Shea's Performing Arts Center
646 Main Street,
Buffalo,
NY
14202
646 Main Street,
Buffalo,
NY
14202
22 people
favorited this theater
Shea’s Performing Arts Center is run by a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing a combination of musicals, Broadway productions, operas and concerts to downtown Buffalo.
The former Shea’s Buffalo Theater opened on January 16, 1926, is a historic and cultural landmark and features an annual series of free classic movies as well as free concert series directed towards young audiences.
The theatre was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
In 2009, all five original designs of carpet were replicated, replacing ordinary carpet installed thirty five years ago. The original patterns were all variations of a burgundy, dark blue and gold combination.
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Recent comments (view all 101 comments)
tsloews, this was known as “Loew’s Buffalo” when I was growing up, and I think that’s how it was known at the time of its closing.
Thanks for the info ziggy.
I had the opportunity to tour the projection booth. The projectors still use carbon arc bulbs which project a better quality film.
From the late 1950s a photo postcard that captured a view of the Buffalo and Paramount Theatres in downtown Buffalo.
From the 1950s a night time photo postcard view of Main Street along with the Buffalo, Paramount and Shea’s Cinema Theaters in Buffalo.
This photograph of the Shea’s Buffalo Theatre was taken in 1930 by George Mann of the comedy dance team, Barto and Mann.
I enjoyed seeing the classic film The Sound of Music on the big screen at Shea’s. It was quite an experience and it was nice to see so many families in attendance.
Some have asked about the history of the theatre in the 1970’s and about Loews. Here are some comments from one of the folks who saved the theatre back then….me… The theatre was managed by Loew’s and owend by Leon Lawrence Sidell. Sidell failed to pay his taxes and the city called in the default and took the theatre. Loews continued to operate the theatre for a period of time and then decided to leave. Prior to that, they were planning to strip the theatre of its fixtures, furniture, organ, etc., and they had done to other theatres. The Friends of the Buffalo, led by Curt Mangel, got a court order to stop them, and, in a landmark decision, the court ruled that Loews had no right to strip the theatre and Loews left without their booty. To this day, many of the fixtures/furniture have a serial number that was put on them to inventory them, that was done in the middle of several nights without Loews knowledge, to prevent them from stripping the building. Without the 15 original Friends, this never would have been possible.
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This link looks as Sheas success as a performing arts center.
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The link above deals with Shea’s screening of the classic horror film, “Phantom of the Opera”, with accompaniment by the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.