Kings Theatre (Brooklyn)
Renovated facade (2015)
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| Address | 1027 Flatbush Ave Brooklyn, New York |
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| Owner |
New York City Economic Development Corporation Loew's Theatres (1929–1977) |
| Operator | Ambassador Theatre Group |
| Type | Movie palace |
| Capacity | 3,000 (2015) |
| Current use | Performing arts center |
| Construction | |
| Opened | September 7, 1929 |
| Rebuilt | 2013–2014 |
| Years active | 1929–1977 2015–present |
| Architect |
Rapp and Rapp Martinez & Johnson (restoration) |
| Website | |
| http://www.kingstheatre.com/home | |
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Loew's Kings Theatre
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Close-up of the marquee during renovation.
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| Location | 1027 Flatbush Avenue Brooklyn, New York City |
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| Coordinates | Coordinates: 40°38′45″N 73°57′27″W / 40.6458°N 73.9575°W |
| Built | 1929 |
| Architect | Rapp and Rapp |
| Architectural style | French Baroque movie palace |
| NRHP Reference # | 12000534 |
| Added to NRHP | August 22, 2012 |
The Kings Theatre, formerly Loew's Kings Theatre, is a movie palace-type theater in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City. Opened in 1929 and closed in 1977, the theater sat empty for decades until a complete renovation was initiated in 2010. The theater reopened to the public on January 23, 2015 as a performing arts venue. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 22, 2012.
Loew's Kings Theatre was designed by the architectural firm of Rapp and Rapp. The interior decor was designed by Harold W. Rambusch. It was built and operated by the Loew's Theatres chain, and was one of the five "Loew's Wonder Theatres" in the New York metropolitan area. This 3,676 seat house originally presented shows that combined movies and live vaudeville. It opened September 7, 1929, with a program that included the film Evangeline, a live stage show, orchestra and solo pipe organ. The film's star, Dolores del Rio made a special live appearance. With the decline of vaudeville, however, the theater soon converted to showing feature films only.
On August 30, 1977, the Loew's Kings closed. Its final film was Islands in the Stream with George C. Scott. After the time of its closing, when its lavish 1929 interior was almost completely intact, the shuttered theater slowly deteriorated. Extensive physical damage was sustained to the Kings's interior as a result of decades of neglect, water damage and vandalism. The roof was belatedly repaired in 2007 to halt further deterioration. It has been owned by the City of New York since 1979. After closing, the theater was subject of a film documentary, Memoirs of a Movie Palace.
After having been the object of numerous proposals for its restoration over the previous thirty years, the Kings Theatre underwent a complete renovation. The City of New York announced the plan on February 2, 2010, with a goal of returning the theatre to use as a performing arts venue. The $93 million renovation was completed in partnership with a private developer, ACE Theatrical Group of Houston, which had previously overseen major restorations of a number of historic theaters including the Boston Opera House.
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Wikipedia