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Rivoli Theatre (South Fallsburg, New York)
Encyclopedia
The Rivoli Theatre in South Fallsburg
, New York, United States is located at the intersection of NY 42
and Laurel Avenue. It was built in 1923, renovated in the late 1930s and remains almost intact from that period.
It was a major local source of entertainment, both live and filmed, in the area during the peak years of the Jewish summer resorts in that region of the Catskills
. Today a local arts group continues to put on plays there every summer. In 2001 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
front with the foyer
and lobby, and a one-story, seven-bay auditorium. It is built of concrete block, faced in buff brick with red coursing
and trim. The side and rear are parged with brick piers dividing the bays. The front of the roof is behind a parapet
; the rear is gable
d. Both roof sections are shingled
in asphalt.
The front marquee
is a three-sided neon sign
supported by chains, augmented by a vertical neon sign on the front. The lobby and foyer are in their original size and shape but have been refinished in newer materials. The 160 feet (48.8 m) auditorium is still in its original Art Deco
style. Its flat ceiling and coved walls are covered in asbestos
paneling done in various patterns of geometric shapes. A large original light fixture is at the center of every wall panel.
The second floor is used for prop storage. Finishes there are mostly intact.
expanding drastically and meeting every week to admit new members.
Israel Kaplan and his son Arch opened the Rivoli to provide entertainment for summer vacationers in 1923. They are credited as designers, but the similarities to Emil Motel's Rialto Theatre
in nearby Monticello
suggest that Motel, who is credited with the Rivoli's later redesign, was the original architect of the Rivoli as well.
The Rivoli was a success, showing both movies and live stage productions. In 1937 the Kaplans had the theater expanded to accommodate 600 and remodeled in the then-current Art Deco
style. Its prosperity continued throughout the Catskill resort era, where the live-entertainment Borscht Belt
nurtured many future stars. Former patrons remember frequent lines around the corner.
At the end of 1997, Alice Rosenshein Manzi, a descendant of the Kaplans who had been renting the theater out as a fruit stand to make ends meet, closed the theater. The Sullivan County Dramatic Workshop, a local community theater group that had been looking for a new home, bought it for $55,000 and remodeled it for use as a theater again. The following year the interior was repainted and a new heating and cooling system added. They put on movies and plays each summer, and a local music promoter has also staged shows there. In 2011 the troupe began raising the matching funds
for a state grant
to restore the marquee
.
Before forming the hard rock band KISS, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley played the Rivoli in the early 1970s with their band Wicked Lester/Rainbow.
South Fallsburg, New York
South Fallsburg is a hamlet in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 2,061 at the 2000 census and 2,121 according to a 2007 estimate.South Fallsburg is located within the town of Fallsburg on Route 42....
, New York, United States is located at the intersection of NY 42
New York State Route 42
New York State Route 42 is a north–south, discontinuous state highway in the Catskill Mountains region of New York in the United States. The southernmost of the highway's two segments begins at an intersection with U.S. Route 6 and US 209 in Port Jervis and ends at a junction with...
and Laurel Avenue. It was built in 1923, renovated in the late 1930s and remains almost intact from that period.
It was a major local source of entertainment, both live and filmed, in the area during the peak years of the Jewish summer resorts in that region of the Catskills
Catskill Mountains
The Catskill Mountains, an area in New York State northwest of New York City and southwest of Albany, are a mature dissected plateau, an uplifted region that was subsequently eroded into sharp relief. They are an eastward continuation, and the highest representation, of the Allegheny Plateau...
. Today a local arts group continues to put on plays there every summer. In 2001 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Building
The theater building consists of two separate sections: a six-by-three-bayBay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
front with the foyer
Foyer
A foyer or lobby is a large, vast room or complex of rooms adjacent to the auditorium...
and lobby, and a one-story, seven-bay auditorium. It is built of concrete block, faced in buff brick with red coursing
Course (architecture)
A course is a continuous horizontal layer of similarly-sized building material one unit high, usually in a wall. The term is almost always used in conjunction with unit masonry such as brick, cut stone, or concrete masonry units .-Styles:...
and trim. The side and rear are parged with brick piers dividing the bays. The front of the roof is behind a parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
; the rear is gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
d. Both roof sections are shingled
Roof shingle
Roof shingles are a roof covering consisting of individual overlapping elements. These elements are typically flat rectangular shapes laid in rows from the bottom edge of the roof up, with each successive higher row overlapping the joints in the row below...
in asphalt.
The front marquee
Marquee (sign)
A marquee is most commonly a structure placed over the entrance to a hotel or theatre. It has signage stating either the name of the establishment or, in the case of theatres, the play or movie and the artist appearing at that venue...
is a three-sided neon sign
Neon sign
Neon signs are made using electrified, luminous tube lights that contain rarefied neon or other gases. They are the most common use for neon lighting, which was first demonstrated in a modern form in December, 1910 by Georges Claude at the Paris Motor Show. While they are used worldwide, neon signs...
supported by chains, augmented by a vertical neon sign on the front. The lobby and foyer are in their original size and shape but have been refinished in newer materials. The 160 feet (48.8 m) auditorium is still in its original 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. Its flat ceiling and coved walls are covered in asbestos
Asbestos
Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
paneling done in various patterns of geometric shapes. A large original light fixture is at the center of every wall panel.
The second floor is used for prop storage. Finishes there are mostly intact.
History
Beginning at the turn of the century, South Fallsburg saw heavy Jewish immigration. Many of the newcomers had come to a local resort during the summertime and decided to stay year-round and open or operate an existing one themselves, catering to their co-religionists. By the early 1920s the hamlet was overwhelmingly Jewish, with the local synagogueSouth Fallsburg Hebrew Association Synagogue
-External links:**....
expanding drastically and meeting every week to admit new members.
Israel Kaplan and his son Arch opened the Rivoli to provide entertainment for summer vacationers in 1923. They are credited as designers, but the similarities to Emil Motel's Rialto Theatre
Rialto Theater (Monticello, New York)
Rialto Theatre, also known as the Miller and Washington Block, is a historic commercial block and theatre located at Monticello in Sullivan County, New York. It was built in 1921 and the theatre was developed as part of a commercial block which incorporated three storefronts and a restaurant...
in nearby Monticello
Monticello, New York
Monticello is a village located in the Town of Thompson in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 6,512 at the 2000 census. It is the seat for the Town of Thompson and the county seat of Sullivan County...
suggest that Motel, who is credited with the Rivoli's later redesign, was the original architect of the Rivoli as well.
The Rivoli was a success, showing both movies and live stage productions. In 1937 the Kaplans had the theater expanded to accommodate 600 and remodeled in the then-current 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. Its prosperity continued throughout the Catskill resort era, where the live-entertainment Borscht Belt
Borscht Belt
Borscht Belt, or Jewish Alps, is a colloquial term for the mostly defunct summer resorts of the Catskill Mountains in parts of Sullivan, Orange and Ulster counties in upstate New York that were a popular vacation spot for New York City Jews from the 1920s through the 1960s.-Name:The name comes from...
nurtured many future stars. Former patrons remember frequent lines around the corner.
At the end of 1997, Alice Rosenshein Manzi, a descendant of the Kaplans who had been renting the theater out as a fruit stand to make ends meet, closed the theater. The Sullivan County Dramatic Workshop, a local community theater group that had been looking for a new home, bought it for $55,000 and remodeled it for use as a theater again. The following year the interior was repainted and a new heating and cooling system added. They put on movies and plays each summer, and a local music promoter has also staged shows there. In 2011 the troupe began raising the matching funds
Matching funds
Matching funds, a term used to describe the requirement or condition that a generally minimal amount of money or services-in-kind originate from the beneficiaries of financial amounts, usually for a purpose of charitable or public good.-Charitable causes:...
for a state grant
Grant (money)
Grants are funds disbursed by one party , often a Government Department, Corporation, Foundation or Trust, to a recipient, often a nonprofit entity, educational institution, business or an individual. In order to receive a grant, some form of "Grant Writing" often referred to as either a proposal...
to restore the marquee
Marquee
Marquee may refer to:* A large tent, open-sided and installed outdoors for temporary functions* "Marquee", a song by Superchunk from their 1997 album Indoor Living* Marquee Cinemas, a movie theater chain in the United States...
.
Before forming the hard rock band KISS, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley played the Rivoli in the early 1970s with their band Wicked Lester/Rainbow.