Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts
4 Southbridge Street,
Worcester,
MA
01608
4 Southbridge Street,
Worcester,
MA
01608
9 people
favorited this theater
Showing 51 - 56 of 56 comments
Further information that I have is that it was sold to Showcase in 1964, twinned in 1968 and quadded sometime after that. I knew that it remained open after 1990, but didn’t realize that Showcase operated it all the way to 1998. I understand that National Amusements donated it to the city for conversion into a PAC. I know that there were work crews inside it in early-2005, but what is happening there now ?
Ron,
It must be the upper balcony, because this house did not have a second balcony. MGM would have owned this theater at the time, so no wonder they called it “DeLuxe”
I too am curous as to any progress made on this theater. Last time I was in Worcester (summer of 05) nothing on the exterior had changed at all.
The Poli Palace was apparently the largest of the downtown Worcester theatres when it opened November 15, 1926. I have a seating capacity of 3196 seats. It had a Hall organ. The info I have is that it was built on the site of the Poli Grand Theatre of 1904, but it was built at an axis of 90 degrees to the old theatre. The MGM Theatre Photograph and Report form for this house has a photo taken in 1941.The long marquee has 4 lines with white letters on a black background. Movies are Jean Arthur in “The Devil and Miss Jones”, and Kay Francis in “Playgirl”. Next is “That Night in Rio”. The Report states that the theatre is a MGM customer, that it is in “DeLuxe” condition; with the following seating: Orchestra: 1691; Balcony: 748; 2nd Balcony: 399; Loges: 317; Boxes: 84, Total: 3239.The marquee says “Loew’s Poli” but does not have the word “Palace”. I wonder if what they call “2nd Balcony” in the REport is actually the upper part of one big balcony ??
Any word on progress of this project?
Does this work include restoring it to a single auditorium?
I saw this theatre last week, work is going on inside. The dome ceiling is intact as well as other features. I wonder if the original facade is under the “Redstone” N/A re-facing of the building. This may be completed by the time Theatre Historical Society visits Worcester theatres in June 2005.