Just before the snowstorm began on Saturday, February 15, a group of historic preservation enthusiasts gathered at the Orpheum Theatre in Saugerties for a presentation on the next phase in the building’s ongoing renovation. Onstage at the Mark, the recently restored, state-of-the-art theater space upstairs, Upstate Films co-executive director Jason Silverman explained the project now underway to restore the Orpheum’s much-deteriorated marquee and façade to evoke the splendor of its 1939 heyday.
After a brief introduction summarizing the history of Upstate Films and its mission of connecting the Hudson Valley through transformative cinematic experiences, Silverman presented a PowerPoint slideshow that traced the transformations of the Orpheum’s exterior look since its founding in 1908 as a vaudeville house and roller rink. Sepia photographs from the early years showed a parapet outline that was reshaped as architecture fashions evolved from turreted corners in 1908 to something like the Alamo in 1920 to a ziggurat silhouette in 1939.
Contemporary photos brought home the current sad state of the front of the building. Over time, the original façade materials have been covered up as weather took its toll, from brickwork to stucco and structural glass to the present tawdry-looking metal sheathing and T-111 plywood siding. If you don’t happen to look up as you’re walking in the lobby doors, you might not notice that the marquee has, in the words of the official grant-proposal description, “fallen into disrepair over decades, today consisting of cobbled-together parts, patched neon, mismatched transformers and steel wool. It’s been touched up with house paint; the layers show as they peel from the surface. With rain or humidity, the ‘O-R-P-H’ on the southern side flickers and sometimes fails.”
Still, the Orpheum clings to a certain nostalgic charm that warms the heart. And the vision of designer/construction manager Chip Bohl of Bohl Architects — to restore the façade and marquee to Warren McArthur’s sleek Art Deco design from the Golden Age of Hollywood — drew ooohs and aaahs from the audience on Saturday. Like the 1939 original, it will incorporate custom doors featuring McArthur’s patented aluminum-bending process, panels of custom glass and custom poster boxes.
Also on hand was Matteline DeVries-Dilling of the Kingston-based, world-class neon fabrication and restoration company Lite Brite Neon, which has preserved and restored historic neon art and displays for the Dia Center for the Arts, MoMA and the Whitney Museum of Art. Lite Brite is poised to rescue the marquee by replacing all neon tubing, restoring bulb fixtures, replacing transformers, prepping surfaces and repainting.
Other restoration team members are Bryan Clapper of Clapper Engineering, who will address the sagging marquee’s structural challenges, and historic plaster expert Henry Mangione of Frank Mangione, Inc.
Since acquiring the Orpheum in 2021, Upstate Films has raised and invested more than $750,000 into improvements to the building. So far, these have included a new lobby and candy counter; full renovation of the upstairs theater now named the Mark (after Markertek founder Mark Braunstein), with new seats, acoustical treatments, heating/cooling system and audio systems; asbestos and mold remediation; a major roof repair; significant technical upgrades, including a new sound system in the largest theater; and safety and comfort improvements.
Now Upstate Films is fundraising to finance restoration of the façade and marquee, with a total budget of $275,000: $95,000 for the marquee and $130,000 for the façade. The scope of work will include forensics of prior materials (already underway), demolition of existing sheathing and siding and support materials, restoration of stucco and plaster and installation of glasswork. The ticket booth exterior will be restored. The original doors, which were sold in the 1970s, will be replicated, as will the poster boxes. A downspout will be relocated.
Individual donors to the restoration project are being sought, at a variety of levels. There’s even a naming opportunity for the marquee. Interested parties can learn more by contacting Jason Silverman at jason@upstatefilms.org or (505) 660-7139. For more on Upstate Films, including screening schedules, visit www.upstatefilms.org. The Orpheum Theatre is located at 198 Main Street in downtown Saugerties.
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