Warner Theatre

811 State Street,
Erie, PA 16501

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Showing 26 - 50 of 138 comments

babahauck
babahauck on May 10, 2010 at 11:14 am

Good picture, Chuck1231. Thanks for posting it.

Patsy
Patsy on May 2, 2010 at 4:19 pm

Warner Lady: Great article! Congratulations!

babahauck
babahauck on May 2, 2010 at 3:38 pm

There is a news article published in the Buffalo News today. Go to:
View link
Within the article there is a link to http://www.erieevents.com/ where you can purchase the new Warner history book.

Patsy
Patsy on April 26, 2010 at 10:37 pm

Yes, very colorful and full of acrobatic talent. BTW, the Warner has never closed in its long history in Erie PA on State Street just blocks from the shores of Lake Erie.

TLSLOEWS
TLSLOEWS on April 26, 2010 at 8:42 pm

Was it a good show Patsy?

Patsy
Patsy on November 25, 2009 at 11:26 pm

This evening I saw the show, Cirque Dreams Holidaze at the Warner which is beautifully decorated for the Christmas and holiday season. The tour schedule for Cirque Dreams is @ http://www.cirqueproductions.com/

Patsy
Patsy on November 12, 2009 at 9:03 pm

The above link really gives anyone interested in purchasing your book a wonderful opportunity to see some inside pages and read about you and the others involved in putting together this book about the beautiful Rapp & Rapp Warner Theatre of Erie PA.

babahauck
babahauck on November 12, 2009 at 2:18 pm

If you want to purchase this book online, go to www.warnertheatrebook.com

Patsy
Patsy on November 12, 2009 at 9:57 am

Warner Lady: Thanks, Barb for posting your book information. Since purchasing it I haven’t been able to put it down. I recommend to anyone who is interested in theatre and the Warner name to pick up or order this book for their theatre library…it’s a true cinema treasure! ;–)

babahauck
babahauck on October 15, 2009 at 12:07 pm

Finally the new book is out! “A Picture Palace Transformed: How Erie’s Warner Theatre Survived a Changing World” by Barbara J. Hauck based on the works of Dr. John Marsh is available at Borders, the Erie Book Store, and in the Warner before concerts. If you are out of Erie, you will have to go to Borders and tell them to search for it in their system. It is only at the Erie store, but all other Borders Book Stores can order it. It’s a beautiful book with many old and new photos. The new ones have been shot by Art Becker, a nationally renown Erie photographer. Contributing Editor Brian Sheridan did a great deal of research to add some really exciting facts.

Don Lewis
Don Lewis on August 8, 2009 at 9:52 pm

View of the Warner Theatre from 1996here and here .

NickL
NickL on June 30, 2009 at 6:26 am

I love reading all the fond memories of the Warner. As a young boy I took tap lessons at Little’s Dance Studio, and as such, got to perform on the Warner stage 2 Times!! What fond memories. Is the blue clock still next to the stage? That clock sticks very strongly in my memories of the theater. Any new news on the book?

Patsy
Patsy on September 28, 2008 at 1:06 pm

Yes, thank heavens!

MPol
MPol on September 28, 2008 at 11:56 am

I hear what you’re saying, Patsy, and…yup….with rare exceptions, Tinsel town, plus today’s generation being hard to compete with, is absolutely correct.

Thank heavens there are afew movie palaces left here in the United States, though.

babahauck
babahauck on September 28, 2008 at 7:36 am

The issue is price of heating and maintaining the building. Just too high a price for the smaller audiences. Remember that before TV and subsequently VCR tapes, there was only one type of venue to look at film, a picture palace or movie house. Filling the Warner’s 2,222 seats would be very easy for a movie debut then. It would be impossible now. So the theatre is changing its purpose. Last night my husband and I went to the opening night for the Erie Philharmonic. Just fabulous! And in such a beautiful, uplifting space! The Erie’s Warner has evolved into a successful performing arts center wrapped in the cloak of history. We should be proud, not sad.

Patsy
Patsy on September 27, 2008 at 3:48 pm

“perfect place to show great vintage movie classics”

I agree, but sadly the bottom line these days is…“hard to compete with Tinsel Town”…with today’s generation I might add!

babahauck
babahauck on September 27, 2008 at 2:15 pm

Too costly. Hard to compete with Tinsel Town. I have nothing to do with programming anyway. I just raise money for the restoration.

MPol
MPol on September 27, 2008 at 1:25 pm

Hi, Warner Lady.

Even though I don’t live in that general area, the theatre looks like a fantastic theatre, which would be another perfect place to show great vintage movie classics in. Too bad they don’t do that anymore.

babahauck
babahauck on August 25, 2008 at 4:39 pm

About the organ, it was donated by Warner Bros to the Cleveland Armory as a tax deduction…long before the present management every owned the building. Here’s the text explaining this from the upcoming book: “In 1969 the company(Warner)offered the Mighty Wurlitzer to the Western Reserve Chapter of the American Theater Organ Enthusiasts (ATOE) as a donation. The instrument was installed at Cleveland’s Gray’s Armory. The Armory, a non-profit museum dedicated to Cleveland, Ohio’s voluntary militias, and the ATOE provided the perfect opportunity for Warner Bros. to receive a tax deduction that year. This move to take the organ out of the theater was indicative of the changing times: Performance on the organ was no longer in demand. The loss of the organ to the Erie community has been an issue for many years to those who loved the music. However, both Jack Burger and Monsignor William Biebel, who had played the instrument in its new home, commented that there is irony in its location: In losing its organ, the Warner helped to preserve it. On January 17, 1972, a broken water main flooded the house’s basement, orchestra pit, and the first 12 rows of seats. If the console had been in its place, it would have been ruined.” Warner Lady

Patsy
Patsy on July 16, 2008 at 2:44 pm

And in the meantime, perhaps Warner Lady will come through for us, too! I will try to reach her via phone also.

Patsy
Patsy on July 16, 2008 at 2:43 pm

Okay….I know where the memory card is, I just have to look through them! LOL!

Patsy
Patsy on July 16, 2008 at 2:16 pm

And perhaps Warner Lady could help us out with interior photos. I can’t seem to locate her email address so hopefully she’ll read our request and contact me @

Patsy
Patsy on July 16, 2008 at 2:06 pm

I did take photos, but would have to find them on my digital camera and then send them to you. The photos have to be on one of my digital chips though they were not taken recently.