The mayor announced the ARPA recipients last week at Holyoke Medias studios. Cinema Treasures, LLC It was not plain and unadorned, however. The virtual event featured the magical digital treat and specially MIFA commissioned centennial fanfare composed by Ivn E. Rodrguez. 81-89 Suffolk Street, Holyoke, MA 01040 Closed Renovating Restoring 1 screen 1,680 seats 7 people favorited this theater Overview Photos Comments View larger map Victory Theatre - Holyoke (Official) Architects: Firms: Styles: STAFF PHOTO/CAROL LOLLIS The Victory Theater (spelled "Theatre" in stone on the building itself) is a grand movie/stage show palace erected in 1919 by Goldstein Brothers Amusement Company at 81-89 Suffolk Street in Holyoke. In July, nearly 500,000 in SBA Grants were awarded to the ZVictory theatre. In 1931, it became exclusively a movie house until it closed in 1979. In spite of the four-track magnetic stereo sound system that was installed with the Cinemascope screen, the Strand was hardly the ideal place to experience the intended impact of the scope process. Although it has allowed passers-by to better see its sculpted faade, it is a sad reminder that the Victory Theatre has yet to emerge from its doldrums. That chair ended up in Bray Lake at the Mt. Restoration on the historic victory theatre in Holyoke has been a work-in-progress for a long time now. Victory Theater tour brings hope for Holyoke arts, economic - WWLP tag_id.innerHTML = ' Buy this Image'; The $61 million restoration project campaign will be led by the Victory Theatre Community Fundraising Strike Team, the Entrepreneurial Strike Team, and the Victory Theatre Building Committee. A crew from Western Mass Demolition razes a former funeral home at 134 Chestnut St. in Holyoke on March 24, 2021. Saturday, October 16, 2021, Tours at 1 p.m., 2 p.m., and 3, p.m. Nothing was especially elaborate or ornate about the theatres appointments. The February 26, 1916, issue of The Moving Picture World ran an item saying that two new theaters had recently opened in Holyoke. In 2009 MIFA acquired the Victory Theatre located at 81-89 Suffolk Street Holyoke, Massachusetts. And thats what were seeing today., Donald Sanders, with flashlight, executive artistic director of the Massachusetts International Festival of the Arts, leads area legislators on a tour of the old Victory Theater in Holyoke that is underoing restoration. HOLYOKE, Mass. In 1962, the Strand Theatre reverted to the control of WMT, Inc., which continued to operate it as a first-run venue until 1969. if (photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring2) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring3) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring4) > -1) { Victory Theater - Wikipedia Subscribe to our mailing list for news and updates. A total of $2 million from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding will be used to help reopen VictoryTheatrefor touring Broadway musicals, plays, and special international events. It is an unbelievable project that will help all our constituents, he said. Im hoping we can be strategic and specific and focused as possible to figure out how to close (the funding) gap.. This gives us the ability to buy some personal protective equipment and essential firefighting safety equipment that we otherwise wouldnt be able to. Holyoke Victory Theater project gets support from Western Massachusetts legislators Updated: Jan. 23, 2023, 7:28 p.m. | Published: Jan. 23, 2023, 7:21 p.m.\ By Dennis Hohenberger | Special to The Republican HOLYOKE - "This isn't a Holyoke project. Of course, one had to actually enter the theatre and surrender the ticket prior to 5:00 P.M. as well, or the afternoon admission would not be valid. The wooden floor of the theatre often creaked loudly during the theatres later years, adding to the atmosphere of increasing decrepitude which was rapidly overtaking the theatre at the end of its life. City project underway to help revitalize Victory Theatre in Holyoke However, by the late 1960s, due to the erosion created by television over the years and the opening of Redstone Showcase Cinemas in nearby West Springfield, the daily continuous shows had vanished. In the Heights - HCC Music and Theater 2018 Fall Musical, November 7-10 & 15-17, 2018, Leslie Phillips Theater, Holyoke Community College, Holyoke, MA. The state needs to focus on arts, entertainment and tourism. The Victory Theatre, Holyoke, MA A view of the screen and stage from the mezzanine level. Visual And Literary Arts | Mifa | Holyoke Demolishing the adjacent property, which MIFA also owns,will make way for an annex with more dressing rooms, office space and a loading dock. '"; The cost to renovate the dormant Victory Theatre in Holyoke, Massachusetts has increased to $43 million and the latest re-opening target is Dec. 20, 2020, city councilors were told Monday, Oct. 30, 2017 at City Hall. The theater closed in 1979 and has sat derelict since; in the mid-1980s the city government was able to obtain the property from a landowner delinquent on more than $50,000 in back taxes. Samuel and Nathan Goldstein of Western Massachusetts Theatres Incorporated (at that time known as G.B. We only have a year and a half left to tell the federal government how were going to spend our money, Zoeller said. The Strand Theatre was listed as to having seated 1109 people as of 1955. All rights reserved (About Us). The lobby just beyond the entry doors was extremely long, but very narrow, and ran the full width of the building, extending across the entire back wall of the auditorium just beyond it. The Victory is literally in our backyard, and were excited to support it, she said. Thats what makes events so important. The architecture is in the Art Deco style and is considered the last of its type between Boston and Albany. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. It's a Western Massachusetts regional project,". All rights reserved (About Us). '"; The people in charge are stalwart types and I hope that they can get back on track. Victory Theater, Holyoke MA. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. [14][15] On November 5, 2019, MIFA acquired a property abutting the theater, 134 Chestnut Street, for $224,000, which is expected to be razed as part of a planned larger complex attached to the Victory.[16][17]. There was an orchestra pit in front of the stage. January 23, 2023 - After touring the long closed, now dilapidated Victory Theater in Holyoke, Mass., which first opened in 1920, state lawmakers Sen. John Velis and Rep. Patricia Duffy -- and MIFA's Donald Sanders (seated) -- make the case to other lawmakers and local leaders that a renovation of the theater will economically lift the entire reg. (WWLP) Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia announced $2 million will be used to restore the iconicVictory Theatre. The SuffolkStreet 1,600-seat theatre dates back to the 1920s and has been closed since 1979. Holyoke Community Development Administrator Alicia Zoeller with Mayor Joshua Garcia and City Council President Todd McGee. left in the building. It was set into the frame-work of the bank of entry doors, so that the glassed-in ticket window faced the street and the back of the box office opened directly into the lobby. Of course the Victorys cashier probably didnt have much time to watch the Strands line, she was usually too busy dealing with another equally impressive line of patrons stretching north along Chestnut Street and then east down Dwight Street at the next intersection waiting to enter the Victory itself. The Victory and Strand had gone to a policy of matinees on Wednesdays at 1:30 P.M., with shows nightly at 7:00 P.M. On Saturday, Sunday and holidays, both theatres still operated continuously from 1:30 P.M. to 10:30 or 11:00 P.M. A former funeral home134 Chestnut St. in Holyoke, located next to the Victory Theatre, is targeted for demolition. var currentLocation = window.location; Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Holyoke pitching in $2M for Victory Theatre redevelopment The 1940 population of Holyoke was 53,750. Donald Sanders of the Massachusetts International Festival of the Arts stands inside the historic Victory Theatre, in Holyoke, in 2011. Aaron Vega, the citys director of planning and economic cevelopment, his former Statehouse colleagues to consider the potential impact the Victory can have on the regions economy. HOLYOKE He kept his promise. The raked floor of this simple rectangular room was of wood and somewhat steeply pitched. And quirks. The groups will focus on construction, economic development and community impact. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, all three first-run Holyoke theatres (Victory, Strand and Suffolk) opened daily at 1:00 P.M.and ran continuously all afternoon and evening until 11:00 P.M. One could buy a ticket and walk into the theatres at anytime during this non-stop policy. Mayor Joshua A. Garcia is steering $2 million in American Rescue Plan Act money to the restoration of The Victory Theater, honoring a January pledge. The MGM Theatre Photograph and Report form for the Strand on Maple St. in Holyoke has a facade photo taken in May 1941. Subscribe Today, Morris returning as school superintendent in Amherst, No relief:Heavy rains forecast tonight and through weekend, Firefighters douse apartment fire in Westhampton, So clean and beautiful: EasthamptonCommunity Pool reopens after 3-year closure. Noting how Springfield venues like the MassMutual Center and MGM Casino affect Holyoke and surrounding communities, Vega said, (The Victory) adds to the Western Massachusetts fabric.. MIFA is grateful to Mayor Garcia for having the vision to see how the Victory Theatre can be a transformative part of Holyokes recovery from the pandemic and vision for a bright future, said Donald T. Sanders, MIFAs executive artistic director. ( WWLP) - A major project is underway in the city of Holyoke, in an effort to revitalize the Victory Theatre, and restore it to its former glory. Matthew Moriarty said ShotSpotter has led to a reduction in shots fired calls downtown. Donald Sanders, of the Massachusetts International Festival of the Arts (MIFA), which is overseeing the project, estimated construction will likely cost more than $44 million. [3] The Herman Rifkin owned Suffolk Theatre (by the 1960s being leased by WMT, Inc and no longer first-run.) The Victory Theater in Holyoke seats 1,600. MIFA celebrated the beautiful historic theater with a special virtual event: Victory Theatres 100th Birthday Celebration. While the arts and cultural aspects are front and center, the Victory would act as an economic catalyst for the downtown, according to the mayor. Jazz Latino On Main St. - Holyoke Public Library & Puerto Rican Cultural Project, December 1, 2018, War Memorial Auditorium, Holyoke, MA. This lobby was essentially a narrow hallway with a terrazzo floor. 7 people William Luther Mowll, Roger Glade Rand, Phone Numbers: "The Great Gatsby" has been made into movies starring Leonardo DiCaprio (2013) and Robert Redford (1974). ! [3] 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. During the heyday of the downtown Holyoke theatres (40s, 50s and early 60s) on Saturdays, Sundays and rainy weekdays the line waiting to get into the Strand often extended north on Maple Street, from the Strands entry to the corner of Suffolk Street, and then around the corner and up the hill on Suffolk Street past the Victory Theatre (across the street at Suffolk and Chestnut) and again around the corner south down along Chestnut. 2000 - He was forced (for financial reasons) to surrender the theatres and return them to WMT, Inc. As of March 1977, the WMT circuit was in the hands of the infamous Ronald Goldstein, son of Samuel and heir to the Goldstein fortune. This Mr. Goldstein proceeded to run his fathers (and uncle Nathans) circuit into the ground in a very few years, so that by the mid 80s, many of them had leaking roofs, sagging marquees, rotting stages, and inoperative heating and air conditioning plants. Capt. Often, people would try to make it to the box office shortly before 5:00 P.M. in order to pay the cheaper afternoon admission and then see what was popularly termed the supper show for a bargain. MIFA is privileged to participate in bringing Mayor Garcias vision to fruition.. MIFA Victory Theatre presents the finest examples of contemporary practice in performing, visual and literary arts and serves the economic revitalization of Holyoke through the preservation and reopening of the historical landmark Victory Theatre. The firm was also known for the design of the Calvin Theatre in Northampton, Massachusetts. (Don Treeger / The Republican). Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. The 1,600-seat Victory Theater, at the corner of Suffolk and Chestnut streets, opened in 1920. Like LaChapelle, state Rep. Carlos Gonzalez, D-Springfield, also grew up in Holyoke, and recalled how his mother had attended one of the last movies before the Victory closed in 1979. The Victory, a 1,600 seat Broadway-style theater opened in 1920 and has been derelict since 1979. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Town by Town: Victory Theatre tour, soup drive, and sewer project It closed in 1978 and was demolished in the early-1980s. Previously operated by: The Grand Organ often substituted for the orchestra during matinee performances. Since then its been abandoned but not empty. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Cinema Treasures is a registered trademark of Cinema Treasures, LLC. A few recipients from previous rounds opted out, allowing those funds to be redirected to other projects. I dont recall whether the apartment building went down with the theatre, as I had left the Holyoke area by 1981. The Strand Theatre was unique among Holyokes movie houses in that it had no balcony. A portion of the proceeds raised will be donated to the theater to help the restoration effort. All rights reserved (About Us). Hermann Gring: Timeline | Holocaust Encyclopedia The Victory Theatre opened on December 31, 1920 in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Come On Kids to the Special Childrens Show Tomorrow Morning at 10 oclock Admission 6 cents! (Tomorrow was a Saturday.). Doors Open Holyoke provides an opportunity to discover hidden architectural gems in the city of Holyoke, and to see behind doors that are rarely open to . Cinema Treasures, LLC Holyoke mayor allots $19M in ARPA funding; Victory Theater - MassLive People are going to have such a hunger to go back.. Sanders predicted a June project launch, followed by two years of construction. These, among others, would have been far more effective at the nearby Victory (just around the corner and a block up the hill on Suffolk Street) The Victory, due to a much wider proscenium, had a panoramic screen and the anamorphic image there gave the intended expansive effect. The Kingston Lounge: The Victory Theatre, Holyoke, MA - Blogger HOLYOKE Phase I of the Victory Theater expansion project began Tuesday with the demolition of a former funeral home at 134 Chestnut St., making way for an annex to support theater operations. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. It was built and owned (and operated during most of its life) by The Goldstein Brothers Circuit, which later became Western Massachusetts Inc.. WMT,Inc. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Those geographic lines can no longer be barriers or walls, she said. Attractions were Roundup and Little Men. WMT also had the second-run Bijou, located down the hill on Main Street, near the Boston & Maine Railroad tracks. The Victory's name itself is a reference to the Allied Victory in the World War the year before on November 11, 1918. var sellablestring2 = "STAFF PHOTO"; Since then, MIFA has been making steady progress to turn the theater into a 21st century performance center. var sellablestring3 = "STAFF FILE PHOTO"; Other legislators who toured the theater included state Sens. Western Massachusetts Theatres, Inc. ultimately well-earned reputation for neglect of their theatres was really set in motion and perpetrated by Ronald Goldstein in the late 7os and early 80s. State Rep. Daniel R. Carey, D-Easthampton, said the delegation must stick together in securing resources.
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