Under Pi Patel’s ownership, the theatre became a wedding facility. They converted 2 of the three cinemas to banquet rooms. They kept the 3rd as a private cinema.
Patel sold (not sure exactly when but it was recent) the building and the new owners are re-purposing it as an entertainment facility called Narragansett Casino (not to be confused with the old Casino theatre in Narragansett that is also listed in Cinema Treasures). It is a fledging business that is building up to be an entertainment area. The 3rd room is still a private cinema room.
If I find out more, I’ll get back. But there is life and care in there again.
Actually, it was a restructure of another part of the building complex. The Holiday Cinema was one one spot of the building complex and abandoned. The New Island 10 Cinemas was in another spot of the the building and transformed into the new cinemas. The new was getting built while the old was still operating.
My Rocky Horror records show the closing date before renovations as Feb, 2001 rather than the 2002 posted above. We were doing the show there for a year. One night, in Feb, 2001, we were told it was suddenly closing and we had to evacuate our props right after the show.
There is a comment in here (written in 2004) that the theater closed in 1982. However, we performed the Rocky Horror Picture Show there from December 9, 1983 thru February 4, 1984. An 8 week run. Rough audience some nights, but that was Rocky back then.
I remember both side sections were torn out by then. There was only a center section remaining. I think some rows from the front may have been torn out also. It gave us a lot of space to perform.
The owner was George Mittsmenn. Very nice guy to us.
To Gerald – The last day was indeed March 19, 1983. We did the Rocky Horror Picture show there, ending a 4+ year run. It was at midnight, so technically I guess it was March 20.
I kept track of all the casting so I had the date.
The Cinerama is the birthplace of the audience participation movie the Rocky Horror Picture Show in Rhode Island. It ran there from 1978 -1983.
I actually performed the Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Cinerama on the last night of the show in March of 1983. It may well have been the last movie played there ever. It was PACKED! The manager there was Gerry Corbett, whom went at least as far back as 1980 (when I first saw the movie there). The projectionist was named Elliot. I remember the name John O'Sullivan being what we thought of as the ‘District Manager’.
Once the movie ended there, we moved on to the Avon Cinema a few months later and many theatres later the show continues on to this day in Rhode Island.
We never heard again of Gerry Corbett. Last I heard of Elliot he was involved in the Rustic Drive In in the 90’s. Did anyone ever hear where Gerry went after the Cinerama?
Actually, 1978-1983. Last show at the Cinerama was Rocky Horror on March 20, 1983
Under Pi Patel’s ownership, the theatre became a wedding facility. They converted 2 of the three cinemas to banquet rooms. They kept the 3rd as a private cinema.
Patel sold (not sure exactly when but it was recent) the building and the new owners are re-purposing it as an entertainment facility called Narragansett Casino (not to be confused with the old Casino theatre in Narragansett that is also listed in Cinema Treasures). It is a fledging business that is building up to be an entertainment area. The 3rd room is still a private cinema room.
If I find out more, I’ll get back. But there is life and care in there again.
Now named “Marilyn Rodman Performing Arts Center”.
You can see the old area all the way to the left (in blue).
Actually, it was a restructure of another part of the building complex. The Holiday Cinema was one one spot of the building complex and abandoned. The New Island 10 Cinemas was in another spot of the the building and transformed into the new cinemas. The new was getting built while the old was still operating.
My Rocky Horror records show the closing date before renovations as Feb, 2001 rather than the 2002 posted above. We were doing the show there for a year. One night, in Feb, 2001, we were told it was suddenly closing and we had to evacuate our props right after the show.
There is a comment in here (written in 2004) that the theater closed in 1982. However, we performed the Rocky Horror Picture Show there from December 9, 1983 thru February 4, 1984. An 8 week run. Rough audience some nights, but that was Rocky back then.
I remember both side sections were torn out by then. There was only a center section remaining. I think some rows from the front may have been torn out also. It gave us a lot of space to perform.
The owner was George Mittsmenn. Very nice guy to us.
It is indeed 5 cinemas now. While under Boston Culinary Group, the 6th (and smallest) cinema was sold to the adjacent CVS for storage.
To Gerald – The last day was indeed March 19, 1983. We did the Rocky Horror Picture show there, ending a 4+ year run. It was at midnight, so technically I guess it was March 20.
I kept track of all the casting so I had the date.
Nick, I have contacted you directly.
The Cinerama is the birthplace of the audience participation movie the Rocky Horror Picture Show in Rhode Island. It ran there from 1978 -1983.
I actually performed the Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Cinerama on the last night of the show in March of 1983. It may well have been the last movie played there ever. It was PACKED! The manager there was Gerry Corbett, whom went at least as far back as 1980 (when I first saw the movie there). The projectionist was named Elliot. I remember the name John O'Sullivan being what we thought of as the ‘District Manager’.
Once the movie ended there, we moved on to the Avon Cinema a few months later and many theatres later the show continues on to this day in Rhode Island.
We never heard again of Gerry Corbett. Last I heard of Elliot he was involved in the Rustic Drive In in the 90’s. Did anyone ever hear where Gerry went after the Cinerama?