On Tuesday evening, October 7, Sawyers and cinephiles congregated in the streets of the Village of Saugerties to celebrate a red-letter day many years in preparation: the official lighting of the Orpheum Theatre’s freshly restored marquee. Main Street east of Partition was blocked off to traffic as the Unicorn Brass Band fueled the sense of anticipation with upbeat tunes. Vendors sold snacks, local merchants handed out samples and information, and Bob Siracusano of Sawyer Motors was on hand with his Good Humor truck, giving away ice cream bars.
As the big moment drew near, Upstate Films co-executive director Jason Silverman climbed into the bed of a powder-blue Ford F100 pickup, familiar around town as the former Lucky Chocolates truck. Its circa-1950 curved lines echoed the Art Deco design of the Orpheum’s façade, now fully restored to its Golden Age of Hollywood splendor. The crowd was all smiles, abuzz with anticipation as the band went quiet for the opening remarks.
Addressing the large gathering of spectators, Silverman offered thanks to an extensive list of contractors with expertise in historical restoration who had worked on the long and complex project to renovate the theatre’s most public face. Among the artisans he specifically cited were Pete Ressa of Ressa Electric, who rewired the marquee to bring the new glass elements by Lite Brite Neon to life, and Joe DePaola of Tradesmen Construction Group, who oversaw demolition, structural work, sheathing and waterproofing. According to Silverman, project manager Alex Rappoport had “spent about 250 hours just figuring out the doors, looking at 17 glass samples.” And Henry Mangione of Frank J. Mangione Inc., the plaster company that installed the tile, “at 5:45 was still washing the grout off that mosaic.”
Other participants in the marquee and façade renovation project were Chip Bohl Architects, design and construction management; Bryan Clapper of Clapper Engineering, which solved structural challenges; Fishcreek Iron, which provided structural elements; De La Rosa Masonry, which provided structural repairs; and sign-painter Colin Packard, who prepared and painted the marquee surfaces. Prandoni Fabrication handcrafted the custom doors, the deep red shade of Chinese porcelain, which now sport reproductions of the bent aluminum handles devised by Warren McArthur in 1939. The original doors had been sold off in the 1970s.
Next up to speak were Saugerties public officials. Village mayor Bill Murphy waxed nostalgic about the Orpheum’s steady presence throughout his 60 years of living in the town, including how he “scored big points with my wife” by posting an announcement of their 25th wedding anniversary on the marquee. “Seeing this restored is unbelievable. I can’t get enough of seeing it,” he said. “It’s going to be a tourist attraction for our community.”
Town supervisor Fred Costello welcomed the “amazing turnout for a really special reason.” He echoed Murphy’s theme of praise for the role of the reopened and restored Orpheum in downtown revitalization, predicting that more visitors would come just to take photos under the marquee to post on social media.
Also on hand to pass the torch and share in the excitement were two scions of the Thornton family, who had owned the building for more than a century. Built in 1908 by the Davis family, the Orpheum started its life as a vaudeville theater, a popular stop on the circuit between the Collingwood Opera House (now the Bardavon) in Poughkeepsie and similar venues in Albany. Burns and Allen, Gypsy Rose Lee and Cary Grant, when his name was still Archibald Leach, were among the showbiz luminaries on record as having performed live at the Orpheum. The original flat floor could be cleared of seats for dances and roller-skating.
Byron S. Thornton acquired the Orpheum in 1919, renovated it and installed a sloping floor more suitable for film projection. With the advent of “talkies,” speakers were installed in 1930s, and the space acquired a reputation for excellent acoustics. By the turn of the millennium the single-screen auditorium was divided up into a triplex. The 35mm reel-to-reel film projectors were converted to digital systems in 2012.
At the marquee opening event to share reminiscences of the theater’s heyday were “cousins-in-law” Jade and Leeanne Thornton, whose husbands were grandsons of Byron. The family sold the theater to Upstate Films in 2021. “We are just thrilled with what Jason and his team have done to restore this theater for this community,” Jade proclaimed from her perch in the vintage truck bed.
By then, dusk had deepened enough for the lighting of the fully refurbished façade to have a dramatic impact. Band members led a spirited countdown and the lights were switched on, to dazzling effect and a rousing cheer from the gathered throng. Chartreuse-colored spotlights illuminated the newly resurfaced stucco above the marquee, with an opaque white vertical glass panel in the middle, while the neon elements sparkled off glossy black-and-white tile surfaces at the ground-floor level. It now looks like the movie palace of everyone’s retro dreams. Come on out and enjoy a show!
The Orpheum Theatre is located at 198 Main Street in downtown Saugerties. For more on Upstate Films, including screening schedules for all locations, visit http://www.upstatefilms.org.
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