Colonial Theatre (Phoenixville, Pennsylvania) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Colonial Theatre |
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The Colonial Theatre in 2023
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| General information | |
| Type | Theater |
| Address | 227 Bridge Street |
| Town or city | Phoenixville, Pennsylvania |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 40°08′03″N 75°31′03″W / 40.1341°N 75.5175°W |
The Colonial Theatre is a cool old building in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. You can find it at 227 Bridge Street. It was built way back in 1903. Back then, it was called the "Colonial Opera House." For many years, it was a super popular place for movies, live shows, and fun entertainment. Today, it has three screens. There's the big, original theater with 658 seats. Plus, there are two newer theaters next door in what used to be the National Bank of Phoenixville building.
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History of the Colonial Theatre
The Colonial Theatre first opened in 1903. It was designed in a fancy style called Beaux-Arts. An architect named Harry Brownback worked on it. In its early days, the theater hosted many different kinds of shows. These included traveling vaudeville acts, live plays, and musicals.
The very first show was "The Beauty Doctor" in 1903. It starred an actor named Fred E. Wright. Famous people also visited the theater. In 1915, movie star Mary Pickford came by. And in 1917, the amazing magician Harry Houdini performed there. He even escaped from a safe!
Silent movies were also shown at the theater. These films had no sound, so a live piano player often played music along with them. This continued from 1903 until 1928. That's when The Jazz Singer came out. It was the first "talkie" – a movie with sound!
Awesome Pipe Organs
In 1917, a special Wurlitzer organ was put into the theater. It was mostly used for concerts before news reels played. Later, in 1975, a restored 1929 Kimball pipe organ was installed. A famous organ player named Larry Ferrari once played it. He called it a "magnificent instrument."
In 2005, the Kimball organ was sold. It went to the Chicago Historical Society. A new Wurlitzer organ (Opus 585) took its place. This organ was originally in Shea's Hippodrome Theatre in Buffalo, New York, back in 1922. After many years of hard work restoring it, the first concert with the refurbished Wurlitzer organ happened at The Colonial on September 15, 2012.
The Blob Movie Connection
In 1958, a classic science fiction movie called The Blob was filmed nearby. It starred a young Steve McQueen. Parts of the movie were shot in Phoenixville, Downingtown, Chester Springs, and Royersford.
The Colonial Theatre was a very important location in the movie. It's where the gooey monster, The Blob, starts to attack the town. There's a special plaque on the back wall of the balcony. It honors the scene where The Blob oozes through the projection room openings. The plaque says:
"Through this wall in the year 1958 Shorty Yeaoworth's THE BLOB brought the monster into the movie theater and Phoniexville's COLONIALTHEATRE into the annals of film history."
The Downingtown Diner, where the final scene of the movie was filmed, is still open today! The Colonial Theatre even made a quick appearance in the 1978 movie Grease. You can see the trailer for The Blob playing in the drive-in movie scene.
Blobfest: A Fun Annual Event
"Blobfest" is a super fun, three-day event held every summer in downtown Phoenixville. It started in 2000. The festival shows The Blob multiple times, along with other horror films. There's also a film competition, a scream contest, a street fair, and live entertainment all weekend.
A big part of Blobfest is a live show. People act out the famous scene from the movie. You can see "screaming" moviegoers running out of the theater's front doors!
Over the years, many new movie theaters opened. This made the Colonial Theatre less popular, and it changed owners many times. But it always stayed a place for both movies and live shows. In the mid-1990s, a group bought the building to restore it.
Restoring and Expanding the Theatre
The Colonial is the last old-style theater left in Phoenixville and all of Chester County. A local group saw how important the Colonial was to history. They created the Association for the Colonial Theatre (ACT). This is a nonprofit group dedicated to fully restoring The Colonial. They wanted it to be a cultural arts center.
ACT bought the theater on December 8, 1996. It reopened on October 1, 1999. It started showing children's programs, art films, and independent and classic movies.
On April 4, 2016, a special ceremony happened. It marked the start of a big $8 million project. This project would expand and renovate the theater. It would connect The Colonial with its next-door neighbor, The National Bank of Phoenixville. ACT bought the bank building in 2011. Their plan was to turn it into two more movie theaters. They also wanted to add better facilities for the main theater. They made sure to keep the historic look of the bank building.
The Colonial's expansion opened on May 12, 2017. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on May 17, 2017. The new part of the theater has a stadium-style theater with 174 seats that can be moved. There's also a smaller, cozy 65-seat screening room. The new lobby has a baby grand piano and a huge 30-foot concession stand.
The expansion also added dressing rooms for performers. There's a concession stand for special events and a kitchen for catering. Plus, there's a garden suite on the second floor with an outdoor deck.
Today, The Colonial Theatre shows many different kinds of films. These include new releases, independent movies, and old classics. It also hosts concerts and community events. You can even rent the theater for private parties!
