Rivoli Theatre

Opening day: January 11, 1936.
The premiere program: "A Tale of Two Cities", with Ronald Colman in a dual role.
The Rivoli will reopen about January 1, 2007 under volunteer ownership and operation. Admission will be $3.00; $2.00 on Tuesdays.

12/24/2006 article about the Rivoli.

"Rivoli to reopen Friday with lower prices: Community group takes over 70-year-old Cedarburg theater.

Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Byline: Lawrence Sussman

Dec. 24--CEDARBURG -- The Rivoli Cinema is getting a second life as a volunteer-run, family-friendly facility that features movies along with lower ticket and concession prices.

The cinema closed Wednesday as a part of Marcus Theatres Corp. It will reopen Friday as a part of Rivoli Theater LLC.

Jerry Voigt, president of Rivoli Theater LLC, believes that this could be the first community-run cinema in metropolitan Milwaukee.

The one-screen facility with 280 seats in downtown Cedarburg will open Friday . with the showing of "Flicka," a movie about a 16-year-old girl and a wild mustang starring country singer Tim McGraw as the girl's father.

Under the new ownership, the Rivoli will have a show nightly at 7 p.m. There will be a late show on Friday and Saturday nights, with the showtime to be determined by the length of the film. There also will be a 3:30 p.m. show on Saturdays and Sundays.

The theater, which celebrated its 70th anniversary this year, will not show any R-rated movies, said Voigt, who added that he expects that many of the best current films will come to the Rivoli as second-run features, similar to the way that Marcus ran the operation.

Ticket prices will be $3 at all times except Tuesday nights, when tickets will be $2, Voigt said. Marcus had been charging $4 on Friday and Saturday nights and $3 for other shows.

"We're truly reviving the Rivoli," Voigt said. "Our plan is not to just to continue to run the theater. It's to restore it."

He said that the new cinema operation will rely on many volunteers to save money.

"We expect to make a profit, and it will be used to continue the restoration of the theater," Voigt said.

Mark Zimmerman, who has been involved in a number of older theater operations in Milwaukee for 30 years, has been hired to run the Rivoli.

Plans call for restoring the Rivoli's ticket booth and faE*ade in April.

Voigt said the venue's seats are OK, but they are not up to the same standard as some of the newer cinema complexes.

"We want to have the seats upgraded, but we need to show a profit to do so," he said.

Mayor Greg Myers said he believed that the new Rivoli could successfully be a complement to the new theater complexes.

"It can provide an alternative to the big theaters," Myers said.

He also said the Rivoli is an important part of the city's historical downtown, "not only as a landmark, but it has provided an entertainment opportunity for Cedarburg citizens for many years".

The web site for the organization now operating the Rivoli in Cedarburg is: http://www.revivetherivoli.org

1950s photo and a modern photo of the Rivoli.

Here is another photo of the Rivoli:
http://tinyurl.com/257geq

The current website is :
http://www.rivoliofcedarburg.com/

Visiting my parents this weekend, I drove by and the 1930s facade has been returned to this theatre. Did not have my camera to take a photo

Here is the Rivoli with it's new look.

1983 Photo

This is a 2009 close-up photo.

This amazing exterior is Vitrolite done by Tim Dunn, Vitrolite specialist located in St. Louis MO.

This theater looks great. Compare what it looks like now to the 1983 photo. What a difference.

Yes, what a difference. Mr. Dunn's work with Vitrolite is truly amazing! If anyone knows of available Vitrolite, please contact him at this website. www.vitrolitespecialist.com

That photo is really great, the Vitrolite just makes the front of the theatre.