The local theater is Americana in pure form. Smaller towns, towns of less means, all these towns saved their theaters. Why can’t Madison.

Almost all of the theaters were not first run theaters. Often it was a combination of 2nd run, art house films, rereleases, and occasional live performances. Things that add vitality to a town.

“A lot of these town’s are college towns,” you might say. Which is true. Madison is as well. Bringing in the college students into town can bring in commerce and perhaps a little funkiness as well. Back in the era of Clearview visiting the Madison Theater was part of freshman orientation. I remember a busload of Drew or Fairleigh students (I don’t remember which) being dropped off to see a movie. And from the movie they might not go straight back to school, instead they may grab a bite to eat, get some ice cream, or check out Snookie’s shop (which the student’s will instagram to their friends).

As was mentioned in a previous post, there was a third party interested in buying the theater who would run it as a theater. Even the developer thought their plan was viable and would bring in moviegoers from the local area and from outside Madison into downtown Madison. So why does the Downtown Development Commission support this new building rather than work to save the theater? If one was to take the most pessimistic numbers from Bow Tie’s bleak days, you still had over 100 people a day (and over 150 on weekends) coming into downtown. Meanwhile this new building will bring in 50 or so new residents into town, an increase of 0.3% to the town’s full time population. I’m not sure how anyone charged with bringing business into town would think an increase of 50 inhabitants is somehow more of an economic boost to the city’s downtown than bringing in over 100 people into downtown daily. And not the same 100 people either. Different people each night with wallets and a desire to have an evening or day away from the house. What is a movie but not escape.

As was mentioned by a town official in a town hall presentation about Rose Hall last summer: “Experts say a combination of elements contribute to successful downtowns. A lively, bustling atmosphere with lots of people is a must – but what attracts the people? The formula includes retail and residential with lots of parking. Night life that offers several places to eat and drink, combined with entertainment in the form of theaters and performing arts centers, is the key, experts say.”

That is why these small towns saved their theaters. If you go to the Resources page you will see our survey of many different small town theaters. The numbers show how theaters are not only a place for town’s people to meet and be entertained, but economic engines drawing people into town.

Also on the Resources page you will find more informations about theaters and the fight to save the Madison Theater than you’d ever want, but if you want to you’ll see there is a lot of good stuff there.

Doylestown, PA, population 8,380. The theater is such a success it is raising money to expand into the property next door so it can show more.

Theater in Lewisburg, PA. Population 5,600.

Theater in State College, PA. Population 42,400

Braddock, PA is a town that went from 20,000 to 2,000. The town is struggling to keep itself alive, often through art. One piece is people sharing memories of what Braddock meant to them. The theater was a key memory of what the town once was.

This panel says: “I remember when I was a young lady and we would come to Braddock with hat and gloves. Go to the movie, beautiful dress shops…”

A theater in Pittsburgh, this picture is just here to show that a blank side wall is kind of how stand alone theaters look. Perhaps if Madison’s theater went back to its original unpainted brick people would like the sides more. There is other work the theater needs before that happens of course.

a theater in Chambersburg, PA a town of 20,900.

A theater in Charlottesville, VA. This is the one of three operating theaters within three blocks. One of which is a multiplex.

A fake town in Northlandz…. Even fake towns need a movie theater. And this one has a Dish Night every Wednesday. Madison Theater used to have Dish Nights and someone even posted to our Facebook page a picture they got from the theater. Unfortunately I can’t find that picture… gotta love Facebook.

Bonus: A theater in Damariscotta, Maine. A town of 2,144 folks.

The post The town theater – a part of small town America appeared first on Save Madison Theater.

• Condition #4 requiring them to obtain all permits before demolition can commence.
• Condition #9 requiring them to provide a theater in their proposed building.
• Condition #10 requiring the height not to exceed 45 feet and the number of stories limited to 3

Condition number 4 in detail was:  “Demolition shall not commence until after all required State, County, and local land use approvals have been secured; all building and soil permits have been obtained; and Borough Officials are fully satisfied that the demolition and new construction is in full compliance with all applicable laws.”

Basically it appears that Saxum wants to take the building down NOW.  Before the election, before any permits for the new building are acquired.  Remember, every structural review of the building, either from the town or the developer, noted that the building was at NO RISK of falling down.  

Sure, tearing it down would silence Save Madison Theatre, but that probably isn’t the real reason to appeal that mandatory condition. Maybe leverage is the reason. The building they propose will require many variances before getting approval to build. That could take a long time, and they might not get all they want, and any concession they make will hurt profit. Now imagine if there was a big empty pit where the Theater now stands. A big hole next to the post office. Fencing and debris greeting every Madison commuter each evening as they leave the train station. The town would do anything to expedite approval to make sure that lot is used. Variances might be granted willy nilly in an effort to bandage the gaping wound that should be the gateway to Madison.

Condition #9 was:  “Continuation of a public theater is necessary, reasonable, and in furtherance of the public interest to preserve the historical, cultural, and social significance of the Lyons Theater and the District as a whole. A 90 to 100 seat theater shall continue in active operation on a portion of the Lyons Theater property. A 90 to 100 seat theater shall be included on the final design plans and within a portion of the replacement building/structure to ensure that the property can continue to be used as a theater for public access and entertainment. The site shall be promoted and marketed in a commercially reasonable manner for use as a public movie theater and Saxum shall use commercially reasonable efforts to secure a movie operator tenant.”

Now basically Condition #9 codifies what Saxum’s development plan drawings showed all along: to include a small movie theater in the property. Their appeal of Condition #9 reveals that Saxum’s “promise” was apparently a PR stunt from the beginning. It seems clear that they don’t want a theater there. Why? Maybe because having a theater there would detract from their rental properties. (Would anyone want to live above a theater with the rumbling bass and explosive sounds of an action movie below them?) The theater was likely proposed in an effort to diminish objections to their plans, in short to lull Madison citizens into believing the loss of our town’s historic Lyons theater building was not the end of movies in town. Perhaps it was designed to soften the guilt for HPC members when they voted against saving the current theater building. The PR stunt seems to have worked as intended, and now the developers seek to abandon the theater concept.

Condition #10 is the height of the building and number of stories. The building they want is massive. It’s around 30% larger than the current theater building. Though only a foot or two “taller” from the current theater’s tallest point (not counting elevator and other bulkheads they will need that will be even higher) the current theater is a gable roof which makes the current building smaller. Though similar in footprint, this new building will appear much larger than the current building and will be visible from many places in town.

Basically it seems like they want to render the Historic Preservation Committee’s ruling moot. If they win this appeal this is likely the end of the concept of a protected historic district. Anyone who wants to tear down a building, increase its size, or in any other way break the restrictions put in place to preserve our historic downtown will know that they can simply appeal.

Though I disagreed with the HPC decision I know the members worked long hours and were dedicated to the process. But this appeal raises serious doubt that the developer had any regard for the commission or the rules of the historic district.

People move to this town because of its small town feel while simultaneously being a suburban town. The historic district is integral to that. The theater is the gateway to Madison and the historic district. Don’t let it be a massive hole.

The post Coming soon to a theater near you: the end of the historic district appeared first on Save Madison Theater.

While the HPC’s rejection of our request centered around the town machinations that the emails reveal, the more important point was that there is an offer on the table that would keep the building existing and used for it’s intended purpose:  A Movie Theater.

The developer’s argument for demolition were:

1. No one is interested in running the movie theater
2. No one was interested in the building
3. Movies are dead
4. The new building would be good for the town economy
5. The building is in bad shape

The emails show that from far before the meetings even started the developer’s new points 1 through 4 were moot.  

1. There was interest in running the movie theater
2. There was an interested buyer whom the developer had an agreement with in case they couldn’t build their planned building
3. The potential owners were confident they could have a viable business
4. The new theater would bring many many people into Madison each day, providing a huge economic boost, far beyond would could be created by 24 apartments

In the end the only argument that was valid is that the building is in bad shape, only the extent of needed repairs was in question.  All testimony about the building structure noted that the building was in no threat of falling.  And the fact that there is an interested buyer points out that there was belief that it was economically feasible for a private entity to maintain and run the theater.

If all these facts were part of the discussion from the get go perhaps HPC’s vote would have been different, even with all the recusals and resignations that were part of the process (see the 5th meetings video for that drama).

The historic preservation committee is charged to first make sure it is economically feasible to save the structure AND make sure it is used for its intended use.  It was and is.  

The post There is an interested party for using the theater as a theater appeared first on Save Madison Theater.

“To promote the use of historic districts for the education, pleasure, and welfare of the citizens of the Borough and its visitors and to promote civic pride in the Borough’s historic resources.”

That isn’t an objective that is just to preserve Madison’s old buildings. It is a purpose to preserve Madison’s history. History IS culture and community.

Madison is a time capsule of small town America. A vibrant downtown centered around a train station. It is why commercials, TV shows, and movies have used our town as a backdrop and setting. The town’s Americana is as a significant draw to new young families moving into town as the schools. It is the type of town they want their children to group up in. It is the town of their childhood… or their parent’s childhood.

And the local theater is 20th Century Americana. A cultural and community space where neighbors and families were entertained. It was a night out, leaving the television box at home. Movie theaters were once a part of every town, but now many towns have lost their stand-alone local theaters.

But the towns that have saved their theaters have kept their small town charm and have created vibrant communities spaces, drawing people to the town to see a show and then stay in town to have a bite to eat. The movie theater becomes a space of civic pride.

Once the theater is gone this piece of history, this part of our community, will be lost forever and there will be no building like it remaining in Madison. And piece by piece Madison loses more of its charm.

Making Madison look like any other suburban town is not progress.

The post Preservation is kind of in its name appeared first on Save Madison Theater.

The post A Theater for The Community appeared first on Save Madison Theater.

Movies aren’t dead and they aren’t going anywhere.  Netflix isn’t killing movies.  Like superheroes, movies can escape death with supernatural ability.

• TV will destroy movies!
• VHS (and later… DVDs) will destroy movies!
• Video Games will destroy movies!
• The World Wide Web will destroy movies!
• Streaming services will destroy movies!

But Hollywood continues to make billions and broke records at the box office last year – and will likely do so again.

Movies are where you go to cheer the heroes, laugh at the jokes, cry at loss, and scream at jump scares WITH others!  It is a communal experience.  It is a shared experience with friends, neighbors, and strangers.  It is where you know you are not alone, that these other people too share your tastes.

A movie theater removes you from your home, removes you from the chores and daily tasks.  A movie theater sits you down in front of the screen, dims the lights, blasts the soundtrack (sometimes too loudly I admit), and removes all distractions – so there is nothing but the story.

But the economics of showing movies have changed and it is difficult for small local theaters to survive.  The chain theaters offer plush seating and a variety of food stuffs which the local independent theaters can’t offer.  And at $12 or more a ticket per person and $15 for the coke and popcorn movies are no longer a cheap fun spontaneous option for most families.

Many towns have saved their theaters by turning them into non-profit organizations.  Some become art houses and others become second run theaters.  Suddenly the local theater offering $5 films become full again – adding foot traffic and smiles to the downtown after every showing.

The post Movies Fight On! appeared first on Save Madison Theater.

Part of what I do is paste some of the petition comments into a ticker that runs on the home page. I recommend you go to the petition and read the comments that people are leaving about the theater. There are hundreds of them. We post many of them to the site because they are filled with hope and/or a warm nostalgia of what this theater means to them and what they feel it means to the town. One can’t help but smile when reading them.

The post The Voices of Madison appeared first on Save Madison Theater.

Wikipedia has a nice list of films shot in Madison (and TV):

• The Sopranos has a scene shot in the Drew campus (and at Rod’s Steak House)
• A Beautiful Mind had scenes filmed at FDU
• Guess Who (2005) had many shots of Madison
• The World According to Garp has a shot of the Hartley Dodge Memorial Building 
• One of the Boys (TV show) has a shot at Drew
• Rich and Famous
• So Fine
• The Family Stone
• Friday Night Lights (TV)
• Pretty Little Liars (TV)
• Deconstructing Harry has some scenes shot at Drew
• The Hideaways

A shot from Pretty Little Liars… The Madison Theater is there somewhere in the upper left…

The post A Town Right Out of Central Casting appeared first on Save Madison Theater.

That is why so many towns around the country have worked to save their theaters, often turning them into multi-use performing arts spaces (just as we propose). Movies, live theater, and more. They understand that once a theater is gone, such a building will never be built again in town.

The post Another New Jersey Town is Trying to Buy Their Endangered Theater appeared first on Save Madison Theater.

In the mid-thirties you could take a break from the Great Depression and spend hours in the theater. In January 1934 at a visit to the Madison Theater you could choose between 40 cent Orchestra seats or 25 cent Balcony seats and then watch the news reel, a Rin-Tin-Tin short, Duck Soup, and Orient Express. A great day at the movies in a theater that was decorated with marble and frescoes, the stage adorned with white pillars, with beautiful painted and bronze plates surrounding a circular dome in the ceiling, painted sky-blue and filled with stars.

The post The first 95 years appeared first on Save Madison Theater.