Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts
71 E. Main Street,
Patchogue,
NY
11772
71 E. Main Street,
Patchogue,
NY
11772
4 people
favorited this theater
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Theatre just celebrated 100 years on May 23rd. The Long Island Advance published a side by side picture of then and now which I’ve uploaded.
Link with additional history and past ownership details.
http://www.oldtimesphotos.com/index.php/2018/11/22/timeline-of-the-long-island-history-patchogue-theatre-1923/?fbclid=IwAR3JUNHXxann-hxfL3JEhc56kfp-2b3GxrZ0MlwDLsSA4cSndBNoTlLaAKA
It has been announced that a new marquee costing $184,000 will be installed. $100,000 of this was a grant from the Suffolk County Downtown Revitalization program. My question is why since the current electronic marquee is elegant and understated.
Several years ago a million dollars was spent repairing the roof and replacing the 1,049 seats.
Reportedly the theater holds about 160 shows annually with 150,000 people in attendance.
Maurice D. Sornik was the architect of the 1956 makeover.
The Patchogue and neighboring Rialto were acquired by Prudential in August, 1929. At that time they also operated the Bay Shore, Regent (Bay Shore) and Babylon theaters.
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< a href=“http://www.julietbalcony.co.uk/juliet-balcony”>Juliet balconies direct from our factory for a price you won’t beat anywhere. No hidden costs – all prices are inclusive of vat, paint, galvanising and fittings. Many balconies in stock for immediate UK delivery. Or we can make any design you want in any size – just call us!
And, by the way, that might be the highest canopy marquee I’ve ever seen on a local neighborhood movie theater!
Here’s an active link to the image moviegoer posted earlier.
Here’s an image of the Patchogue when it was still a movie house in 1983.
http://americanclassicimages.com/Default.aspx?tabid=141&txtSearch=CATAdvancedSearch1%2c32%2c3%2c-1&catpageindex=22&ProductID=30379
Here’s an accompanying article too:
Click here to view excerpt
JF Lundy emailed me the photo of the Patchogue Theater and I uploaded it here:
Click here to View Photo
If someone has the means to post a photo to Flickr or some other web photo album, and will provide a link to share with this page, I can send them a photo from Saturday, August 11, 1923 of this theatre.
The feature on the marquee is “Rustle of Silk”.
Contact:
Almost twenty pages of photos of the Patchogue Theatre are in the book Patchogue in the Twentieth Century by Hans Henke. The photos show the original theatre, playbills, the fire which destroyed he lobby on October 2, 1958 (a temporary entrance was set up on Oak Street), the making of the triplex, the performing arts center, etc..
Mr. Henke’s previous book, Patchogue The Early Years, has photos of the original Unique, the Unique which became the Rialto, the Star Palace and the Lyceum. None of these photos have a link.
I have attended shows at the Patchogue Theatre in the past few years and was present when then Mayor Keegan had his crew remove the interior subdividing walls and seats. I think that they restored the auditorium to as it was prior to the shoe boxing and I feel, in my opinion, that it was originally much more colorful when first opened. I am pleased with what they have done yet I wish they didn’t have to install all those lighting bridges which obstruct ones view. The main chandelier is nice but doesn’t seem to go with the adamesque interior. The NYTOS had agreed with the previous director to install a 2-10 Wurlitzer and, just as they were about to begin, a new director came onto the scene and refused to allow the installation for whatever reason. In this writer’s opinion that was a bad decision on his part. The organ would have been a wonderful addition to the theatre allowing silent film and concerts, etc. Anyway, it is wonderful to have such a theatre here in Suffolk County and the village has make a comeback around it.
As a triplex
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This theatre has been getting great use. A lot of great things have been booked here lately.
Hi. I work for the Architect that did the Restoration and New Lobby Design for the Patchogue Theatre. The Architect is local Patchogue Architect William J. Miller of WH Design Studio – located on N. Ocean Ave. right next to the Chamber of Commerce. If anyone has any questions about all the beautiful restoration/design work that Bill did please drop us a line at: Our website which includes some recent pictures of the Theatre is: http://www.whdesignstudio.com We also have a few original plaster pieces (which were beyond repair) from the theatre in our office on display. Enjoy the theatre…it’s an important piece of Long Island History!
Thanks for the information Bway !
JF Lundy, the Unique Theater was the former name for the Rialto Theater on South Ocean Ave in Patchogue:
/theaters/7421/
I think that the “Palace” was probably the Star Palace that Lost linked, but am not sure.
Suffolk County News ads for Unique and Palace Theaters from 6 July 1923. Palace was in Patchogue and I believe the Unique in Sayville. Does anyone have more information on these two ?
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Suffolk County News ad from 6 July 1923:
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Here is an ad from 4 December 1929 for the Patchogue and Rialto Prudential Theaters:
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An ad for the Port Jefferson Theater from the same page still lists that Theater as a Glynne house:
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Here is an ad from December of 1931 for the Patchogue Theater
(Prudential Playhouses):
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