Midway Theatre
721 E. State Street,
Rockford,
IL
61104
721 E. State Street,
Rockford,
IL
61104
20 people
favorited this theater
Showing 51 - 60 of 60 comments
Standing in front of the doors, there’s an overwhelming smell of mold, but the lobby and concession area look clean and ready to go. All the storefronts appeared to be vacant.
Happened by this place today. It does look a little tired, although in good repair. The only tenant in the office building appears to be the 501©(3) running the place. No shows currently listed. There were posters for theatre productions earlier in 2005. I didn’t get the feeling that it is exactly a hive of activity.
Thanks for the photos of the Midway. Anyone have a photo of the interior? This theatre was one of my childhood memories.
Interesting view of the clock tower at this link:
http://community.webshots.com/photo/71778737QfnVoL
The owner of the Midway Theatre “Tomy Boy” is deceiving the neighborhood youth into thinking that they are going to have a chance of a lifetime to be in the music industry by being a contestant in one of their talent showcases called “The Best of the Midwest”. According to Erin Gilbert, the show is held every few months or so. The participants “audition” to be in the show. Once they are selected they have to provide a bio packet which includes their demo cd and a $50 fee to be in the show. ($50 from low income wide-eyed, trusting youth looking to make it in the music industry?… hmmm) The performers are told that there will be judges from very successful and popular record labels such as Sony Records, Aristar, and Columbia, that will be judging them because they are looking for new acts to sign to their labels. They are also told that the winners of the contest will go on to be in a bigger and more important contest which is held by one of the big record labels themselves such as Sony or Aristar.
The shows are rigged by the owner of the Midway Theatre, Tomy Boy. Erin Gilbert and other accomplices help to deceive and convince the people that these contests are legit. Tomy Boy’s (the owner) relatives were in the contest. They broke the rules and won the contest and the big trophy. Tomy Boy gave them the trophy himself onstage. The big record label judges were never seen at the contest. They could have been bums off the street for all any of the other contestants knew. Erin Gilbert said the bios and demo cds would be sent out to the big record labels but we think they just went into the trash. The Midway Theatre, its owner and affiliates, is hustling off of the low income youth in the neighborhood. Making big time promises and misleading hopeful wide-eyed trusting youth in the Rockford area.
The Midway is one of two ornately themed movie theatres in Rockford and both are spanish themed; the other being the wonderful Coronado which underwent restoration and preservation in the 1970s. The Midway didn’t luck out quite so well as it’s in an edgier neighborhood and sufferred a pretty nasty fire in the 1970s that destroyed a lot of it’s unique charm. I have great memories of dragging my poor grandmother off to see “Monty Python’s Holy Grail” on a double bill with “The Groove Tube” and the poor thing had NO IDEA what she was in for! It also hosted “Rocky Horror” for a number of years on Friday nights.
It’s most recent claim to fame was being used in Cheap Trick’s “Say Goodbye” video with great shots of the exterior and performance on the inside. Rather appropriate since Cheap Trick hails from Rockford and the video has great shots of the town too. Mostly the Midway is down to concerts and getting a tad ratty. Pity.
The Midway Theater actually seats 1,500, according to MUVPAC executive director Erin Gilbert. Renovations are underway currently, and they will be showing movies again by this time next year. It is one of the most diverse theaters in the area, and certianly a historic treasure of Rockford.
The Midway was a very popular theatre throughout the 1960s and 1970s when I attended shows there. I remember Jaws and Superman being particularly well-attended shows. I doubt seriously that the auditorium seated 2000, since there is no balcony (there might be a small loge area – can’t remember for sure). But it was definitely a large single-floor theatre. My understanding is that it seated about 1000. There was a fire in the 1970s that gutted the lobby. It was rebuilt, but not to its original design. The lobby looks like something from a crummy mall cinema, whereas the auditorim is still in its relatively original condition. The facade is even more imposing than it appears in the photo. By the way, the theatre opened in 1918.
Style is most definitely not art moderne. It’s Spanish colonial, with a fake bell tower and everything. It seems to be falling into disrepair (the neighborhood is pretty sketchy).
Wow what a beautiful exterior!