Patchogue Theatre
Encyclopedia
Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts is Located at 71 East Main Street
in Patchogue Village, Suffolk County, New York
(nearest cross street, North Ocean Avenue).
The Patchogue Village Center for the Performing Arts
, Inc., organized under a Not-for-Profit Corporation Law of the State of New York.
This helps to manage the The Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts in the public interest.
The Center's mission is to have The Patchogue Theatre serve as a cultural center
for Long Island
.
The Center showcases a broad spectrum of performing arts for the benefit of a wide-ranging audience at affordable prices.
The Patchogue Theatre as a full-time mixed-use venue, offering a variety of events including live performances, films, educational presentations, commercial productions, community forums, and other appropriate events.
, Ward and Glynne’s theatre
, as it was called then, was described as “palatial” and “magnificent in its interior decorations and appointments.” For the first half dozen years, the theatre hosted first-run feature films, Broadway
productions, vaudeville
and the best in burlesque
. In 1929 the Theatre was sold to Prudential Theater Circuit and it remained a movie house for the next forty plus years.
In 1958 a fire destroyed the lobby
, so a new, much smaller lobby was built and three storefronts were added to the front of the building along Main Street.
In 1980 United Artists bought the building, and converted it to a three-theatre “Multiplex”. This was the beginning of the era that saw single screen theaters give way to more and more screens in one place. The conversion of the Patchogue Theatre into a triplex destroyed much of the interior as plaster columns were smashed, sheetrock and wallpaper were installed over the original walls, and new lower ceilings replaced the magnificent interior. Unfortunately, the theatre went out of business several years later and stood empty, forlorn, derelict and almost forgotten for over a decade.
In 1997 the Patchogue Village Board made the decision to purchase the theatre for the Village of Patchogue
.
Several local businessmen came up with the initial funds to purchase the theatre and the village applied for grants to renovate and restore the building to its former glory. The three empty storefronts were torn down. Where they stood, a brick walkway to the parking lots was built and a new building was constructed that is now a restaurant. The small theater lobby was replaced by a much larger one, featuring a mahogany bar and Art Deco
style bathrooms.The old exterior brick was cleaned up and the new buildings had new brick fronts.
The theatre interior was restored to its 1923 grandeur in several phases as the theatre was open for business. The old seats were cleaned up and installed and the first performance was held in December 1998. The theatre was alternately open and closed for the next few years as renovations continued.
Plasterers restored and repaired the plaster work on the auditorium
walls, the columns were restored, tapestry wall fabric was installed, a new brass rail was placed at the edge of the balcony
, and the original marble steps were cleaned up.
Period seats were obtained from Manhattan’s Imperial Theatre and were repainted and recovered. There are now 944 orchestra seats and 222 balcony seats; a total of 1166, plus two sections for disabled seating.
By early 2001, the plaster and ceiling were painted and gilded, the new chandelier was hung and the restoration of the magnificent theater interior was complete.
Despite the old look of the theatre, the restoration added many modern amenities for the performers. 2500 feet (762 m) of conduit was installed beneath the floor to bring 2000 amps of electrical power into the building. 60,000 pounds of steel were installed on the stage to be able to support up to 17 tons of lighting and scenery in the air.
The building had to be reinforced to accommodate this and supporting columns were installed. A 5000 square feet (464.5 m²) addition to the back of the building was built to accommodate extended wing space for larger, modern sets. New dressing rooms were added as was a loading dock so that even the largest production can easily be brought into the theatre.
In 2004 the final pieces of a world class sound system
were installed so that any performing artist or stage act can now perform at the theatre with outstanding sound quality and no need for rented equipment.
Since its opening in 1998 the theatre has played a part in housing - Broadway shows, ice shows, plays
, The Long Island Hall of Fame, comedy, auctions, dance performances and competitions and live concerts by local and national acts.
The Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts, has seen the likes of a wide range of Music styles, ranging from classical to Jazz, Rock, Blues, Folk, Etc.
The Theatre displays a vast aray of musical talent in the heart of Long Island
, New York's south shore
.
Montauk Highway
Montauk Highway is one of the original through highways of Long Island, New York, extending from Jamaica, in the New York City borough of Queens to Montauk Point in Suffolk County, a distance of approximately 100 miles ....
in Patchogue Village, Suffolk County, New York
Suffolk County, New York
Suffolk County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York on the eastern portion of Long Island. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,493,350. It was named for the county of Suffolk in England, from which its earliest settlers came...
(nearest cross street, North Ocean Avenue).
The Patchogue Village Center for the Performing Arts
Performing arts
The performing arts are those forms art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some physical art object...
, Inc., organized under a Not-for-Profit Corporation Law of the State of New York.
This helps to manage the The Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts in the public interest.
The Center's mission is to have The Patchogue Theatre serve as a cultural center
Cultural center
A cultural center or cultural centre is an organization, building or complex that promotes culture and arts. Cultural centers can be neighborhood community arts organizations, private facilities, government-sponsored, or activist-run...
for Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
.
The Center showcases a broad spectrum of performing arts for the benefit of a wide-ranging audience at affordable prices.
The Patchogue Theatre as a full-time mixed-use venue, offering a variety of events including live performances, films, educational presentations, commercial productions, community forums, and other appropriate events.
History
The Patchogue Theatre opened on May 23, 1923 as perhaps the largest and most magnificent theater on Long IslandLong Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, Ward and Glynne’s theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
, as it was called then, was described as “palatial” and “magnificent in its interior decorations and appointments.” For the first half dozen years, the theatre hosted first-run feature films, Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
productions, vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
and the best in burlesque
Burlesque
Burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects...
. In 1929 the Theatre was sold to Prudential Theater Circuit and it remained a movie house for the next forty plus years.
In 1958 a fire destroyed the lobby
Lobby (room)
A lobby is a room in a building which is used for entry from the outside. Sometimes referred to as a foyer or an entrance hall.Many office buildings, hotels and skyscrapers go to great lengths to decorate their lobbies to create the right impression....
, so a new, much smaller lobby was built and three storefronts were added to the front of the building along Main Street.
In 1980 United Artists bought the building, and converted it to a three-theatre “Multiplex”. This was the beginning of the era that saw single screen theaters give way to more and more screens in one place. The conversion of the Patchogue Theatre into a triplex destroyed much of the interior as plaster columns were smashed, sheetrock and wallpaper were installed over the original walls, and new lower ceilings replaced the magnificent interior. Unfortunately, the theatre went out of business several years later and stood empty, forlorn, derelict and almost forgotten for over a decade.
In 1997 the Patchogue Village Board made the decision to purchase the theatre for the Village of Patchogue
Patchogue, New York
-Notable citizens:* Franc D'Ambrosio, Broadway Actor, best known for being the longest running Phantom in Phantom of the Opera. Graduated Pat-Med HS 1981* Michael Fagan, professional bowler...
.
Several local businessmen came up with the initial funds to purchase the theatre and the village applied for grants to renovate and restore the building to its former glory. The three empty storefronts were torn down. Where they stood, a brick walkway to the parking lots was built and a new building was constructed that is now a restaurant. The small theater lobby was replaced by a much larger one, featuring a mahogany bar and Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
style bathrooms.The old exterior brick was cleaned up and the new buildings had new brick fronts.
The theatre interior was restored to its 1923 grandeur in several phases as the theatre was open for business. The old seats were cleaned up and installed and the first performance was held in December 1998. The theatre was alternately open and closed for the next few years as renovations continued.
Plasterers restored and repaired the plaster work on the auditorium
Auditorium
An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances at venues such as theatres. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens.- Etymology :...
walls, the columns were restored, tapestry wall fabric was installed, a new brass rail was placed at the edge of the balcony
Balcony
Balcony , a platform projecting from the wall of a building, supported by columns or console brackets, and enclosed with a balustrade.-Types:The traditional Maltese balcony is a wooden closed balcony projecting from a...
, and the original marble steps were cleaned up.
Period seats were obtained from Manhattan’s Imperial Theatre and were repainted and recovered. There are now 944 orchestra seats and 222 balcony seats; a total of 1166, plus two sections for disabled seating.
By early 2001, the plaster and ceiling were painted and gilded, the new chandelier was hung and the restoration of the magnificent theater interior was complete.
Despite the old look of the theatre, the restoration added many modern amenities for the performers. 2500 feet (762 m) of conduit was installed beneath the floor to bring 2000 amps of electrical power into the building. 60,000 pounds of steel were installed on the stage to be able to support up to 17 tons of lighting and scenery in the air.
The building had to be reinforced to accommodate this and supporting columns were installed. A 5000 square feet (464.5 m²) addition to the back of the building was built to accommodate extended wing space for larger, modern sets. New dressing rooms were added as was a loading dock so that even the largest production can easily be brought into the theatre.
In 2004 the final pieces of a world class sound system
Sound reinforcement system
A sound reinforcement system is the combination of microphones, signal processors, amplifiers, and loudspeakers that makes live or pre-recorded sounds louder and may also distribute those sounds to a larger or more distant audience...
were installed so that any performing artist or stage act can now perform at the theatre with outstanding sound quality and no need for rented equipment.
Since its opening in 1998 the theatre has played a part in housing - Broadway shows, ice shows, plays
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
, The Long Island Hall of Fame, comedy, auctions, dance performances and competitions and live concerts by local and national acts.
The Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts, has seen the likes of a wide range of Music styles, ranging from classical to Jazz, Rock, Blues, Folk, Etc.
The Theatre displays a vast aray of musical talent in the heart of Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, New York's south shore
South Shore
South Shore may refer to:In Canada:*South Shore , Quebec, the region of the greater Montreal area on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River*South Shore , geographic region of Nova Scotia*South Shore—St...
.
External links
- Patchogue Theatre website
- Historical image of Patchogue Theatre - as movie theatre triplex