Kenosha Theatre
5913 6th Avenue,
Kenosha,
WI
53140
5913 6th Avenue,
Kenosha,
WI
53140
8 people
favorited this theater
Related Websites
The Kenosha Theatre (Official)
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Standard Theaters Management Corp., Universal Chain Theatrical Enterprises Inc., Warner Bros. Circuit Management Corp.
Architects: Larry P. Larsen
Firms: United Studios, Inc.
Styles: Atmospheric, Spanish Colonial, Spanish Revival
Phone Numbers:
Box Office:
262.654.6626
Nearby Theaters
News About This Theater
- Apr 16, 2009 — Kenosha Theatre a huge draw in 1920s
The Kenosha Theatre was opened September 1, 1927 with a Universal Picture: Norman Kerry in “The Irresistible Lover” on the screen. The vaudeville program on the stage was Nancy Gibbs and a company of 10 in “Dear Little Rebel”, plus also on the stage Bert Gordon in “Desperate Sam” & a comedy act, the Arnaut Brothers. The Kenosha Theatre was designed by architect Larry P. Larsen of architectural firm United Studios Inc., and was commissioned by Carl Laemmle, the founder of Universal Studios, to be operated by the Universal Pictures chain.
A Wurlitzer pipe organ, Opus 1696, with a 3 manual console was shipped to this theatre on August 8, 1927 and opened by organist Ted Sandford. Sometime later the instrument was sold and went to a private individual in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. The Kenosha Theatre was taken over by Warner Bros. Circuit Management Corp on April 19, 1930. It was closed on April 21, 1963.
This theatre still stands today, but has suffered severe water damage. A new roof was placed on the building in the early-2000’s which has slowed the wear and tear of time. A non-profit group has again begun the process of fundraising to try to restore this building.
Contributed by
Jeff Baas
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Recent comments (view all 36 comments)
Kenosha Theatre projectionist Elmer George Hayek, 84, of Springfield, Illinois and formerly of Kenosha, WI, passed away at 5:00 p.m., November 5, 2001 at his residence. He was born June 23, 1917 in Detroit, MI, the son of George and Mary Exton Hayek. He married Alice Louise Reis in Lake Geneva, WI on August 30, 1938 and she preceded him in death in 1995. He moved to Kenosha at age 16 to work for his uncle, William “Bill” Exton at the Roosevelt Theater. Later in life, he was a motion picture operator at the Kenosha, Orpheum, Roosevelt, Gateway, and Keno theaters. He then worked as a linotype operator and foreman of the composing room at Lloyd Hollister Printing and Pioneer Press in Wilmette, IL. Mr. Hayek lived in Kenosha from 1950 until 1999 when he moved to Springfield, IL. Mr. Hayek was a member of Bristol Oaks Country Club, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and was a volunteer for the Kenosha Memorial Hospital. He had also served his country in the U.S. Army during World War II. He enjoyed playing golf and was devoted to his family. He was also preceded in death by his parents, and a brother: Albert. He is survived by a daughter: Susan (husband, Michael) Shaw of Springfield; a sister: Evelyn Willard of Mena, AR; a grandson: Scot Shaw of Cambridge, MA; and a nephew: George Hayek of El Dorado Hills, CA. Remains were cremated and Private Memorial Services will be observed at a later date. Memorial contributions may be made to the Adams Wildlife Sanctuary, 2315 Clearlake Ave., Springfield, IL 62703. (The Kirlin-Egan and Butler Funeral Home and Cremation Tribute Center, 900 S. 6th St., Springfield, IL.)
Hope something happens with this one. Seems like they were making progress six or seven years ago. It would be a shame if that was all for nothing.
(From Boxoffice, October 29, 1938:) William Exton posted $10 to be given any man over 21 years who would remain two full days and one whole night in the lobby of the Kenosha Theatre in a coffin during the two-day engagement of “Frankenstein” and “Dracula”.
I have restored/refurbished/reopened historic theatres in the past; and with proper management, no amount of money is too hard to get. They recently spent $95 MILLION, restoring the King Theatre in NYC. I own Kirk Entertainment and work with a lot of name stars; and much of the funds could be raised having them do concerts as fundraisers (reduced rates or free). I’m inquiring about the Palace Theatre in Gary Indiana and it’s in far worse condition; but, the Jackson 5 grew up there and the place is now very important. I would be willing to work with a preservation effort for the Kenosha Theatre
The Kenosha is one of the 24 theaters in my new book, “After the Final Curtain: The Fall of the American Movie Theater,” which is available on Amazon or your local bookstore
A labor dispute closed the KENOSHA Theatre from March 25 to April 15, 1932, when differences were settled at a day and night conference in Milwaukee. The employees agreed to another cut of 43%. Duke Ellington and his orchestra played the KENOSHA on May 8, 1941.
We visited the theater two days ago and saw wheel barrows and opened paint cans and brushes and ladders in the lobby. The same items we saw last year. Yet next door were fixtures with exit signs etc and chairs & table and a set of golf clubs. We thought maybe the people just walked away yet the lights and a ceiling fan were on. Does anybody know what is going on? Only a block from from the beautiful Library Park. This looks like a beautiful theater project in the making!
PROCLAMATION - Whereas one of the technical advances for which our country is noted has been taking place in the entertainment field with the development of three-dimensional motion pictures and
Whereas on May 6 the city of Kenosha will become the first city in Wisconsin where theater patrons can enjoy the advantages of the latest and most modern development in this field known as stereophonic sound,
Therefore I as city manager declare Wednesday, May 6 as “Stereophonic Three Dimension Day” in Kenosha and express best wishes to the local theater which has brought this unique entertainment experience to our citizens.
(9/6/1987) New future for theater?
By DANIEL FISHER Staff Writer
A Madison consultant who specializes in breathing new life into faded downtown movie palaces thinks the Kenosha Theatre, 5913 Sixth Ave., is a good candidate for restoration. But before the curtain goes up, he said, local organizations may have to raise more than $1 million.
“This is a big one. And it’s gorgeous inside. But it needs a lot of work,” said Daniel Pierotti, whose firm, Daniel L. Pierotti & Co., is is currently renovating or developing performing arts centers in Minnesota, Milwaukee, and Peoria, III.
“The Kenosha Theatre has been sitting empty for years without heat,” he said. “It’s going to need a whole new roof,electrical system, and mechanicals.”
Pierotti has been retained by the Citizens Group for the Kenosha Theatre, an organization of downtown business owners and other interested people, to conduct feasibility studies on the renovation. He spoke Thursday night at a fundraiser for the group at the Holiday Inn.
In an interview before the meeting. Pierotti said he envisions the Kenosha Theatre as a regional performing arts center serving Kenosha, Walworth and Racine counties as well as Lake and McHenry counties in Illinois. Following the pattern set by renovated theaters in other cities, he foresees the Kenosha Theatre booking a variety of touring shows - “from Chinese acrobats to Itzhak Perlman,” he said as well as local concerts, meetings and movie festivals.
Since the theater was constructed in the 1920s for both live performances and movies, he said, it would cost less to renovate than some of the other projects he has overseen.
If the Citizens Group can raise Pierotti’s $60,000 fee, he will conduct feasibility studies on the costs of renovation and marketing surveys to determine the demand for theatrical productions in this area.
“Your only competition will be in Woodstock, III. and Alpine Valley, and Alpine Valley is open only in the summer,” he said.
But before renovation can start, the Citizens Group must raise an enormous amount of money, perhaps in the millions. Pierotti’s firm will lead the fundraising effort, seeking corporate and private donations. But before they start, the Baas family, which bought the theatre building in 1983, must transfer ownership over to a nonprofit corporation.
The Baas family will retain the apartments and storefronts facing Sixth Avenue, he said, which are actually in a separate building from the massive theatre behind.
Pierotti said he would hire Architect Dan Coffey, who led the renovation of the Chicago Theatre last year, to renovate the Kenosha Theatre. In addition to replacing the roof, he said, workers would have to rebuild much of the ornate plasterwork inside the theatre.
“It’s very ornate, very elaborate, kind of an Italianate/Moorish design,” he said. But moisture and cold have taken their toll on the horsehair-based plaster, he said, so workers would have to recreate it with modern, fiberglass-based plaster instead. Still, Pierotti is optimistic about the renovation.
“My feeling is, with Kenosha’s kind of upbeat atmosphere, there will be a market for this kind of theater,” he said. “As you know, the yuppies are creeping into town.”
AEC Group Inc. Architectural Engineering Division SUMMARY OF INVESTIGATION & FINDINGS KENOSHA/RHODE THEATRE STUDY MARCH 27, 1989 Investigations indicated a local theatre market area consisting of Kenosha and Racine counties in Wisconsin, population 258,000, and Lake County, Illinois, population in excess of 500,000, provides a potential local market of ¾ million people. Organized bus tours and effective tourism promotion can extend a theatre’s market area to over a 50 mile radius. This extended market area is especially important for a dinner theatre. This size market area has the potential to support both a performing art theatre and a dinner theatre. Through a questionnaire Kenosha and Racine counties were surveyed. Source of Lake County information is a 1987 art study. Questionnaires were circulated in Walworth County through the newspapers and a few by direct mailing with no success.
The questionnaire survey was conducted as follows: 1. Newspapers: Display ads in the Kenosha News, the Midweek Bulletin, the Kenosha News Courier and the Messenger. 2. Direct Mailing #1: Selection of individual’s names at a pre-determined interval established so that 406 selected names would span the entire Kenosha, Wisconsin Bell telephone directory. 3. Direct Mailing #2: Individual names (1048) selected from the Racine Theatre Guild mailing list. 4. Services and Professional Organizations: Members of nine organizations, Kiwanis, Lions, Rotary clubs and the County Bar and the County Dental associations; completed questionnaire during their meetings.
Provide for a concession area in the main lobby and on the mezzanine level.
Redesign the dressing areas below and to the east of the stage creating stage storage behind the stage and new, more flexible dressing facilities below the stage.
The Kenosha Theatre and the Rhode Opera House both are capable and worthwhile to restore. The structural systems are sound in each building. Each have good design details that, when fully restored, will provide a House of Enchantment for theater goers of all ages. However, to be a viable asset to the community each theater must meet certain criterion. 1. Have a defined purpose. 2. Provide quality entertainment at reasonable prices. 3. Facilities must be convenient and comfortable. 4. Be a year-round operation. 5. Develop a reputation that will draw beyond the local market area.
Be a part of a viable ‘People Collecting’ center with a ‘I would like to be there’ image.
Meet the needs for local performance participation.
Have sound management.
Both theatres appear, at this stage of the study, to have the potential to satisfy the criterion.
Alterations over the years:
Has only limited alterations. Most notable is the entrance and the missing marquee. Marble drinking fountain, decorative lighting fixtures and other decorative artifacts are missing.
Theatrical systems: Will require all new rigging, curtains, sound, and stage lighting systems. Projection equipment will be required.
Decorating: Complete cleaning and decorating of the entire theatre required.
Systems: Renovation of the General, Plumbing, Fire/Sprinkler, HVAC and Electrical systems of the Kenosha are detailed in the budget estimate.
As a restored performing art theatre the Kenosha will need the following: New restrooms on the main floor and rehabilitated restrooms on the mezzanine level. Relocation of the lower run of the rear exit stairs in the apartments to relocate the exit door to the south end of the building. Conversion of the north street level store front into a theatre office.
The study has identified definite local support and persuasive reasons as to why the Kenosha Theatre and the Rhode Opera House have the potential to play a supportive role in the redevelopment of the Lakeshore and the revitalizing of the adjacent business district. The two theatres would support a lakeshore recreation/entertainment image and enhance the culture image of Kenosha. By expansion of the local entertainment facilities many area people will be able to participate and/or enjoy theatre art more often. The previous quoted comment is only one of many expressing this desire. The theatres, properly managed and promoted, will also bring people into the lakeshore area. New higher income housing in the immediate and adjacent areas will be an asset to the theatres.
Comparisons of the features of the Kenosha Theatre - General atmosphere after renovation/restoration:
Impressive lobby, foyers and staircases. The House; spacious, elaborate, ornate, a theatrical extravaganza.
Current general conditions: Decayed from lack of use and maintenance for many years. Not completely secured from the elements. Can be restored to its original splendor.
Size - Seating, can influence the price of tickets for some events. 2,200/2,300 seating capacity on main floor and large balcony. Seats have been removed.