Cabot Street Cinema Theatre facts for kids

The Cabot Performing Arts Center is a cool old theater located at 286 Cabot Street in Beverly, Massachusetts. It's been a special place for movies and live shows for over 100 years!

The Cabot Theater's Story

For more than ninety years, the Cabot Street Cinema Theatre has been an important part of the North Shore community in Boston. Two brothers, Harris and Glover Ware, built the Cabot. They were musicians who performed in live shows called vaudeville. They built the Cabot eight years after their first theater in Beverly, the Larcom Theatre.

Building a Grand Theater

The Cabot opened in 1920 and was first called the Ware Theatre. People said it had "the most impressive auditorium of its size east of New York." It was built with a lot of excitement and money in 1920. It quickly became Beverly's grandest playhouse. The theater was big enough for all kinds of entertainment. This included silent movies and even opera.

The Cabot was also very fancy. It had beautiful paintings, fancy decorations, a golden dome, and a full balcony. It was grand enough to be like the big theaters in major cities. When it opened, ads for the special first night talked about a "$50,000 Austin Pipe Organ." That would be like having $730 thousand today!

Architects and Early Shows

The architects who designed the Cabot were Funk and Wilcox. They were already famous for designing other theaters like the Athenaeum and the Strand Theatre (Dorchester, Massachusetts). Back then, movie theaters often had full stages. This was because live shows, like vaudeville, would often play before the movies. They also had special areas for musicians. These musicians would play music to go along with the silent films and stage shows.

A Special Place for Movies

In 1920, there were about 20,000 movie theaters across America. Today, less than 250 of these old movie palaces are still around. The Cabot kept its grand tradition of elegant movie-going and live entertainment for many years. This was thanks to its first director, Marco the Magi (Cesareo Pelaez, who lived from 1932 to 2012).

Marco believed that "the total effect of a motion picture is conditioned by the environment in which it is shown." This means the place where you watch a movie makes a big difference in how you enjoy it. Marco carefully chose "films worth seeing more than once." He also made sure the ushers wore tuxedos and were very helpful. He even designed the inside of the theater, including fresh flower bouquets. He wanted going to the movies to be a special event where the community could gather and be entertained in a beautiful place.

New Owners Over Time

Loews Takes Over (1960-1977)

In 1960, a company called Loews bought the theater. They changed its name to the Cabot Cinema.

The Magic Years (1977-2012)

In 1976, a famous magic group called Le Grand David bought the theater. Their amazing live magic shows were performed there from February 1977 until May 2012. During this time, the magic company also showed movies that they felt were "worth seeing more than once." On May 15, 2013, the owners announced that the Cabot was for sale. After Le Grand David stopped performing, the theater continued to show movies until it closed in the winter of 2012-2013.

The Cabot Reopens (2014)

In the summer of 2014, the theater was sold to new owners. It has continued to be a place for both live performances and movies. In November 2014, it officially reopened as a performing arts center, simply called "The Cabot." It now offers a mix of films, music, and other live shows. In 2015, Casey Soward became the Executive Director of the theater.

Celebrating 100 Years

In 2020, The Cabot celebrated its 100th birthday! The theater planned to restore its lobby during the summer of 2020. This renovation is one of many projects that have happened since 2014. Other improvements include new seats, better sound and lighting systems, new heating and air conditioning (HVAC), and a cool bar called Streetside.

Images for kids

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  The Cabot Cinema in October 2014