Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts

The Patchogue Theatre opened on May 23, 1923 as a vaudeville theatre showcasing the biggest stars of the day. It was built for and operated by the Glynne & Ward circuit. The interior was extremely elegant. The lobby had five crystal chandeliers. The main auditorium had a main balcony, Juliette balconies, pipe organ, and an orchestra pit. During the Depression, sound equipment was installed.

In the late-1950’s, the Patchogue Theater had a fire, and the lobby was destroyed. The theater reopened soon after, but with a much more modest lobby. Although much of the opulent interior was covered over with sheetrock and plywood in the auditorium, thankfully, it all remained underneath to be rediscovered years later.

In the early-1980’s, the main floor was divided in two, and the ceiling was extended to create a third screen in the balcony. This metamorphasis didn’t last long as the theatre closed in the late-1980’s.

After standing vacant for a few years, it was discovered that after the fire in the 1950’s, they had simply covered the old ornamentation with sheetrock, and underneath was still the glory of the Patchogue Theatre.

By the late-1990’s, the Patchogue Theatre was was completely restored to its 1923 appearance, complete with restored exterior facade and marquee, and reopened in 1999 as the Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts where they show Broadway shows, concerts, and other events.

The architecural firm for the restoration was WH Design Studio, with architect William J. Miller of Patchogue in charge of the project.

Recent comments (view all 76 comments)

Ed Solero on September 1, 2011 at 7:05 pm

Here’s an active link to the image moviegoer posted earlier.

Ed Solero on September 1, 2011 at 7:06 pm

And, by the way, that might be the highest canopy marquee I’ve ever seen on a local neighborhood movie theater!

julietbalconies32 on August 12, 2012 at 6:54 pm

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julietbalconies32 on August 12, 2012 at 6:56 pm

[url=http://www.julietbalcony.co.uk/juliet-balcony">Juliet balconies[/url] direct from our factory for a price you won’t beat anywhere. No hidden costs – all prices are inclusive of vat, paint, galvanising and fittings. Many balconies in stock for immediate UK delivery. Or we can make any design you want in any size – just call us!

julietbalconies32 on August 12, 2012 at 6:56 pm

Juliet balconies direct from our factory for a price you won’t beat anywhere. No hidden costs – all prices are inclusive of vat, paint, galvanising and fittings. Many balconies in stock for immediate UK delivery. Or we can make any design you want in any size – just call us!

robboehm on May 18, 2014 at 9:58 am

The Patchogue and neighboring Rialto were acquired by Prudential in August, 1929. At that time they also operated the Bay Shore, Regent (Bay Shore) and Babylon theaters.

dallasmovietheaters on February 4, 2017 at 12:47 am

Maurice D. Sornik was the architect of the 1956 makeover.

robboehm on March 18, 2018 at 11:17 am

It has been announced that a new marquee costing $184,000 will be installed. $100,000 of this was a grant from the Suffolk County Downtown Revitalization program. My question is why since the current electronic marquee is elegant and understated.

Several years ago a million dollars was spent repairing the roof and replacing the 1,049 seats.

Reportedly the theater holds about 160 shows annually with 150,000 people in attendance.

DavidZornig on December 11, 2018 at 8:37 pm

Link with additional history and past ownership details.

http://www.oldtimesphotos.com/index.php/2018/11/22/timeline-of-the-long-island-history-patchogue-theatre-1923/?fbclid=IwAR3JUNHXxann-hxfL3JEhc56kfp-2b3GxrZ0MlwDLsSA4cSndBNoTlLaAKA

robboehm on May 31, 2023 at 1:20 pm

Theatre just celebrated 100 years on May 23rd. The Long Island Advance published a side by side picture of then and now which I’ve uploaded.