New Colony Theatre
430 High Street,
Portsmouth,
VA
23704
430 High Street,
Portsmouth,
VA
23704
2 people
favorited this theater
Showing 10 comments
The Colony Theatre opened on March 8th, 1926.
Colony theatre opening 07 Mar 1926, Sun Virginian-Pilot and the Norfolk Landmark (Norfolk, Virginia) Newspapers.com
I recently found a diary from 1935. Someone who worked there. It list shows and even has a piece of a negative. Very interesting.
I was in the Colony a few times when the initial night club occupied the building in the mid to late 1980’s. The stage was intact and during breaks in the entertainment a movie size screen was sometimes lowered. Music videos were sometimes shown. I can recall seeing Point of No Return by Nu Shooz during one break with giant pairs of shoes racing across the screen.
CURRENT NAME: NEW COLONY THEATER
PREVIOUS NAME: COLONY THEATER
OPEN
NUMBER OF SEATS: 267
PHONE: 757.625.1212
RELATED WEBSITE (OFFICIAL) www.newcolonytheater.org
From the 1950s a photo postcard view of the Colony Theatre along with the Commodore which is directly across the street.
My mom worked at the Colony in Portsmouth, VA back in the mid ‘50’s as a part-time cashier. She said she remembered a wide, sweeping staircase, thick carpeting, a large chandelier, and a lounge with comfortable chairs & fireplace- I can only imagine!
That must have been one hell of a storm.
This photo is from 1951. The citizens are waiting in line to buy license plates:
http://tinyurl.com/s7asz
Here is a 1952 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/emp9l
LEVINE THEATRICAL ENTERPRISES is the chain for this theatre.