Port Chester”™s historic Capitol Theatre final reopened on Sept. 11, some 18 months after Covid-19 shut it down. Although its hiatus lasted considerably longer than those at many live-entertainment venues, general manager Bruce Wheeler said he believed it was worth the wait.
“We wanted to make sure that people were comfortable coming back in,” Wheeler told the Business Journal at a recent press event touting The Cap”™s return. “Our staff is masked and vaccinated and our venue has taken every precaution that we can ”” and that our audiences expect.”
The 1,600-seat facility ”” which can hold 2,000 for general admission shows ”” typically takes in around $15 million a year, Wheeler said. “It was like turning off a switch. We went down to having practically no revenue.”
To address that situation, The Cap turned to renting its space for parties, selling merchandise outside and booking more movie and TV shoots than it had in the past. “And,” Wheeler noted, “there are the tiles.”
During its shutdown, renovations to the aging walkway outside the theater were undertaken. But installing new tiles represented an opportunity to underscore The Cap”™s history ”” and make money as well.
For $450, a fan can buy one of the approximately 400 tiles and have their name, along with that of their favorite act and the date they played the theater, engraved upon it. Owner Peter Shapiro said the move helped the venue keep many of its staff members on the payroll during the shutdown.
Today, Shapiro said, “We probably have more shows booked over the next six months than we”™ve ever had in any six-month period.”
Wheeler noted that a touring performer not only has himself and his band members to consider, but also their crews, agents, managers and so on. “Suddenly that (money) flow ended when everyone pulled the plug,” Wheeler said. “So now they”™re gearing up again, but it”™s a huge investment of time, energy and money.”
Even with the various precautions and protocols in place, he noted, in August alt-rock band Pixies announced it was canceling its U.S. tour, which was to include a Sept. 10 stop at the theater.
“We have determined that with the current surge in Covid cases ”” made worse by the Delta variant ”” that this is the right decision for our fans and crew members”™ safety, as well as our own,” the group said in a statement.
The press event included a demonstration of The Cap”™s state-of-the-art lighting system, as well as a tour by head usher Brian Lynch. He noted the who”™s-who of acts that have played at the theater in the 1970s through the ”™90s, and again since 2012 when it reopened as a performance space after an interim period of serving as a catering and special-events venue.
Those acts have included most famously the Grateful Dead, which has frequently hosted former Dead bassist Phil Lesh since that band”™s central figure, Jerry Garcia, died; the Rolling Stones; David Bowie; Pink Floyd; Frank Zappa; and Janis Joplin, who debuted her song “Mercedes Benz” on its stage during what turned out to be her second-to-last show.
Designed by famed architect Thomas Lamb, the venue began life in 1926 as a vaudeville and movie house until 1970. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
Asked if the theater expects to continue its busy schedule over the winter, Wheeler said it did, notwithstanding the rise of additional Covid variants.
“We have 27 shows scheduled out of 31 days in October,” he affirmed. “A lot of acts are wanting to get back out there, now that they feel safe too.”
