Beacon Theatre (Beacon, New York)
 | |
| Address | 445 Main St., 12508 |
|---|---|
| Location | Beacon, New York, United States |
| Coordinates | 41°30′N 73°58′W / 41.50°N 73.97°WCoordinates: 41°30′N 73°58′W / 41.50°N 73.97°W |
| Owner | Brendan McAlpine[1] |
| Seating type | fixed |
| Capacity | 1,200[2] |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1928[3] |
| Opened | 1934[3] |
| Renovated | 2010 |
| Website | |
| http://www.thebeacontheatre.org/ | |
The Beacon Theatre, established in 1928,[3] is an American Art Deco performing arts theatre located in Beacon, New York, in the Hudson Valley on Main Street in the city's downtown section (known as "Theatre Square"), across from the Fishkill Creek.[4] The theatre was run by 4th Wall Productions, which has been producing live theatre in the Hudson Valley since 1994, until they sold the building in 2015.[5]
In 2011, the Beacon Theatre was featured in a music video for the song "Walk Katie Home" by American folk singer Seth Glier, on his album The Next Right Thing.[6][7]
History
The performance hall sits where the original Dibble Opera House, constructed in 1886, once stood. The Opera House had also housed a roller skating rink in its early days until it was torn down in 1927 with plans to construct a new and modernized theatre, that would be large enough to accommodate larger crowds for the rise of films and motion pictures, known then as "photo-plays".[2]
With the intention of becoming a vaudeville house, the Beacon Theatre was constructed in 1928; however, its opening was delayed by six years with the oncoming Great Depression.[8] When the theatre opened in 1934, it was advertised as "the most beautiful theatre from New York City to Albany" and operated as a movie theatre, serving 1,200 people.[3][2]
The theatre quickly became a cultural hot-spot throughout the Hudson Valley, hosting many musical performances, plays, vaudeville acts, and films.[2] During the 1930s, a popular jazz club, known as the "Wonder Bar", operated the second floor, where live acts performed over the theatre's signature marquee.[3][2]
During the 1940s, the theatre also hosted Vox Pop, a national touring radio show that featured interviews and quizzes. [2]
The Beacon Theatre was greatly disheveled by the urban decay of the 1960s in which suburbia began to take over and many large theatres throughout the Hudson Valley, excluding the Beacon, fell to large complexes.[2] The theatre officially closed in 1968 [3] for renovations that were never completed and would remain empty for nearly 40 years.[2]
During the 1990s, the space was used as storage for roofing contractors[2] and as a meeting location for a local church group until 1999, which was responsible for sealing up the second floor, demolishing the balcony, repainting the theatre walls and setting new reclining chairs in the theatre.[3][2]
Current Status
In October, 2010, Patrick R. Manning, president of 4th Wall Productions, and co-founder Christine Busacca-Vittorini purchased the Beacon Theatre in hopes of restoring the venue's former interior and allowing live theatre to become a part of Beacon once again.[8] Plans were announced that the second floor would house a dance studio, however lack of funds stalled renovations to just the main lobby, where 4th Wall ran their Studio B acting classes and small Black box theatre.
In August, 2015, 4th Wall Productions sold the infrastructure of the theatre to Brendan McAlpine of McAlpine Construction after failing to pay down the mortgage for the building. McAlpine, who had shown an interest in purchasing the theatre in 2010 before deciding to instead focus on converting an abandoned factory down the street into the Roundhouse at Beacon Falls, plans to convert the existing theatre into residential units, with the second floor of the theatre turned into a multi-use performance space. 4th Wall was initially promised that the original main stage would be renovated for their use, however McAlpine released different plans to the Beacon Planning Board. McAlpine's proposal has caused controversy among Beacon residents and has led to calls for historic preservation.
Architecture and décor
As with many theatres during the 1930s and '40s, the Beacon Theatre's architecture was largely influenced by Art Deco and other similar design styles.[5]
The original venue was draped with tapestries, and murals decorated the ceilings. [8]
During the 1990s, the theatre also underwent major changes after a local church group took residence in the venue's large space. This involved the sealing up of the second floor, demolition of the balcony, installation of new reclining seats and repainting the walls purple.[3][2]
References
- ↑ "Contact". Beacon Theatre. 2013-01-18. Retrieved 2013-08-19.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Beacon Theater, Beacon: Renovation and Restoration in 2013 - Hudson Valley Magazine - March 2013 - Poughkeepsie, NY". Hvmag.com. 2013-02-20. Retrieved 2013-08-19.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Beacon Theatre". After the Final Curtain. Retrieved 2013-08-19.
- ↑ "The Beacon Scene". Beacon Theatre. 2013-01-18. Retrieved 2013-08-19.
- 1 2 "About The Beacon". Beacon Theatre. 2011-06-09. Retrieved 2013-08-19.
- ↑ "Grammy-nominated SETH GLIER comes to THE BEACON, Saturday, October 13 at 8:00pm | Beacon Arts Community Association". Beaconarts.org. 2012-10-09. Retrieved 2013-08-19.
- ↑ otherside designs. "Press Release: USA Today To Premiere Seth Glier's "Walk Katie Home" Music Video". Mpressrecords.com. Retrieved 2013-08-19.
- 1 2 3 "Overture Time at The Beacon Theatre". Philipstown.info. Retrieved 2013-08-19.