Even in a bad economy, some people can afford to hold out for just the right buyer to come along. For the owner of the Beacon Theater at 445 Main St., the right buyer was 4th Wall Productions and its co-owners, actors Jim Brady and Christine Vittorini.
Christine Vittorini, a transplanted urbanite, said “All artists love to be in New York City, but this city is vibrant with history ”¦ and a lot more trees. It feels like it”™s got a soul. It”™s also walkable, affordable and just a train ride into Manhattan. It works for me.”
Jim Brady, another New York City transplant, has lived in Beacon for eight years. “I can”™t tell you how many times I”™ve walked by this theater and wondered what happened to it and who owned it.”
Vittorini found out its owner, William Erlich, had held on to the property for a reason: “He wanted it to remain a theater. He had a lot of offers for it to become a discount store and a few other businesses, but he wanted it go to someone who would restore it. He is one of our ”˜angels,”™ as he is holding the mortgage for us.”
The foyer to the theater is completed, with new glass doors and enough space to put on small shows and hold dance classes. “We named it after Robert McAlpine. He is also building the Roundhouse down at the mill. This renovation alone cost $300,000, but Bob and many of the trades donated at least $90,000 of time and material into the project. He”™s been a wonderful supporter, and I know people are excited about the prospect of Beacon having its own theater again,” said Brady.
The original theater had 700 seats and opened in 1934. “We are going to restore it as closely as possible to the original Art Deco design it was constructed in,” said the owners.
“Of course, codes and times have changed, so everything is new: the heating ventilation, air conditioning and plumbing, handicapped accessible bathrooms on the first floor, you name it,” said Brady. “We expect when we are completed, somewhere in 2012, it will cost a total of $3 million to restore it totally. I hope ”˜angels”™ out there are listening,” he added.
Brady has also discovered a treasure trove of history during the demolition of the theater”™s second floor, where the Wonder Bar was the place to be during the World War II boom years. “This is the place where sailors and soldiers brought their sweethearts,” said Brady, inspecting the walls and floors.
“We found an original poster from it that was stuck under one of the walls. We also found a green Lucky Strike poster. Today, Lucky Strike comes in a red box, because the government needed the green dye for the military. It”™s amazing some of the things that we”™ve uncovered.”
Brady said when the second floor is completed, acting and dancing classes, along with summer camps and winter workshops, will be offered. They also plan to have an office there, in addition to their current one in Poughkeepsie.
Both Brady and Vittorini admit the theater is more than just a project: “It”™s a labor of love,” said Vittorini. “It has to be, considering what you see inside. We”™ve got some great people working with us, and I”™m sure we”™ll get to the finished product as soon as we can. We love this little city and we”™re glad we saved a piece of its history.
“There aren”™t too many of these beauties left,” she said, “so I”™m glad Jim kept his eye on it and got me down here to see it. We both knew, ”˜This is it,”™ when we saw it.”
The Beacon Theater will host a comedy improv night on Saturday, July 16, beginning at 9 p.m. Visit thebeacontheatre.org to learn about programming now available ”¦ and what”™s ahead for the theater.
