Barrymore Theatre
2090 Atwood Avenue,
Madison,
WI
53704
2090 Atwood Avenue,
Madison,
WI
53704
2 people
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Photo of the Organist and Console of the Kilgen Theater Pipe Organ Special, Opus 4420, 2/8, January 10, 1930. Anyone know the organist?
View link
Opened as the Eastwood, December 28, 1929, had a Balcony and 980 Seats. Kept that name till 1967.
1960-1967 owned by Madison 20th Century Theaters of Milwaukee, Wisc, Dean D. Fitzgerald, President. In 1967 they owned 7 theaters in Wisconsin, including the Eastwood.
Cinema, December 20, 1967-1987. Had a Grand Opening as a Roadshow Theater at 8 p.m., December 20,1967 with, THE BIBLE: IN THE BEGINNING…, wonder if it was in 70mm, I’m sure it wasn’t in Dimension 150.
Started being called the Barrymore Theatre in 1987. Stopped showing movies in 1992?
Now a live theatre.
The Kilgen Organ Company of Chicago, about 160 miles from Madison, made about 190 Theater Pipe Organs. In 1930 they installed a Kilgen Theater Pipe Organ in the Eastwood Theatre. It was Opus 4420, a 2/8 manual/rank, keyboards/sets of pipes, Special. Anyone know what happened to the organ?
Dan Barton’s Barton Organ Company of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, about 100 miles from Madison, made about 250 Theater Pipe Organs, making it the 5th largest builder of Theater Pipe Organs. Old records show they installed an organ in the Eastwood in 1923? Is it possible this old record is a mistake, or did the theatre end up not opening for 7 years or did it open, close and then reopen? What happened to this organ?
I never found anything about an Atwood Theatre?
More info and more photos are always welcome.
December 20th, 1967 opening ad as Cinema can be found at View link
A 1990s photo is here.
Here is a June 1949 ad from the Wisconsin State Journal:
http://tinyurl.com/cnbvlg
This is a 2008 photo.
A more recent view of the Barrymore Theater can be seen here.
Here is another recent photo of the Barrymore Theater.
A Kilgen theater organ opus 4420 size 2/8 was installed in the Eastwood Theater in 1930.
This is a more recent photo of the Barrymore Theater.
This is a 2007 photo of the Barrymore Theater.
Here are some additional photos from the same source:
http://tinyurl.com/ocnx8
http://tinyurl.com/rn3qk
http://tinyurl.com/ld79h
http://tinyurl.com/lrqoy
http://tinyurl.com/nk5g3
http://tinyurl.com/lkhx9
Here’s a picture of the Eastwood from 1930.
View link
Regarding this theater’s timeline as a concert venue, Hot Tuna performed there on 3/14/90.
This theatre was called The Cinema in the 70s. It showed mostly Disney and family movies in the early 70s. In the late 70s it switched to porn and the theatre and neighborhood became run down. In recent years both theatre and neighborhood have been revived.
The architects of the Eastwood Theatre were Frederic J. Klein and H.C. Alford.
The Eastwood Theatre opened on 28th December 1929.
The style is listed as Italian Renaissance however it is an atmospheric theatre.There are some excellent photos at www.wisconsinhistory.org
atmos.
Warren, this theatre nust have had a couple AKA’s I show it as being the Atwood at one time, It was located right at Atwood and Eastwood Blvd.
This was originally the Eastwood Theatre. It was apparently re-named in honor of the great American acting family when it was converted into a “live” venue. As the Eastwood, the seating capacity was reported as 980 in Film Daily Year Books.
The Official website for the Barrymore theatre: http://www.barrymorelive.com/
This venue is also used by the Madison Rep. Theatre for some ‘fringe’ plays.