tone deaf those programming are to the illustrious history of this soon to be shell of it’s former self.

Only one movie should be the ‘final film’ , especially if they want a sing-a-long -

Clark Gable, Jeanette McDonald, Spencer Tracy in 1936’s “San Francisco” - every year on the anniversary of the great quake, the Castro would show this to a packed house. Before each movie, what does the organist end his set with? Talk about a social media moment and sending the iconic venue off than a packed house singing “San Francisco”. But no, the tone deaf apes, just don’t get it- nor have they or will they.

May the once great lady rest in peace.

The Castro is very much open. Events scheduled between Oct 23 and Jan 13, 2024 including both live performances and film are linked here at the APE website for the Castro:

Castro Schedule

The Theatre is not able to survive as a single screen theater showing movies. Attendance has been not good for the theaters movie selection. The plan is to have concerts with film 33% of the time and concerts and maybe other events. Clearly the community wasn’t supporting the theater when they were showing films not dealing with the gay lifestyle. They had plenty of regular classic films that were poorly attended. The only future for the theater is to have concerts and other non-movie events. They’ll probably have Movies 1/3 of the time. That’s just the reality with single screen theaters now

Looks like the old seats are going and the place will be a nightclub soon. Limited movies. The new lease APE gang does not even pop fresh popcorn. They just bring in bulk pre popped popcorn and put in little expensive brown bags and re heat in the old big Castro Theatre popcorn machine and charge big bucks. You think you are getting fresh popcorn this is not the case. The cold drinks are now given to you in cans $$$$.A sad day for movie lovers in SF. The seats are going per new commission ruling this week.

“SF Supervisors Vote in Support of Castro Theatre Landmark Update Without Controversial ‘Fixed Seating’ Language”

Hoodline article Here

“On Thursday 4/6/23, the Castro Merchants voted to conditionally support Another Planet Entertainment’s (APE) proposed changes to the 100-year-old Castro Theatre.”

Stephen Bracco has details in his hoodline article

https://hoodline.com/2023/04/another-planet-entertainment-s-proposed-castro-theatre-plans-conditionally-approved-by-neighborhood-group/

An extremely foolish decision if they vote landmark the interior of the theater. If they do this yes another planet won’t be able to Take out the seats that are there now most likely. They proposed a very good expensive compromise. Still they would be able to have a raked floor for the movies. Then for live events they could take out the rake of the floor. The commission is listening to uninformed people who don’t want any changes inside the theater. Landmark in the interior will be the beginning of the end for the Castro theater. It hasn’t been making money showing movies for years. 60% of each dollar goes back to the movie companies when you show a new film like Bros. If you’re showing a older movie you have to pay the movie companies $350 just to run the film. Then there’s other costs like utilities staffing etc. Making it hard to even break even when you show older movies depending on how many people come. The future of places like the Castro theater are live events along with movies when there are no live events happening. I hope the commission does not go through with a very shortsighted foolish decision to landmark the interior of the theater. They are kowtowing too Well-meaning people who are uninformed about the business side of running a theater like the Castro

From the SF Chronicle Datebook section on the Landmark Commission’s vote to recommend to the full SF Board of Supervisors that the interior be landmarked:

“After an impassioned public hearing that lasted for more than five hours and included hundreds of speakers on Wednesday, Feb. 1, the commission voted 6-0, with one recusal, to recommend to the Board of Supervisors that it pass a Castro Theatre landmark designation amendment initiated by Supervisor Rafael Mandelman “to include both exterior and interior character-defining features, and update the statement of significance to include LGBTQ historical associations.”

That recommendation, which the Board is scheduled to consider next month, would appear to throw a hurdle in the way of Another Planet’s latest plan for removing some seats and leveling the raised floor of the Castro District venue.

But the Berkeley-based promotion company said on Thursday that it was happy with the recommendation, which did not include language that specified the fixed orchestra-level seating should be protected."

Not sure if you need a Chronicle subscription to see this link to the full story:

Datebook

Today (2/1/23) is the historic preservation committee hearing. Taking place at 12:30pm at City Hall. They’re encouraging everyone to wear red to show unity and represent the seats 🟥

Can’t make it in person? You can still livestream the hearing from home, and even call in to make comments. Full details here: https://sfplanning.org/event/historic-preservation-commission-94

I am linking the SF Planning Landmark Designation Amendment Recommendation below. It is lengthy and voluminous but filled with historical information, photos through the decades, reasons why SF Planning is recommending the amended landmark designation, original architectural drawings and the history associated with the Castro’s LGBTQ neighborhood plus more.

SF Planning