Goodale Theatre
528 Hennepin Avenue,
Minneapolis,
MN
55403
528 Hennepin Avenue,
Minneapolis,
MN
55403
8 people
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Address is actually 528 Hennepin Ave.
Here’s a new 4-page 50th anniversary FIDDLER ON THE ROOF retrospective featuring a roadshow playdate chronology and historian Q&A. The Academy’s lengthy run is mentioned in the piece.
1999 photo added credit Phil Handy. Multiple videos online of the move that year if you search: ‘shubert theatre moved 1999 minneapolis"
New Showcase Presentations in Minneapolis article includes mention of the numerous 70mm (and roadshow) engagements here and other Twin Cities area cinemas.
August 28th, 1910 and July 12th, 1957 grand opening ads in the photo section.
1958 photo added courtesy of The Last Remaining Seats Facebook page.
2 photos added.
The Academy was a gem. The audience-stage relationship is almost unique in U.S. commercial legit theatres, which tend to be larger, with problematic sightlines. The first balcony was only 7 rows deep & offered a perfect view of the stage. The second balcony had a portion of the front center section removed to accommodate the image thrown by the Todd-AO projector from the booth at the rear of the first balcony. This was one of the best Todd-AO installations I have seen, with a deep curved screen in perfect proportion to the auditorium.
Only a few days short of its 101st Birthday, the old Shubert has reopened. Renamed the Goodale theatre, part of the Cowles Center, the theatre is now a mix of the old and new. One might call it the “incredible shrinking theatre”. Built with 1,600 seats, in 1957 it was downsized to 800, and now has dropped to a mere 500. The second balcony, which was closed off in 1957, has been removed. Part of the back of the main floor has been converted into a coat room. The boxes, removed in 1957, were not replaced. Still it is an impressive venue. Although most of us may not be around in 2101, hopefully the Shubert, turned Alvin, turned Academy, turned Goodale will be.
Open house tomorrow 11-5 pm.
The Grand Opening Weekend will be Sept. 9-11 2011.
The projector in the original Shubert/Alvin days was atop the second balcony. With the coming of Todd-AO in 1957 it was relocated to the back of the firt balcony. The second balcony was actually closed off at that time and never used again.
Just before the theatre was moved to it’s new location I got tour of the place. The old second balcony not only still had it’s seats (most likely 1910 vintage) and even the remains of an old projector.
Just an update work continues on the theatre. The new stage house is up. The front of the house has been cleaned and restored. It looks great.
Just a note, the house opened in 1910, so it will be re-opeoning around it’s 101st birthday.
Thanks Kirk.
After a $2.5 million gift, the name of the Shubert will be changed to The Cowles Center.
According to the web page, the Shubert will finally be reopening in the Spring of 2011. That will be 101 years after it was beginning built.
The extensive 1957 remodeling of the Shubert Theatre into the Academy Theatre (which, according to the intro above “…was so completely refurbished it requires its own entry in the Cinema Treasures listings,” was the work of the Minneapolis architectural firm Liebenberg & Kaplan.
Good for MSP. They seem to be saving their theatrical history.
It appears that they are still aiming at a fall 2008 opening.
Here is a photo of the Alvin from 1953:
http://tinyurl.com/oek98
Here is a page of photos from the Minnesota Historical Society:
http://tinyurl.com/j2j3w
The Minneapolis Shubert and the St. Paul Shubert both opened on the night of August 28, 1910. The St. Paul Shubert was designed by the Chicago architectural firm of Marshall & Fox. Although not certain there is a chance that the Minneapolis Shubert was designed by the same firm.
The Academy now boasts a Summer 2008 opening date as the Shubert Performing Arts Center. Last week, the building donned brown banners down the street-facing side of the vacant building. The Minnesota legislature apparently passed a bill which included $11 million for the restoration of the Academy, to be named the Shubert. It looks like the old lady will be back after all.
This and the World are shown in an old Husker Du video, “Makes No Sense At All.” Even with the sad state of the exterior, one can see the beauty. I’m glad to hear it’s being saved, any update on the restoration would be appreciated.
A 1955 view of the side wall and part or the facade of the Academy, when it was the Minneapolis Evangelistic Auditorium, can be seen in the photograph of its former neighbor, the World Theatre at 16 N. 7th Street. The old “Alvin Theatre” sign can be clearly seen on the end wall of the Academy’s stage tower.