Spring and Summer Photo Workshops 2024

/ Matt / Leave a comment

Fox West Theatre in Trinidad, Colorado

I’m excited to finally announce the first round of Photography Workshops for 2024. As I’ve said elsewhere – this will be my last year doing workshops in their current form.

 

Strand Theatre – Clinton, MA

Strand Theatre

Location: Clinton, MA

Date: April 27, 2024

The Theatre: The Strand Theatre opened in 1924, in Clinton, Massachusetts. It closed in 2021 after years as a dinner theater.

Cost: $80.00

Tickets: https://www.mlambrosphotography.com/workshops/strand-theatre-workshop-clinton

Olympia Theatre Worcester, MA

Olympia (Art) Theatre

Location: Worcester, MA

Date/Time:
May 11, 2024

The Theatre: The Art Theatre opened in 1891 as Lothrop’s Opera House and is the oldest surviving theater in Worcester, MA. It went through a number of names including; The Olympia Theater, Lynch’s Pleasant Theater, Fine Arts Theater, and finally the New Art Cinema. It closed in 2006.

Cost: $80.00

Tickets: https://www.mlambrosphotography.com/workshops/arttheatreworkshop2024

Fox West Theatre

Location: Trinidad, Colorado

Date: June 22, 2024

The Theatre: The Fox Theatre in Trinidad, Colorado made its grand debut on March 16, 1908, showcasing the stage play “The Bondman.” Over the years, it served as a versatile venue for a variety of performances including stage shows, vaudeville acts, opera, and silent films. It closed in 2013, making it one of the longest running single screen theaters in the country.

Cost: $160.00

Tickets: https://www.mlambrosphotography.com/workshops/foxwestworkshop1021

Opera House, Hotel and Tunnels Workshop

Location: Trinidad, Colorado

Date/Time: June 23, 2024

The Opera House:
In 1882, Trinidad’s inaugural opera house emerged amidst much celebration courtesy of the Jaffa brothers—Sam, Sol, and Henry. For twenty-four years, it resonated with the melodies of plays, brass bands, and the rhetoric of public speakers before its curtains closed in 1906. Responding to the town’s pragmatic ethos, the auditorium morphed into an office block and an extension of the neighboring Wight Hotel.

Resilience characterized its trajectory as the edifice endured a 5.3-magnitude earthquake in 2011, sustaining significant damage. Despite expert voices advocating for its demise, the community united in a bid to salvage and restore their historic gem.

We will also have access to an old hotel building downtown as well as some tunnels that run underneath the city.

Cost: $120.00

Tickets: https://www.mlambrosphotography.com/workshops/trinidadoperahouse

Strand Theatre

Location: Boston, MA

Date/Time: June 30, 2024

The Theatre: The Strand Theatre opened on November 11, 1918, in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. It was designed by Boston architectural firm Funk and Wilcox, who also designed the nearby Franklin Park Theatre. It is currently used for live events.

Cost: $75.00

Tickets: https://www.mlambrosphotography.com/workshops/strand-theatre-workshop-boston-ma826

As always – I have some other workshops planned for later this year. If there are any you’d like me to revisit or suggested locations – let me know!

The Boulevard Theatre – Queens, NY

/ Matt / 2 Comments

This was originally posted on After the Final Curtain’s Patreon in July 2023. For expanded early posts, as well as video walkthroughs and other exclusive content, you can become a patron at: https://www.patreon.com/afterthefinalcurtain

View of the auditorium from the balcony.

Located in the Jackson Heights neighborhood of Queens, NY, the Boulevard Theatre has a rich history that spans nearly a century. It first opened its doors on September 10, 1926, as one of three theaters built in Queens by the Grob & Knobel circuit with Herbert J. Krapp as architect. The other two were the Jackson Theatre and the Sunnyside Theatre.  It was the only one of the three that had large enough stage facilities to handle a musical or Broadway style play.

View of the auditorium from the stage during demolition.

The theater, with 1,839 seats, was designed to showcase shows that had recently closed on Broadway or were on trial before their official run. This made it a popular place for theater enthusiasts. In 1928, William Fox acquired the Grob & Knobel theaters, and Louis Werba managed the Boulevard Theatre. But due to the Depression, both Fox and Werba faced bankruptcy. As a result, the Boulevard Theatre became a double-feature movie house under Fox’s successor, Skouras Theatres. Skouras also took control of the Jackson Theatre and Sunnyside Theatre, which were later sold to Century Theatres.

After years as a live theater venue, the Boulevard switched formats and became a movie theater. In the 1960s, it was a first run movie theater.  A special screening of “Yours, Mine and Ours” starring Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda was shown at the theater in 1968 before its wide release.

Triplexed in the 1970s, the Boulevard Theatre encountered difficulties because it was located in a residential area on Northern Boulevard, far from the 82nd Street shopping district around Roosevelt Avenue. This, combined with a decline in the neighborhood, led to the theater closing in the 1980s and its owner planned on demolishing it. However, this did not happen partially because of the community’s disapproval of his plan.

Eventually, the Boulevard Theatre was sold and transformed into the successful Natives Restaurant-Theatre, catering to Queens’ Hispanic community. The entrance was converted into a restaurant-bar, and the three auditoriums were used for various events. However, by 2016, it had turned into a restaurant/nightclub, which closed during the Covid-19 Pandemic. In early 2021, it was demolished, putting an end to its rich and storied history.

The remains of one of the stairways leading to the balcony.

RKO Madison Theatre – Queens, NY

/ Matt / Leave a comment

This was originally posted on After the Final Curtain’s Patreon in May 2023. For expanded early posts, as well as video walkthroughs and other exclusive content, you can become a patron at: https://www.patreon.com/afterthefinalcurtain

View from the balcony of the RKO Madison Theatre.

It’s not uncommon to see buildings in New York City with a mismatched facade, especially in neighborhoods where space is at a premium. But if you’re like me, and you’re interested in the history of the city, you might wonder what that building used to be. And in the case of this particular building, it has quite a history. The building at the corner of Myrtle and Wykoff Avenue used to be the RKO Madison Theatre, which opened on November 24, 1927.

The Madison Theatre, as it was originally known, is situated on the border of Brooklyn and Queens, was constructed by B.S. Moss, a subsidiary of Keith-Albee. Moss’s original plan was to name the theater Beacon, but he was eventually persuaded to change the name to Madison, as a tribute to James Madison, the fourth President of the United States, and Madison Street, which was situated nearby. The architect in charge of the design was Eugene DeRosa, who had previously worked on the Colony Theatre in Manhattan. DeRosa employed an Italian Renaissance style, with a classical Greek facade made of white marble. The theater’s slogan around the time of its opening was “Bringing Broadway to Brooklyn.”

A close up of the theater’s dome.

It boasted a seating capacity of 2,760, which was significantly larger than Moss’ earlier venture, the Colony. The Grand Foyer spanned two stories and was accentuated with a vaulted ceiling that sported crystal chandeliers. The walls of the foyer were crafted from colored marble, with bronze borders that added a touch of class. A white marble staircase led patrons to the mezzanine promenade, which featured a lounge area and restrooms. The auditorium was large and included a balcony with a loge section at the front. Its ceiling, from the center of the dome, featured a three-tiered crystal chandelier, and the colored lights within the dome’s cove allowed for an ever-changing ambiance. The orchestra pit was situated at the front of the stage and had three separate elevators, one each for the orchestra, piano, and Wurlitzer organ, which was an unprecedented luxury for a neighborhood theatre. Much of the Madison’s grandeur was due to Moss’ intention to outdo the competition of the nearby Fox Ridgewood, which had been the area’s dominant theatre since 1913.

Much of the theater’s lobby still exists, but it has been completely walled off.

Houdini’s brother, Theo Hardeen, had his stage show at the Madison Theatre on May 30th, 1945. Thirteen days later, on June 12, 1945, Theo Hardeen passed away at the age of 69 from esophagus cancer. The RKO Madison Theatre was a popular venue in Ridgewood for decades. However, it became a Grindhouse, which was a theater that mostly showed b-grade horror or exploitation films, in the 1970s and eventually closed right after Halloween in 1977. The last film it showed was a twin-bill horror flick. The building was then converted for retail use in 1978 and has since housed several stores, including Consumers, Busy Bee, Odd Lot, and now Liberty Department Store.

The projection booth has been stripped bare of all equipment.

EartH (Savoy Cinema) – London, Great Britain

/ Matt / Leave a comment

This was originally published on the After the Final Curtain Patreon page in August 2023. For expanded posts, video walkthroughs and more – sign up at: https://www.patreon.com/afterthefinalcurtain

Located in the Stoke Newington neighborhood of North London, GB, the Savoy Cinema originally opened on October 26, 1936. It was part of the Associated British Cinemas (ABC) chain and was designed in the Art Deco architectural style by their resident architect, William R. Glen. The 1,890 seat cinema featured a Compton 3Manual/5Ranks theatre organ, which was transferred from the Astoria Cinema in Cliftonville, Kent.

Opening day at the Savoy featured screenings of “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town” starring Gary Cooper, and “The Case Against Mrs. Ames” starring Madeleine Carroll. The theater was renamed to the ABC in 1961, and remained that until it closed on March 12, 1977. “Cross of Iron” starring James Coburn was the final film shown before it closed. It reopened showing bollywood films soon after. In March 1982, the building was bought by an independent exhibitor, who renamed it to the Ace Cinema. However, it closed again on February 16, 1984 with a showing of “Scarface” starring Al Pacino.

The building then was converted into a snooker hall with a false ceiling separating the stalls (orchestra) from the balcony area, the stage area became a restaurant, and a Turkish community center opened in the balcony foyer. In 2014, the snooker hall moved into the balcony foyer, and the former stalls section became a function space called Epic.

In April 2017, a proposal was made to convert the former theater into a performing arts center with a budget of £3 million. The proposal was approved by the Hackney Council on July 20, 2017, and funding of £1.9 million was secured in February 2018. It opened as the EartH (Evolutionary Arts Hackney) with a performance by Jazz artist Mulatu Astatke, and singer Fatoumata Diawara in September 2018. Film screenings resumed a few months later on December 17, 2018 with some classic Christmas movies. The former stalls (orchestra) became a performance venue with a standing capacity of 1,200, and the balcony, which remained separate, became another with 680 seats.

The Cabot Theatre – Beverly, MA

/ Matt / 2 Comments

This was originally posted on After the Final Curtain’s Patreon in March 2022. For expanded early posts, as well as video walkthroughs and other exclusive content, you can become a patron at: https://www.patreon.com/afterthefinalcurtain

The Cabot is an active theater, but it’s one of my favorite local ones so I wanted to post it here.

The Cabot Theatre in Beverly, MA, originally opened on December 8, 1920 as the Ware Theatre. Early advertisements hailed the theater as “the most impressive auditorium of its size east of New York” and “The Golden Theatre Beautiful.” Harris and Glover Ware, who also operated the nearby Larcom Theater, built the theater. They hired Funk and Wilcox, who also designed the nearby Strand Theatre and Franklin Park Theatres, both in Boston, to design it.

The lobby was restored while the theater was closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The 1200 seat theater opened as a vaudeville and silent movie house, before transitioning to “talkies” or modern motion pictures in the late 1920s. It was leased to the E.M. Loew’s theater chain in 1944 and was purchased by them in 1962. Loew’s held a grand reopening on October 15, 1965 and renamed the theater to the Cabot Street Cinema.

The seats in the balcony were replaced in between my visits to the theater.

Loew’s operated the theater until 1976, when it was purchased by Le Grand David and His Own Spectacular Magic Company. Le Grand David performed his magic show at the theater until 2013. Cesareo Pelaez, the founder of Le Grand David, passed away, and the theater was put up for sale.

The murals in the auditorium resemble the ones in the Loew’s Majestic and Palace Theaters, but I haven’t been able to find documentation that states who painted these.

A consortium of five Beverly business people, Henry Bertolon, Bill Howard, Rich Marino, Thad Siemasko, and Paul Van Ness (who operates CinemaSalem) purchased it. The Cabot became a performing arts center, and in October 2015, hired an Executive Director, J. Casey Soward. In 2016, a multi-year, multi-million dollar renovation began at the Cabot. The renovation was to modernize the building and restore much of it to its original grandeur. It began by replacing all the seats, restoring the box seats, installing new HVAC and sound systems, and restoring the original lobby ceiling.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cabot was forced to hold a virtual 100th anniversary celebration. Over 22,000 people viewed the performances from James Taylor, Grace Potter, Fantastic Negrito, and more. For more on the Cabot visit their website at https://thecabot.org/ 

I told you it was one of my favorite local theaters.

The Wollaston Theatre – Quincy, MA

/ Matt / Leave a comment

This was originally posted on the After the Final Curtain Patreon in Feburary 2023.

For expanded early posts, as well as video walkthroughs and other exclusive content, you can become a patron at: https://www.patreon.com/afterthefinalcurtain

I moved back to Massachusetts in late 2016, and this theater was one I had known about for years. I’d reached out to the original and new owners on various occasions to gain access to photograph it. A group was looking to save it before it was demolished, and I worked with them for a short time. 

It was just a small neighborhood theater, but it was loved by its community and not being able to preserve it through photography is one of my biggest regrets since I started After the Final Curtain.

This is where the lobby would have been.

The Wollaston Theatre in Quincy, MA, originally opened in 1926, and had 1,100 seats. It featured vaudeville shows and silent films in its early days, but like many other early 20th century theaters, switched to “talkies” or motion pictures with sound in the early 1930s. 

The “Wolly” as it was known to locals, was owned by Edward Sears and his family for over 50 years, and was sold to Arthur and Yvonne Chandler in 1979. The Chandlers ran the concession stand and the ticket booth themselves, making it a family owned and operated business.

The stage would have been on the right side of this image.

Eventually the theater became known for $1 nights with second run movies and one dollar concessions. The condition of the interior deteriorated over time, and the Chandlers could not keep up with repairs. They closed the theater in 2003. Arthur Chandler passed away in 2008, and Yvonne sold the theater to Miao Kun Fang, the owner of the C-Mart grocery store chain, in 2012.

The Wollaston had been added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. However, that didn’t stop it from being demolished in June 2016. The former site of the theater is now a parking lot. Fang has proposed building a six-story condo building on the site.

This would have been looking back from the stage.

Loew’s Delancey Theatre in New York, NY

/ Matt / 3 Comments

This was originally posted on After the Final Curtain’s Patreon in January 2022. For expanded early posts, as well as video walkthroughs and other exclusive content, you can become a patron at: https://www.patreon.com/afterthefinalcurtain

The Loew’s Delancey Theatre originally opened on March 28, 1912. It was designed by architect S. S. Sugar, who designed several theaters for Loew’s Incorporated. The interior was decorated by the Rambusch Company, who would ‌later decorate the interiors of the Loew’s Kings Theatre in Brooklyn and the Boyd Theatre in Philadelphia, PA. It had 1788 seats and was operated as a primarily vaudeville theater with short film interludes. A Moller Op 2307 theater organ was installed in 1917. Thomas W. Lamb carried out some alterations on the interior of the Delancey in 1918.

The small patch of ornate plaster above the fire exit is all that remains in the auditorium.

One morning in 1927, the janitor was cleaning the front lobby when two men walked up and knocked on the door. The janitor looked up, waved his hand for them to go away, said, “Closed” and resumed his work. The men kept knocking, eventually attracting the attention of a nearby shopkeeper, who came out to see what was going on. He took one look at the men and recognized one as Marcus Loew, the founder of Loew’s Incorporated and owner of the theater. The shopkeeper shouted, “Marcus Loew!” over and over while pointing at Mr. Loew. He eventually got the janitor to open the door a bit, to ask what was going on. He explained to the janitor that Marcus Loew owns the Delancey and wants to go inside. Unphased, the janitor replied, “The manager told me to let no one in, and no one is coming in.” He then slammed the door and resumed cleaning once again. Marcus Loew and his friend left, unable to gain access to his own theater. Loew sent a letter explaining what happened to the Delancey’s manager, requesting that the janitor be given a raise, and that he hoped that all the employees of that theater obeyed orders like him.

On July 5, 1930, the theater switched from showing vaudeville and motion pictures, to showing only motion pictures. The Loew’s Delancey closed in May 1977. On June 3, 1977, Loews Theatre and Realty Corporation transferred ownership of the Delancey Theatre to the Paws Realty Corp. The lower level of the theater was converted into a retail space, which is a very common occurrence with theaters in larger metropolitan areas. A small patch of the ornate plasterwork above one of the fire escape doors is all that remains of a once majestic theater.

The Utah Pantages Theatre – Salt Lake City, Utah

/ Matt / Leave a comment

This was originally posted on After the Final Curtain’s Patreon. For expanded early posts, as well as video walkthroughs and other exclusive content, you can become a patron at: https://www.patreon.com/afterthefinalcurtain

View of the auditorium post twinning.

On December 1, 1920, the Pantages Theatre opened in Salt Lake City, and was called “Utah’s most ornate theater” in an early advertisement. Designed by Benjamin Marcus Priteca, the official architect of the Pantages circuit, the theater could accommodate 2,300 guests. Priteca had designed more than 20 theaters for the company, making him the preferred architect of Alexander Pantages. The theater cost a staggering $2 million, equivalent to $34 million in present-day terms. Priteca, famous for his work with Pantages, decorated the interior in the Italian Renaissance style, a popular choice in Pantages theaters that became known as “Pantages Greek.”

A closer look at the skylight of the Utah Pantages Theatre.
A close up of the tiffany skylight.

The grand opening of the theater featured the silent film “Polyanna,” starring Mary Pickford as well as some vaudeville performances. On September 11, 1929, it was renamed the RKO Orpheum Theatre and renamed again on September 29, 1937, as the Utah Theatre. The Utah Theatre reopened with a stage review and the film “The Girl Said No,” starring Robert Armstrong.

View of the lobby from the mezzanine level.

In 1938, the Utah Pantages Theatre underwent significant changes, which included the removal of its third story and the application of Art Moderne style to its facade. A new marquee was also installed in the same style. Over the years, the theater hosted many famous performances from celebrities such as Babe Ruth, Abbott and Costello, and Will Rogers.

Entrance hallway to the Utah Pantages Theatre in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The theater had a long entrance hallway leading to the lobby.

The center section of the facade and marquee were replaced yet again in 1968, this time with a simpler design featuring a smaller projecting roof. The interior also underwent major renovations during this time, resulting in the creation of a twin-plex layout and the removal of original interior finishes in the lower auditorium to accommodate the renovation.

It ceased to operate as a movie theater in 1988 and was later used by a local dance company until 1992, when it was sold to new owners. Following a series of changes in ownership, the vacant building was eventually acquired by the Salt Lake City Redevelopment Agency (RDA) in 2009.

View of the auditorium from the side of the balcony.

Hines, a privately owned real estate development firm, signed an agreement with Salt Lake City in 2019 to purchase the Utah Theatre property. The agreement required the future residential development to include at least 10% of affordable housing units and to maintain a green space with public access. The developers acquired the property for $0 from the RDA under these conditions. However, the proposed 31-story, 400-unit apartment tower at the site, which would involve the demolition of the Utah Theatre, was met with controversy. There have been efforts to save the theatre from demolition as supporters of this initiative dispute the city’s renovation cost estimates of $60-$80 million.

Some of the ornate plasterwork that remained in the theater prior to demolition.

The demolition of the historic theater, despite efforts by preservationists, and concerned citizens, began on April 19, 2022. Michael Valentine, a filmmaker and one of the founders of the group “Save the Historic Utah Pantages Theatre”, watched the demolition from a distance, streaming the event online. He lamented the loss of the beloved theater, describing it as a “hard to watch” and “sad day for Utah,” adding that it was “Utah’s greatest theater.” Multiple legal attempts to save the building proved unsuccessful, while the developers were unyielding in their pursuit of their construction schedule, citing financial losses for any delays.

After the theater’s demolition, Hines requested a one-year extension for finalizing their designs, citing unforeseen challenges discovered through soil samples. However, the loss of a key equity partner due to market changes has created significant financial difficulties for the Texas-based firm, causing them to miss their legal deadline for commencing construction.

The developer, though affirming their commitment to the success of the upscale tower, has not provided any timelines or estimates for when the delays might end. This has left many wondering about the future of the site and its impact on the surrounding community.

Elks Lodge – Pawtucket, RI

/ Matt / Leave a comment

This was originally posted on After the Final Curtain’s Patreon in November 2022. For expanded early posts, as well as video walkthroughs and other exclusive content, you can become a patron at: https://www.patreon.com/afterthefinalcurtain

View of the auditorium from the orchestra level.

The Pawtucket Elks Lodge Building is located in the central business district of Pawtucket, Rhode Island. It was designed in the Mission/Spanish Revival architectural style by the O’Malley-Fitzsimmons Company. Its first floor was made for commercial tenants, which is unusual for an Elks lodge.

Looking back at the auditorium from the stage.

On June 10, 1904, the Pawtucket Lodge of Elks #920 was founded with 64 members. They rented halls for their meetings before purchasing a permanent home on School Street in 1914. However, membership skyrocketed, and they announced plans to build a new lodge building in 1924. Construction was complete by 1926 and they moved in. During the Great Depression, the Pawtucket Elks could survive because of the income they received from the commercial tenants in the building.

The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 18, 1983. The Elks moved out of the building in the late 20th century, and the building fell into disrepair. It’s currently home to an artists collective who live and work in the building.

The exterior of the building.

A tapestry that was definitely not original to the building.

Empire Gardens (The Globe, Loew’s Center Theatre) – Boston, MA

/ Matt / 2 Comments

The Empire Garden was originally posted on After the Final Curtain’s Patreon in December 2022. For expanded early posts, as well as video walkthroughs and other exclusive content, you can become a patron at: https://www.patreon.com/afterthefinalcurtain

The exterior of the theater.

The Empire Garden restaurant in Boston, Massachusetts was originally the Globe Theatre, a historic movie theater that was built in 1903. The theater was designed in the French Renaissance style by architect Athur Vinal and was a popular entertainment venue in Boston for many years.

It was taken over by E.M Loew’s and renamed the Loew’s Center Theatre in 1947. It has the distinction of being run by both Loew’s Incorporated, and the E.M. Loew’s circuits. Over the years, the Loew’s Center Theatre played host to a variety of films, stage productions, and other events. It was a popular destination for both locals and tourists.

The area the theater was in became known as “The Combat Zone” in the late 1960s, and in 1974, the Boston Redevelopment Authority rezoned the area as a red-light district. The Center started showing soft-core pornography and blaxploitation films.

In the late 1980s, the theater was renamed to the Pagoda, and switched formats to show Hong Kong action films. However, it struggled financially and closed in 1995. It was later converted into the Empire Garden restaurant, which has been in operation at the same location ever since. While the exterior of the building has been preserved, much of the interior has been renovated to accommodate the restaurant. The ground floor has been completely gutted to make way for retail space, but the balcony survives and is now the dining room for the restaurant.