I managed to get inside the Broadway 12/16/2011. I was blown away that it’s in relatively good shape. A guy is going to open a small shop in the lobby, but the owner implied that there may be something in the works for when the 18-month lease runs out.
Here are photos of the public areas. I’m posting photos of the backstage and basement areas the next day.
http://www.capecentralhigh.com/cape-photos/broadway/broadway-theater-wow/
The Esquire, across the street, is being renovated, too. I’d love to see those two properties restored. It would change the complexion of that whole area.
http://www.capecentralhigh.com/cape-photos/broadway/esquire-gets-new-life/
From the front, it looks the same as it has in recent years. Everything back of the lobby has been demolished. I can’t say that I blame the owners; it was just a shell when a rain storm brought the roof down.
The page contains some links to other info about the Rialto and other Esquire theaters.
The marquee is, as far as I know, the same as it was in the 2009 photos. I’m headed back to Cape in about a week. If it has changed, I’ll post new stuff.
There’s also a link on the page to a newspaper story I did when the Beatles movie HELP! played there in 1965. I used infrared film and flashbulbs to capture the teenybopper reactions.
Here is a recent shot of minor repairs being made to the Esquire.
http://www.capecentralhigh.com/cape-photos/broadway/hope-for-esquire/
I managed to get inside the Broadway 12/16/2011. I was blown away that it’s in relatively good shape. A guy is going to open a small shop in the lobby, but the owner implied that there may be something in the works for when the 18-month lease runs out.
Here are photos of the public areas. I’m posting photos of the backstage and basement areas the next day. http://www.capecentralhigh.com/cape-photos/broadway/broadway-theater-wow/
The Esquire, across the street, is being renovated, too. I’d love to see those two properties restored. It would change the complexion of that whole area. http://www.capecentralhigh.com/cape-photos/broadway/esquire-gets-new-life/
Good news: the Esquire Theater in Cape Girardeau has been sold to someone who is going to renovate it and turn it into an indie house.
Here are photos taken Oct. 18, 2011: http://www.capecentralhigh.com/cape-photos/broadway/esquire-gets-new-life/
The Esquire is in better shape than the Broadway, but it’s still pretty ragged.
Both are in better shape than the Rialto, which suffered a roof collapse in the summer of 2010
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and was gone by the end of the year.
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Chuck,
As promised, here’s what Cape Girardeau’s Rialto Theater looks like today.
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From the front, it looks the same as it has in recent years. Everything back of the lobby has been demolished. I can’t say that I blame the owners; it was just a shell when a rain storm brought the roof down.
The page contains some links to other info about the Rialto and other Esquire theaters.
Photos of the 1964 Southeast Missouri State College Homecoming parade passing in front of the Rialto Theater.
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I met my wife-to-be there when I walked out of the world’s worst movie.
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Bad news. The roof collapsed during a rain storm.
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It’s been demolished.
Chuck,
The marquee is, as far as I know, the same as it was in the 2009 photos. I’m headed back to Cape in about a week. If it has changed, I’ll post new stuff.
Here are photos I took of Cape Girardeau’s Esquire Theater in 2009 and one from 2007.
View link
There’s also a link on the page to a newspaper story I did when the Beatles movie HELP! played there in 1965. I used infrared film and flashbulbs to capture the teenybopper reactions.