Cabot Street Cinema Theatre facts for kids
The Cabot Performing Arts Center is a historic theater located at 286 Cabot Street in Beverly, Massachusetts. It's a special place where people can watch movies, enjoy live music, and see exciting performances. Many people simply call it "The Cabot."
The Cabot's Early Days
For over ninety years, The Cabot has been an important part of the North Shore community in Massachusetts. Two brothers, Harris and Glover Ware, built The Cabot. They were musicians who used to perform in vaudeville shows. Vaudeville was a popular type of entertainment with many different acts, like singers, dancers, comedians, and magicians.
The Ware brothers opened The Cabot in 1920. It was first called the Ware Theatre. People said it had "the most impressive auditorium of its size east of New York." It was built to be very grand and could host all kinds of entertainment. This included silent movies, which were films without sound, and even opera. The theater had beautiful frescoes, fancy decorations, a golden dome, and a large balcony. It was as grand as big-city show palaces. When it opened, it even had a special "$50,000 Austin Pipe Organ." This organ would be worth a lot more money today!
Who Designed The Cabot?
The architects who designed The Cabot were Funk and Wilcox. They were 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 acts, like vaudeville, would perform before the movies. They also had orchestra pits. These were special areas for musicians who played music to go along with the silent films and stage shows.
A Special Movie Palace
In the 1920s, there were about 20,000 movie palaces in America. Today, fewer than 250 of these grand theaters are still around. The Cabot kept its tradition of elegant movie-going and live shows for many years. This was thanks to its founding director, Marco the Magi (Cesareo Pelaez). He believed that the place where a movie was shown made a big difference. Marco chose "films worth seeing more than once." He also made sure the ushers wore tuxedos and that there were fresh flowers inside. He wanted going to the movies to be a special event where the community could gather and be entertained in a beautiful setting.
The Cabot Through the Years
The theater has had a few different owners and names over its long history.
Loew's Cinema Era: 1960-1977
In 1960, a theater company called E. M. Loew's bought the theater. They changed its name to the Cabot Cinema.
Le Grand David's Magic Era: 1977-2012
In 1976, a famous magic group called Le Grand David bought the theater. They performed their amazing magic shows there from February 1977 until May 2012. Their shows ended shortly after the group's founder and main magician, Cesareo Pelaez, passed away in March 2012. During this time, the theater also continued to show movies that were "worth seeing more than once." It closed for a short time in the winter of 2012-2013.
On May 15, 2013, the owners announced that The Cabot was for sale.
The Cabot Performing Arts Center Today
In October 2014, a local businessman named Henry Bertolon bought the theater. It reopened very soon after, in November 2014. It was renamed the Cabot Performing Arts Center, or "The Cabot" for short. It started offering a mix of films, live music, and other performances.
In 2015, Casey Soward became the Executive Director of the theater. That same year, a non-profit group bought The Cabot. This group, called the Cabot Performing Arts Center Inc., was started by local people who wanted to keep the theater special.
Restoring and Improving The Cabot
Since 2015, The Cabot has had many big restoration and renovation projects. These projects help make the theater even better and keep its historic charm.
Early Improvements
The first big improvements were finished in January 2016. New sound and digital projection systems were installed. They also added new seats and a special viewing platform on the main floor. The fire escapes were updated to be safe, and the historic sign outside the building was fixed up.
New Spaces and Systems
In December 2017, a new bar and music venue called Streetside at The Cabot was completed near the main entrance.
In January 2018, the old heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system was replaced. This was a big job that also involved making the 1920 timber roof stronger with steel cables. The fire alarm and sprinkler systems were also updated. These projects were paid for by grants and donations from many people.
Stage and Seating Upgrades
A theater upgrade project was finished in January 2019. This included replacing all the seats in the balcony. The special Opera Boxes were rebuilt, and the sound system was updated. A new stage lighting system was also installed.
Lobby Restoration
A project to restore and renovate the lobby was completed in May 2021. The building's original rose window and vaulted ceilings, which had been covered up, were uncovered and restored. A beautiful chandelier at the entrance was also fixed. The lobby was made larger, and a new box office and snack stand were added.
Making The Cabot Accessible
Renovations to make the stage and balcony lobby easier to access were completed in Summer 2023. These changes helped the venue meet modern accessibility standards. An elevator was installed, along with more bathrooms on the second floor. Doorways, hallways, and stage areas were also changed to make them more accessible for everyone.
Recent Renovations
The Cabot closed in June 2025 for a big renovation project. This work was finished by early September 2025. The plan was to restore the building's original look from the 1920s. The theater's dressing rooms and artist areas were renovated, and a "green room" was added. The old 1960s sign over the entrance was removed to show an arched window in the lobby. New electronic message boards were installed on the side of the building, along with a new sign that simply says "The Cabot."
The Cabot's Big Night
In 2022, The Cabot started holding a special annual fundraiser in the spring. This event, called The Cabot's Big Night, is a concert that helps raise money for the theater's many renovation projects. The first Big Night took place on April 14, 2022.
