That is weird. Most old theaters that are now churches that I’ve seen have kept the marquees. If anything, it advertises better than a flier in the window.
Yeah, me too. Even thought DaSilva has a bad rap, he his restorer towed his line but made sense. The City of Danbury kept on him to let them have it as a performing arts center for $1, etc. and he said no. I always thought he was stubborn and his rep is to hold onto empty buildings all the time. He owns the Pershing Building on the corner of West and Main (former Opera House) and at one time it was the largest office building in the country. The downstairs have 75% used office space and the top 2 floors are compeletely dead. Anyway, the restorer told me that why should we give it to the city? They aren’t done restoring it and nobody has any idea that it’s being restored. It’s almost secretive. Slowly by slowly, it’s getting done.
You’ve been talking about the Valencia for quite some time and nobody has posted it as a new theater. Sometimes I’m sick of reposting other people’s comments as the intro post/description of the theaters mentioned.
What a place! I was biking through Thomaston at 9pm Wednesday and it’s fortunate that there was a town hall meeting going on as well as a rehearsal at the Opera House for the current performance of Grease! The technical director told me some stuff and said I could tour around upstairs in the balcony and backstage. The interior was nice and on the trim upstairs it looked like white paint splotches were on the walls when it was excavation and faded paint. The ceiling is simple, yet impressive and there are 5 chandeliers on the ceiling. Some paneling is in place of the original artwork. The balcony railing is I believe, wrought iron but in a fancy style, like twisted black ivy. When you enter the theater, it’s from stage right, next to the stage. The man said it sat 520- 300 downstairs and 220 upstairs. Some seats upstairs had no plush seating, only hardwood. Downstairs was plush. Of note: It was used as a movie theater and a dance hall and the floor does curve towards the stage, BUT the stage curves from the back to the front on a downwards slant towards the audience! Some European style, the director said. The year “1884” was above the proscenium. It’s in remarkable condition. The long windows are adorned with long, fitted lavender drapes.
There are two organs. The one in the auditorium is to the left of the stage and I don’t remember the name of the company on it, but it was something like Murr and Cotton? from Warsaw, NY on the tag. Correct me if I’m wrong. The back was open and you could see inside.
The entrance to the town hall had a very small organ at the entranceway by the ticketbooth. The name was something like, C. Bollinger and Company, New Haven, CT. Truly an amazing gem.
I rode by this the other day on bike and stopped in for a look. The walls are marble and the chandeliers are amazing. Don’t know if they were the originals? There’s a bunch of them and there are shops along the hallway. There are also old movie poster metal holders on the walls.
I thought we found all CT theaters. I entered the missing drive-ins last week as well as the repeated post of a new cinemtreasure/silent theater in New Milford. Off topic of this theater, how many do you think are left in CT to find?
Finally found it! Cinematour doesn’t list this. I go once a year to the Chance and went last night and toured the place, kind of. It’s a nice theater, or must have been. I emailed them at their website email because they have not history of the venue listed which is stupid. They have to know what building they occupy. Anyway, you walk upstairs and to the right balcony and that’s “The Loft.” You can fit about 150 people comfortably by the stage and there’s couches in the back. The left balcony has the bar area and it’s pretty plain. There are tin ceilings. It’s air conditioned. Downstairs is called Club Crannell and you can fit about 250 people comfortably. There’s a tin ceiling and then black lowered office ceiling tiles. That’s what I call them. It’s dark and really hot. You can access the main auditorium, The Chance, from Club Crannell and there’s not lighting in this really long hallway. There’s a bar in the back, the balcony is overhead and roped off for both entrances. I didn’t have a chance to ask security, but there weren’t seats up there. They probably do projection and lights up there. The ceilings aren’t too ornate but they are beautiful and simple. There are these elegant cylindrical lights about 3 feet in diameter and about 4 feet long around the ceiling but I don’t know the type of light they are called. The stage was kind of small, maybe 40 feet across and the dance area was not too big. It definitely is a small theater from the outside.
Had no idea how many comments were on here! I biked on Sunday from Jacob Riis Park to Park Slope and saw this massive structure. Its front reminded me of the Paradise and it had a great frieze? in the middle. On top of the doors it said it was the the Loews Kings Showcase? I loved how it had a facade and then was diagonal. Strange. I bike around to the back and it was weird, the neighborhood just ended but the building is huge and intact. Around the corner was a Sports Authority or some box store and then the neighborhood. There was a 7-block street fair and it was bustling. Some folks saw me eye it and told me someone had just bought it. I went up to the doors to look in and could only see a sliver of the lobby. The second set of doors past the ticket booth had reflective mirrors and reflected the stores behind me. The facade smelled musty.
It would be used highly by the community. The neighborhood is busy and it’s Flatbush, I mean, come on.
I passed this building on Sunday biking from Jacob Riis Park to Park Slope and thought this was a theater. I biked around the perimeter of the block to check it out.
I passed this on Sunday biking from Jacob Riis Park to Park Slope. There was a theater further up on the right that I’m trying to locate on there but the Brooklyn section is huge. It reminded me of Loew’s Paradise and it had “Showcase Cinemas” over the doors and the building was enormous. To the left is a Sports Authority? There was a street fair in front for 7 blocks and some locals said it was just bought.
There was a snippit about the Danbury Drive-In in the recent Sunday Danbury paper, The News-Times. It was from the weekly section called, “Looking Back” in which they look back 25, 50, 75 and 100 years. This one was from August 14, 1980 in which they talked about a series of robberies in Danbury and Brookfield and told of the Danbury Drive-In being held at gunpoint and robbed.
That is weird. Most old theaters that are now churches that I’ve seen have kept the marquees. If anything, it advertises better than a flier in the window.
I biked past this last week and saw a sign on the side that said it was to be restored with help of the DSSD (downtown special services district).
Yeah, me too. Even thought DaSilva has a bad rap, he his restorer towed his line but made sense. The City of Danbury kept on him to let them have it as a performing arts center for $1, etc. and he said no. I always thought he was stubborn and his rep is to hold onto empty buildings all the time. He owns the Pershing Building on the corner of West and Main (former Opera House) and at one time it was the largest office building in the country. The downstairs have 75% used office space and the top 2 floors are compeletely dead. Anyway, the restorer told me that why should we give it to the city? They aren’t done restoring it and nobody has any idea that it’s being restored. It’s almost secretive. Slowly by slowly, it’s getting done.
The Paramount was razed after 1970. Its style was French Baroque.
Sorry. I was looking for “Valencia” instead. Stupid me. Thanks “saps”. Btw, is it still a quad inside the Paradise? I hope not.
You’ve been talking about the Valencia for quite some time and nobody has posted it as a new theater. Sometimes I’m sick of reposting other people’s comments as the intro post/description of the theaters mentioned.
Well, if you don’t know enough, do it anyway. Enter what you can and the other folks on here who know a hell of a lot more will follow shortly.
What a place! I was biking through Thomaston at 9pm Wednesday and it’s fortunate that there was a town hall meeting going on as well as a rehearsal at the Opera House for the current performance of Grease! The technical director told me some stuff and said I could tour around upstairs in the balcony and backstage. The interior was nice and on the trim upstairs it looked like white paint splotches were on the walls when it was excavation and faded paint. The ceiling is simple, yet impressive and there are 5 chandeliers on the ceiling. Some paneling is in place of the original artwork. The balcony railing is I believe, wrought iron but in a fancy style, like twisted black ivy. When you enter the theater, it’s from stage right, next to the stage. The man said it sat 520- 300 downstairs and 220 upstairs. Some seats upstairs had no plush seating, only hardwood. Downstairs was plush. Of note: It was used as a movie theater and a dance hall and the floor does curve towards the stage, BUT the stage curves from the back to the front on a downwards slant towards the audience! Some European style, the director said. The year “1884” was above the proscenium. It’s in remarkable condition. The long windows are adorned with long, fitted lavender drapes.
There are two organs. The one in the auditorium is to the left of the stage and I don’t remember the name of the company on it, but it was something like Murr and Cotton? from Warsaw, NY on the tag. Correct me if I’m wrong. The back was open and you could see inside.
The entrance to the town hall had a very small organ at the entranceway by the ticketbooth. The name was something like, C. Bollinger and Company, New Haven, CT. Truly an amazing gem.
I rode by this the other day on bike and stopped in for a look. The walls are marble and the chandeliers are amazing. Don’t know if they were the originals? There’s a bunch of them and there are shops along the hallway. There are also old movie poster metal holders on the walls.
I thought we found all CT theaters. I entered the missing drive-ins last week as well as the repeated post of a new cinemtreasure/silent theater in New Milford. Off topic of this theater, how many do you think are left in CT to find?
In only 2 posts. Is that a record? hehe.
The management emailed me back with the correct other website that includes their history with a timeline. http://www.thechancecomplex.com/history/
Status should be open and function should be nightclub.
Finally found it! Cinematour doesn’t list this. I go once a year to the Chance and went last night and toured the place, kind of. It’s a nice theater, or must have been. I emailed them at their website email because they have not history of the venue listed which is stupid. They have to know what building they occupy. Anyway, you walk upstairs and to the right balcony and that’s “The Loft.” You can fit about 150 people comfortably by the stage and there’s couches in the back. The left balcony has the bar area and it’s pretty plain. There are tin ceilings. It’s air conditioned. Downstairs is called Club Crannell and you can fit about 250 people comfortably. There’s a tin ceiling and then black lowered office ceiling tiles. That’s what I call them. It’s dark and really hot. You can access the main auditorium, The Chance, from Club Crannell and there’s not lighting in this really long hallway. There’s a bar in the back, the balcony is overhead and roped off for both entrances. I didn’t have a chance to ask security, but there weren’t seats up there. They probably do projection and lights up there. The ceilings aren’t too ornate but they are beautiful and simple. There are these elegant cylindrical lights about 3 feet in diameter and about 4 feet long around the ceiling but I don’t know the type of light they are called. The stage was kind of small, maybe 40 feet across and the dance area was not too big. It definitely is a small theater from the outside.
Then please list it under “submit theaters” and enter as much info as you can find. Within a few hours, you’ll have more info added by site users.
According to cinematour.com, the Decatur Theatre was located at 1674 Broadway in Brooklyn. The Woodrow has no listing.
What is a “nabe”?
Forget it, I found it.
Had no idea how many comments were on here! I biked on Sunday from Jacob Riis Park to Park Slope and saw this massive structure. Its front reminded me of the Paradise and it had a great frieze? in the middle. On top of the doors it said it was the the Loews Kings Showcase? I loved how it had a facade and then was diagonal. Strange. I bike around to the back and it was weird, the neighborhood just ended but the building is huge and intact. Around the corner was a Sports Authority or some box store and then the neighborhood. There was a 7-block street fair and it was bustling. Some folks saw me eye it and told me someone had just bought it. I went up to the doors to look in and could only see a sliver of the lobby. The second set of doors past the ticket booth had reflective mirrors and reflected the stores behind me. The facade smelled musty.
It would be used highly by the community. The neighborhood is busy and it’s Flatbush, I mean, come on.
I passed this building on Sunday biking from Jacob Riis Park to Park Slope and thought this was a theater. I biked around the perimeter of the block to check it out.
I passed this on Sunday biking from Jacob Riis Park to Park Slope. There was a theater further up on the right that I’m trying to locate on there but the Brooklyn section is huge. It reminded me of Loew’s Paradise and it had “Showcase Cinemas” over the doors and the building was enormous. To the left is a Sports Authority? There was a street fair in front for 7 blocks and some locals said it was just bought.
I’m glad those heartless corporate chains have some sense of preserving history.
New updates on the Bijou and the new owner at View link
Just an FYI. This information was taken from View link
There was a snippit about the Danbury Drive-In in the recent Sunday Danbury paper, The News-Times. It was from the weekly section called, “Looking Back” in which they look back 25, 50, 75 and 100 years. This one was from August 14, 1980 in which they talked about a series of robberies in Danbury and Brookfield and told of the Danbury Drive-In being held at gunpoint and robbed.