Brook Arts Center

djben1 on July 29, 2010 at 9:13 pm

Contribute to the Restoration

A contribution to the Brook will help restore the Theatre to its original Victorian glory and provide quality entertainment, cultural, and educational programming for all ages.

Financial support of the Brook Theatre through the Somerset County Cultural Arts Center, Inc., from individuals, businesses, foundations, and government is critical
to the restoration and programming initiatives of the Theatre.

As a 501©(3) non-profit organization in the early stages of development, contributions provide a majority of the income for the Theatre. Support of the efforts of the Board will allow the Brook to become the finest and most beautiful venue of the arts and education in New Jersey.

ALL MAIL OR Contributions may be mailed to:

Somerset County Cultural Arts Center, Inc.
Post Office Box 387, Bound Brook, New Jersey 08805

Brook Theatre is located at:
10 Hamilton Street, Bound Brook, New Jersey 08805
Phone: 732-469-7700

markp on March 14, 2010 at 7:52 pm

Theatre has again flooded. 3rd time in 11 years. Go to “www.thnt.com” and click on bound brook flood to view photos.

spectrum on January 18, 2010 at 4:18 pm

Sorry, here’s the third one:

View link

And as a bonus: a ten minute scene from the original “Phantom of the Opera”

View link

[Deleted] on October 9, 2009 at 9:58 am

It’s great that the Brook Theatre has been restored in spite of all the past flooding. Kudos to everyone involved in its resurrection. I’m assuming the organ has been fully restored at this point and is still being maintained by the Garden State Theater Organ Society.

djben1 on August 21, 2009 at 8:43 am

from 8/21/2009 courier news
The Brook Theatre, a cultural hub that has been flooded twice in the past decade, will re-open on the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Floyd.

The theater organizers will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony 6 p.m. Sept. 17 which will include a program commemorating the anniversary of the flood which deluged the downtown section of the borough under six feet of water.
“It just seemed like a very appropriate day for a new beginning, to put the past behind us and to look forward to a magnificent future for the downtown area and the entire Bound Brook community,” said Lynn Fazen, vice chairman of the The Brook Arts Center and administrator of the Bound Brook Area Chamber of Commerce.
The Brook Theatre has had a difficult decade. It was flooded by Hurricane Floyd in 1999. Months after it re-opened, it was flooded again during a nor'easter in April 2007.
Crews have been working through the summer, polishing the floor in the lobby, installing carpet, painting, and repairing the electrical system.
Bob Fazen, who is serving as the historical consultant on the project, said flood insurance funded the bulk of the renovations. Other work has been paid for by Somerset County and state grants.
This time, however, Bob Fazen (also chair of the borough’s land use board) said, the seats in the theater will be mobile so if there is the threat of another flood, they can be moved to higher ground.
Lynn Fazen said the flexible seating is also a plus because the theater will be a mixed venue featuring movies, music, concerts, comedy, and other entertainment.
Mayor Carey Pilato said the Brook Theatre is an asset to the borough. He said the theatre along with the Bound Brook train station and other transit development projects, are economic drivers.
Bob Fazen’s goal is to bring the theater back to the splendor of the 1920s – when the Brook Theatre was compared to Broadway.
Officials are hopeful about the theater’s renovation, especially because the Green Brook Flood Control Project could be complete by late 2010 or 2011. The series of walls and levees, infused this year with $33 million in federal Recovery Act funds, is designed to alleviate chronic flooding in the Bound Brook area, according to John O'Connor, Army Corps of Engineers project manager for the project.
Other events planned at the Brook Theatre this fall include: A theatre organ concert and silent movie Sept. 18; storytelling events recounting the history of the flood Sept. 19 and 20; and a wine tasting in partnership with the Bound Brook Area Chamber of Commerce Nov. 14.
Kara L. Richardson: 908-243-6621;

djben1 on August 21, 2009 at 8:18 am

History

A classic vaudeville theater, the Brook was opened in 1927. That was the same year that the first talking picture, The Jazz Singer, starring Al Jolson hit the silver screen. This signaled the beginning of the end for vaudeville. Even though it was opened at the tail end of the era, the Brook was home to a wide variety of acts. Headliners like Tony Bennett and Jackie Gleason entertained packed houses in this 850 seat theater.

Opening Night
From THE CHRONICLE January 21, 1927

BROOK THEATRE IS NOW OPEN

Bound Brook turned out en masse for the opening of the Brook Theatre on Wednesday evening. Every one of the thirteen hundred odd, seats were occupied and foyer held another hundred or so who saw the show standing behind the marble balustrade which flanks the row seats in the auditorium. The large audience thoroughly enjoyed the five acts of vaudeville and two pictures; and it was admiringly proud of, and greatly pleased with the new theatre which Alexander Morecraft built and which Meyer Cohen is managing.

Hamilton Street, when the entertainment was concluded, looked like Broadway at eleven o'clock. Cars were parked for blocks in every direction and chief Nash and his patrolmen had a busy three quarters of an hour in getting the traffic moving homewards.

“Say, where am I at?” said one commuter. “Surely this isn’t Bound Brook! Something sure has happened to the old town. Makes me think I should hire a taxi and steer for a cabaret.”

The two pictures, “The Tennis Wizard” and “The Lunatic at Large”, gripping and amusing, went over big with the crowded house. The five acts of vaudeville were surprisingly good, miles above the average, and reflected great credit on the good judgment of Manager Cohen who selected them as features for the opening night performance.

A special car attached to one of the Jersey Central trains brought a crowd of theatrical folk to the initial performance. They expressed themselves as being surprisingly impressed with Bound Brook’s new playhouse; they spoke very highly of the first night’s show. Manager Cohen came in for a whirlwind of congratulations which were either offered in person or come by wire. His desk on yesterday morning was stacked with telegrams of good wishes that had been sent by his friends and people friendly to the venture.

djben1 on August 21, 2009 at 8:17 am

THE BROOK IS BACK!

Almost two years after the theater was severely damaged in the Nor'easter of April 2007, the Brook Arts Center will be reopening in the fall of 2009.

We will be continually restoring and improving this beautiful and historic theater over the next few years. Our goal is to make the Brook a first class theater for the benefit of the community and people of Somerset County.

We expect the theater to be the cornerstone of the redevelopment of Bound Brook now that the flood control measures are almost complete.

We will offer a multifunctional theater combining the best professional shows, concerts, films, and educational programs while still being available to service community needs.

To do all this, we will need community support. Please take a moment to look around our website and discover opportunities for you to donate and/or volunteer.

You will be hearing about many exciting things happening at the theater in the near future. We invite you to join in that excitement!

Please check back often for more news and upcoming events.

Sincerely,
The Board of Directors
Somerset County Cultural Arts Center

teecee on September 20, 2008 at 3:46 pm

For those of you not familiar with the area, this is what happens to this theater all to often when it rains real hard:

View link

djben1 on May 11, 2008 at 5:15 am

Although the theatre was heavily damaged during the flood of April 15 &16,2007 we are working hard to plan for the reopening of the Brook. We are working with the Borough, the County, the State and the Federal governments to bring the theatre back to life. In the interim, we will continue to produce events at other venues. Please stay tuned. from the website of the theatre. Go to http://www.brookarts.org/ to be updated on the goings on at the theatre as of now they have a new board of directors.

PeterApruzzese on May 6, 2007 at 4:18 am

The auditorium was totally flooded out again, destroying all the temporary renovations and the organ console (the upper and outer lobby are okay). Rumor has it that this time they will be renovating the auditorium completely (and not just rebuilding the “black box”) with new side curtaining, new seats, etc. Sadly, nothing can be done about flooding in that area.

Zoltan on February 1, 2007 at 10:52 am

I could walk to this theatre easily – just a few blocks away. Was really impressive inside. Went to my very first movie by myself here – saw Frank Langella in Dracula. I think it was 1979.

teecee on September 17, 2006 at 4:17 am

Bound Brook theater reopens after the flood
After many travails, old building to be reborn as the multiuse, 389-seat Brook Art Center
Sunday, September 17, 2006
BY CHRISTINA JOHNSON
Star-Ledger Staff
For those trying to bring live performance back into the 79-year-old Brook Theatre in downtown Bound Brook, these last few years have played like a Hollywood movie plot.

First, a historic flood sent forth by Tropical Storm Floyd in 1999 filled the cavernous hall with river water, turning it into a fish tank, and wrecking nearly everything that worked. The federal and county governments, in the role of hero, granted the new caretakers $2.6 million to fix it up and lure business back to town. Then three days later the national mood turned mournful following the events of Sept. 11, 2001, and critical efforts to raise matching funds for the tired, forlorn theater sunk.

The loans are outstanding, but the perseverance has paid off. Opening night is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 30, at 7 p.m. — “the beginning of a happy ending,” said the Brook’s executive director Gerry Appel. A gala black-tie evening with a diverse show is planned. Half the seats are sold. Neighborhood restaurants are readying for patrons, and enthused arts organizations in search of a stage are signing on for the 2006-2007 schedule.

All this excitement, despite the fact that on this Sunday, the black curtains and stage lights have not been delivered and final certificate of occupancy has not been granted.

Appel, who said he is getting by on about 45 minutes of sleep a night, refuses to worry. “I keep thinking of the movie ‘Rocky’ — how Rocky overcomes the obstacles, the Brook is Rocky!” he said, laughing. A portly man with premature white hair and a smooth radio voice, Appel loves his role as coach in the corner.

Without the original site plans or much relevant experience fixing flood-ravaged vaudeville theaters, Appel, 50, of Bound Brook and his business partner George Andersen, an energetic 57-year-old electrical engineer and jack-of-all-trades from Waldwick, the chairman of the board, have taken on the daily role of construction project manager to save money, and overseen the installation of new electric, heating, air conditioning, plumbing and restrooms.

With the advice of a Manhattan theater architect, they’ve yanked out the 900 narrow seats and replaced them with 389 wider models to accommodate today’s ample fannies, and enclosed the audience with temporary smoked glass walls lit from behind, creating a more intimate space within the huge auditorium.

They kept the famous Whisper Dome in the ceiling, an acoustical device that will obediently amplify actors, music and be warned — ringing cell phones — with gusto.

The newly named nonprofit Brook Arts Center’s staff is ambitious, with plans to “grow the arts” by: bringing in local troupes doing famous musicals; introduce undiscovered performance groups; host workshops; electrify the downtown restaurant scene; stage Spanish-English language plays for local children; offer stage readings, poetry readings, cabaret and even 1930s-era silent movies with a genuine, much prized Wurlitzer pipe organ donated by the Garden State Theatre Organ Society. (The tibia keys of the last-donated Wurlitzer were found washed up in a neighboring hobby shop after Floyd.)

The opening Saturday night lineup echoes the eclectic mix. For a $90 ticket, the audience will be treated to: a dance piece set to jazz music by the American Repertory Ballet of New York; a vaudeville-inspired performance by Hillsborough’s “Kids on Tap”; entertainment from Somerset’s ventriloquist Alan Semok, the “Dummy Doctor”; and just added a lesson in the truth from New Jersey’s famous “mentalist,” the Amazing Kreskin.

Other scheduled events through the year will be: the “Little Shop of Horrors,” Oct. 20-Nov. 12; Broadway actress Paige Price in a one-woman Cabaret show about her old boyfriends, called the “The eX-Files” on Nov. 17; and “Winnie the Pooh Christmas Carol,” Dec. 1-2 by the Running Rabbit Family Theatre. See the website for 2007’s events, at www.brookarts.org

“There is nothing like watching a performance with 250-300 people,” said Andersen. “When people can get together in a large group and experience something at the same time, it’s a very human experience.”

The caretakers of the Brook and small army of volunteers have little history of the concrete and brick structure to go on, just a few old photographs and virtually no pieces of memorabilia. Whatever was hiding in the cracks waiting to be rediscovered seems to have floated away. Except memories.

Prior to the flood of Floyd, the hall had been run as a single-screen movie theater. Patti Murtha, 30, a red-haired freelance theater coach who arrived to paint the manager’s office one night recently, recalled her teenage allegiance to the midnight showings of the Rocky Horror Picture Show held here, a science-fiction-fantasy cult movie that encouraged talking back to the screen and throwing things like rice and playing cards.

“I remember looking around and thinking, ‘Why is this place just a rundown movie theater?’ It had so much potential.”

On stage, working on maintenance of the Wurlitzer organ was volunteer Glynn Gillette, 80, who grew up in the neighborhoods around the Brook. Eyes squeezed tight, he could recall that a kid could trade in a pint jar of Japanese beetles swimming in kerosene for a free pass to see the Tailspin Tommy serials, in which a comic book hero comes to life. “Oh yeah, this was where we came every Saturday as kids,” he said. “It was a great place.”

Management acknowledges the 1930s tradition, but kindly requests patrons come with money on opening night. “I don’t think we’ll be going the beetles-in-kerosene route,” Appel said.

Christina Johnson works in the Somerset County bureau. She may be reached at or at (908) 429-9925.