New website heralds Bijou Theatre reopening

Bridgeport”™s Bijou Theatre has quietly reopened after shutting its doors in August.

 

The revival was announced with a newly launched website that stated the venue “has been there in one form or another for more than 100 years, and it will continue for many years to come.”

The theater resumed operations recently when it hosted an Oct. 19 WPKN Radio-sponsored screening of a documentary on rock icon Frank Zappa. The new Bijou website listed three upcoming events for November.

“We are committed to continuing its legacy while bringing quality culture and entertainment to the community,” the website stated. “A new chapter for this historic venue is about to unfold and we want you to be a part of it. Join us for classic, foreign, and independent films screening plus concerts, comedy, and variety shows. Or you can stop in for a drink and some popcorn ”“ our lights are always on!”

 

The Bijou opened in 1909 and underwent several name changes before closing in 1996. It reopened in 2011 by the Bridgeport-based Kuchma Corp. as a combination cinema and live performance venue, anchoring the mixed-use Bijou Square development. In August, the Bijou”™s previous website bid farewell to its community with the message that read: “The Bijou Theatre thanks the people of Bridgeport, the local theater community, and all of its past patrons for the privilege of serving them.”

 

While Kuchma remains the owner of the Bijou, it has not yet been announced if it or another company will manage and operate the facility.