Grand Opening of the Rapids Theatre

Grand Opening of the Rapids Theatre - December 4, 2009

It isn't an often occurrence these days to be invited to a gala Grand Opening in Niagara Falls, so when the email came in from John Hutchins and Carl Labate to attend the grand opening of the Rapids Theatre (1711 Main Street, Niagara Falls, USA), I circled the date on the my calendar and began looking forward to December 4th. Wouldn't you be as intrigued as I was? Anyone receiving the invite in their email boxes (and also those with previous knowledge of the plan in place) had to be all thinking the same thing, "I gotta see it to believe it."



I had the pleasure of meeting with John Hutchins during the tail end of last winter and he took me on a brief tour of the theater while construction was just underway. Looking around and seeing the place in the state it was in at that time, you would think that the cigar he was puffing on was filled with something other than tobacco, for the grandiose design he spoke of couldn't be nothing more than a optimistic hallucination, right? Or maybe it was another dream from another developer looking to fill the resident's skulls with hot air, take some seed money from City Hall only to leave all plans dangling and all plywood-over-the-windows intact for another decade or two. Well, Dear Readers, let me tell you, that isn't the case by any means...

The grand opening on Friday night of the Rapids Theatre was IMPRESSIVE. The exact moment when the doors opened and welcomed the guests in, was the exact moment that a brighter future for Main Street, Niagara Falls USA began. This particular landmark here in little ole' Niagara Falls, laying dormant and dead for so many years has officially been resurrected from the dead! Not only was the atmosphere perfect and the sights visually stunning, but the sound from the stage was excellent as well. For me, it was shocking that this was happening on Main Street. Hallelujah!

I could write on and on and share the many stories (everyone has a few) about times I spent in the theater in the past - when it was The Late Show, or Center Stage, or The Pleasure Dome II, or the Dome Theater or whatever it was called when I was drinking underage and the walls were painted black and purple. Lost were the days that the elders of the community speak of remembering fondly times from their youth watching Disney movies on the big screen and munching popcorn in one of the finest theaters in Western New York. [For some history tid-bits, please click here to visit my iWitnessNiagara Blog here on StenzTV and you can catch a small glimpse of the fond memories they speak of] So, now things are set right, the nostalgia of the past has been recaptured. Run and tell your parents and your grandparents that there is something on Main Street in Niagara Falls that they can once again be proud of, and who knows, maybe you'll be sitting watching a theater production or a concert in the near future sharing popcorn and experiencing new memories together at the Rapids Theatre.

Just a few photos - please submit any you have to be archived in the iWitnessNiagara Blog:










(this photo submitted by Niles J Fuller - Niagara SHOUT Magazine)

Do you have some old photos or some memories from yesteryear of 1711 Main Street you'd like to share? If so, send them in to stenztv@gmail.com and I will post them and update the blog entry. We'd love to hear from you! If you have any photos or stories from the Grand Opening Night (Dec.4, 2009) please send them along too!

(This article will be updated - stay tuned!)

The Bellevue/Rapids Theatre on Main Street

(click on photo for larger image - circa 1921)

[From the Niagara Falls Gazette, September 14, 1923: "Many Leading Business Places Of The City Have Been Identified With The Street Since The Village Days"]

The Bellevue occupies a lot on the east side of Main Street, south of Michigan Avenue, with 100 feet frontage of Main Street and 160 feet depth. The main entrance is in the center of the building, which is of brick, concrete and hollow tile construction, is given over two modern stores on the first floor and five offices on the second floor. The building has a handsome tapestry brick front. Between the two stores a wide and handsome vestibule leads up to an equally ornate lobby, from which, in turn, one passes into the foyer of the spacious theatre auditorium, which occupies the rear of the building.

The attractiveness of the entrance and the marble and tile vestibule and lobby gives promise of the wonderful beauty of the foyer and auditorium, which is nothing short of captivating. The broad foyer is done in cypress and richly carpeted. The indirect lighting system throughout is of particularly enhancing design and in its soft glow, one glimpses appealing beauty on every side. There is nothing left to desire in that which the art of builder and decorator devises.

(click on photo for larger image)

Above the foyer and rear part of the auditorium's main floor, midway to the ceiling, is the loge or balcony, entirely given to the inviting boxes of the ornamental type. The loge has only box seats, which are arranged to give the occupants a wide sweep of the floor and stage. The stage itself, at the east end of the auditorium, is one of the largest afforded by any picture theatre in the state. It is 20 feet in width and 45 feet high, with a depth sufficient to permit of the best vaudeville attractions.

Of special importance to the welfare of the playgoing public is the fact that The Bellevue auditorium, its foyer, lobby and vestibule are of the most modern and complete fireproof construction and that every safeguard against fire is employed. The picture machine booth is completely outside the auditorium and is cut off entirely by fireproof walls and fire doors, which automatically close if a film catches afire. Even the window through which the picture machine projects its rays to the stage curtain is equipped with automatic appliances which make it impossible for flames, in case a film blazes, to leave the confines of the booth. The only person who can incur any danger from the fire is the machine operator. Besides the wide main entrance, there are eight fire exits from the auditorium main floor, four from the balcony and two from the stage.

38 years later...

(click on photo for larger image)

[From the Niagara Gazette, May 23, 1961: "Bellevue Will Become Luxury Movie House"]

Plans to remodel the Bellevue Theater to create a new luxury motion picture house were announced today. The change will start at the street entrance and sweep through the entire interior - with the greatest comfort and the newest in technical equipment keys to the revamping. To herald the complete change in the theater, a new name will be chosen soon to replace Bellevue.

Richard H. Hayman, vice president of the Cataract Theater Corp. and Michael J. Harmon, secretary, in making the annoucement today, said that their plans constituted a vote of confidence in the future of Niagara Falls.

"We believe strongly in the future of our city and of our business in particular," Mr. Harmon said for the corporation officers. "Because of this belief, we are actually bringing into the North End of the city a brand new theater."

The Bellevue will close within the next 10 days. The new theater will open, it is hoped, within a month from the closing. Patrons to the new theater will step under a modern, V-shaped marquee with the latest combination of decorative electrical signs. The accent on luxury and comfort will prevail in both the main orchestra floor and the loges. The techinical improvement will include additional projection and sound equipment so that the latest of the screen large picture super-motion features can be shown.

"Structurally, the building is sound," Mr. Harmon said. "We are going to do the remodeling needed to make this a completely modern theater." The gala opening of the newly named, remodeled theater will offer a major motion picture of the summer season, Mr. Harmon promised.

(click on photo for larger image - notice marquee far left - "Midnight Cowboy" circa 1969)

Enar Ahlstrom, executive vice president of the Chamber of Commerce, hailed the announcement as a concrete expression of faith in the city. "Here is a local company with enough faith in Niagara Falls to bring us what will be a completely new theater. it is one of the finest expressions of confidence I've seen so far," he said.

"If more of our people in similar ways expressed their faith in the future of the city rather than only looking at today's problems, we would recover more quickly and get back to a healthy economic situation."

85 years later...

The Bellevue Theater (now The Dome Theater, previously the Late Show) as it stands in 2008:

UPDATE - 2009: Check out the GRAND OPENING of this Niagara Falls landmark here: http://iwitnessniagara.blogspot.com/2010/01/grand-opening-of-rapids-theatre.html

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