The Warner Theater

THE WARNER THEATER
www.warnertheater.org/restoration.htm

Betty never knows what she’ll be asked to do next. Once she collected tickets with the Wicked Witch of the West and a winged monkey warrior. Another time, she served full-bodied Zinfandel paired with tangy Roquefort at a moveable feast. This evening she is handing out programs to jazz aficionados eager to hear the legendary B. B. King.
It is always curtain time these days at the Warner Theater in Torrington, Connecticut, an art deco movie palace built by the Warner Brothers.
Years ago in this blue-collar factory town, business declined and expenses soared. Those who had the substance to tide them over hired those who had less. Facing foreclosure, the historic building was slated for demolition. Lean times led town officials to suggest the land be used for a metered lot. The future of the art deco movie palace looked grim. But then local folks and weekenders started showing up. They baked cakes and sold bricks. They held wine tastings and sponsored street parties. A shared vision of a community was the beginning of the grass-roots campaign that preserved and restored the theater to its former grandeur.
Longtime residents of Litchfield County t raised millions of dollars to upgrade the infrastructure, renovate the façade, restore the interior and install state-of-the-art lighting and sound systems. Today, the theater is a star reborn, not an empty lot littered with broken bottles. It is a vibrant center for arts education and the catalyst for the future economic growth of the town.
Betty is a dedicated Warner volunteer. She is there when people walk into the lobby, greeted by vintage etched glass chandeliers and a sweeping mahogany staircase. She leads them past luxurious draperies, dramatic gilded arches and down softly lit aisles. Theater-goers marvel at the seats, covered in velvet. They crane their necks to admire the hand-painted constellation and giant star chandelier above them. The lights dim, there’s The King and his guitar, Lucille, ready to riff with the boys in the band. The crowd is already having a high old time. Betty is part of the audience, part of the magic that is the Warner Theater.
In the spring of 1930, Warner Brothers opened the theater with the town’s first Miss Warner Beauty and Popularity Contest. Today the leadership of the Warner has bigger plans: to build an additional 200-seat theater in the historic Mertz building nearby and strengthen its financial base. Its cultural and retail presence on Main Street is nothing but positive for the folks in town. It is Torrington’s dream realized. Just ask Betty.

Story ID:	1166
Written by:	toni giarnese (bio, contact, other stories)
Story type:	Local History
Location:	new hartford ct usa
Year:	2006
Person:	Betty