Queen Theatre

RAISING THE

CURTAIN Celebrating the past and future of Downtown Bryan’s Queen Theatre as it prepares for its grand reopening

The Eagle May 3,2018

Leap of faith comes to fruition downtown

By SANDY FARRIS

W

hen the Downtown Bryan Association purchased the Queen Theatre in 2010, the act represented a big leap of faith. The once-thriving movie house was in serious disrepair. A gaping hole in the roof resulted in the collapse of the interior floors.

After years of exposure to the elements. pigeons roosted on the rafters. Mushrooms sprouted freely on the rotting wood.

Dubbed Phase One by the DBA Board of Trustees, the purchase of the Queen was accomplished with financial support from many in the community who embraced the vision of bringing the theater back to life. Contributions large and small secured the deal, enabling the board to take control of the building’s fate.

Despite the dismal condition of the building, the DBA be-

lieved in one thing: the Queen would be restored, one way or another. By the fall of 2011, with the help of the BryanCollege Station community, the DBA celebrated Phase Two: the exterior restoration of the Queen. The façade renovation was funded by contributions ranging from $20 “Save the Queen” T-shirts to major gifts from local foundations and individuals in what became truly the “People’s Project.” The neon shone brightly once again on the distinctive Streamline Moderne Art Deco façade of the building — topped by the iconic revolving crown.

A 2013 fundraiser covered expenses for the next few years while floor plans were drawn by local architects who donated their services. By early 2015, interior framing was complete, thanks once again to local contractors who felt the project was worthy of

With the grand reopening, the Queen is now positioned to begin making memories for new generations of patrons. their donated materials and labor. For much of the next two years, the project slowed as the DBA determined whether to continue funding renovations solely on donations and fundraisers or pursue other, aggressive means of finishing the restoration.

In the summer of 2017, the decision was made to seek a construction loan to finish the renovation. With the signatures of DBA board officers agreeing to the terms of the loan, Phase Three was underway, representing a vision that was finally coming to fruition.

Initially, the renovated Queen was planned as a multi-use event venue. Movies were to

be an occasional thing, sandwiched between rentals for events such as weddings, music recitals and business seminars, as well as ensemble entertainers. However, community members who recalled attending movies at the Queen brought about a shift in vision for the building at 110 S. Main St. One by one, memories were recounted by those who recalled buying tickets under the watchful eye of Edna Schulman, the Queen’s owner, of purchasing popcorn and sitting with friends while mothers shopped at nearby Woolworths or Lester’s. Movies were the connecting thread, and it became apparent that

the Queen’s new destiny needed to be a return to its former life as a movie theater. A change in plans from portable seating to fixed theater seats took place, made easier by the donation of seats by Bryan’s Premiere Cinema as that theater transitioned to recliners for its patrons.

With the grand reopening, the Queen is now positioned to begin making memories for new generations of patrons.

The Queen stands apart. It is a classic film house, but with its small stage and forefront gathering area, the Queen can still function as a small venue — available for special events and occasions. Unlike any entertainment venue in the Brazos Valley, it is truly “the People’s Project.” z Sandy Farris is the executive director of the Downtown Bryan Association.

INDEX/STAFF • THE JOURNEY: Bryan City Councilman Ben Hardeman, who has been involved in renovation efforts for more than a decade, looks back on the process. /4 • THE FUTURE: Donations were key to getting the theater up and running again on a budget, but it’s expected to be a money maker going forward. /6 • THE PLAN: House manager Rick Schmidlin, an industry veteran, believes an eclectic mix of movies can help bring community film buffs together. /6 • THE HISTORY: From its heyday to its closing and now rebirth, we take a look at the Queen Theatre’s past with some of the people who were there. /8 • THE TIMELINE: We highlight some of of major events in the Queen’s past, from its purchase in 1914 to its grand opening this Friday. /10 • THE CROWN: A distinctive part of Downtown Bryan for 70-plus years, the theater’s one-of-a-kind topper has received some renovations of its own. /12 • THE FEATURES: Renovations will balance classic theater aesthetics with the modern amenities and safety upgrades that movie audiences expect. /13 PUBLISHER Crystal Dupré

ADVERTISING MANAGER Linda Brinkman

EDITOR Darren Benson

DESIGNER Matt Weber

SALES DIRECTOR Sean Lewis

PHOTOGRAPHERS Dave McDermand Laura McKenzie

MANAGING EDITOR Rob Clark

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CONTRIBUTORS Katy Barber Caitlin Clark Rebecca Fiedler Chelsea Katz Steve Kuhlmann Josh McCormack

On the cover: Eagle photo by Dave McDermand

Thursday, May 3, 2018

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BRINGING PEOPLE

TOGETHER Councilman Ben Hardeman happy to see landmark reach its potential

By STEVE KUHLMANN Special to The Eagle

A

s the Queen Theatre reopens after decades of dormancy, Bryan City Councilman Ben Hardeman said he is proud of the community effort that fueled its return.

The eight-year road to the Downtown Bryan landmark’s rebirth as a multipurpose space and venue for movies is closely tied to Hardeman’s personal interest in the project and his belief that it could be an iconic feature of the district.

The theater is set for a May 4 debut after organizers announced last July their intentions to reopen with functions for the community.

Hardeman said his advocacy for the project began during his last stint on the Bryan City Council from 2003 to 2009, a period during which he said the downtown district was in the midst of several other renovation projects.

He said while other structures in the area were being refurbished and given new life,theQueen“wasamess,” with peeling paint and a poorly maintained exterior.

After leaving the council in 2009, Hardeman quickly became involved in the Downtown Bryan Association and was voted president of the organization’s board. When the building’s

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owner expressed a willingness to sell the theater in 2010, Hardeman said it “immediately occurred to me that how good a project it could be for the Downtown Bryan Association.”

With a focus on drawing in numerous stakeholders from around the community, the association was able to raise the $75,000 down payment within six weeks, he said. The majority of the solicited donations were around $1,000 — a price point that board members felt would be enough to help fuel the project, but also not affect the lifestyles of donors should the restoration effort fail. He said it was important during the fundraising stage that donations be limited to ensure the campaign, and the theater itself, remained a community project.

“If we were going to do it, we wanted to do it with wide support,” Hardeman said.

“We didn’t want somebody to come in with $200,000 and think they owned it.”

Hardeman, who has been hard at work himself assisting with the renovation process in his spare time, said the project has been a unifying effort that has brought together many community members — even those who don’t always see eye to eye.

“Being a politician, I have a lot of people that I agree with and I have a number of people that I

disagree with, but even the people that I disagree with politically are very supportive of the Queen project,” he said, noting that fellow councilman Mike Southerland is among those who have participated on several occasions in the push to get the theater ready for its debut.

“I’m really proud of the broad variety of people in the community that have been supportive of the project,” Hardeman said. “It’s been supremely encouraging.”

Hardeman said the project was always envisioned in three phases — purchase, exterior renovation and interior renovation — none of which were guaranteed when the effort began back in 2010. Now, with the theater’s grand reopening to the public, Hardeman said he is glad to see the restoration of the architecturally distinct structure has come so far.

“The image of the building is so unusual; it’s a unique architectural facade,” he said, specifically highlighting the crown feature at the crest of the theater’s highest point. “I’ve spent a lot of time down at the Queen in the last 10 months and over the last eight years, and not a day goes past that you don’t see somebody standing across the street taking a photograph of the theater. ... It’s just a unique visual image.”

I’m really proud of the broad variety of people in the community that have been supportive of the project. It’s been supremely encouraging.

Ben Hardeman Bryan City Councilman

Eagle photo by Laura McKenzie Bryan City Councilman Ben Hardeman has been instrumental in seeing the Queen Theatre restored and reopened. He has assisted with revovations in his time off in addition to his work with the Downtown Bryan Association.

Congratulations on a job well done!

Brazos County Historical Commission BrazosCountyHistory.org Thursday, May 3, 2018

Donations crucial to making most of project budget

By CAITLIN CLARK caitlin.clark@theeagle.com

T

he opening of Downtown Bryan’s Queen Theatre is the culmination of around $1 million worth of work put into the property — made possible in part due to thousands of dollars in donations f rom the community.

Downtown Bryan Association Executive Director Sandy Farris said a total is not yet available on how much money has been raised, but she estimates that about 50 percent of the renovation costs have been covered by donations made since 2010. And in the f irst phase of interior construction, which started in January 2014, about $300,000 in materials and labor were donated inkind. If DBA had to pay for the renovations without donations, the project cost would have been much higher, Farris said.

“It’s been really remarkable, the amount of donations that have come to the Queen both in cash and materials and labor, and I think that is due to the investment in downtown, the investment of the memories that people have who grew up here and remember going to the Queen, the Palace, the Dixie — all of the theaters that were on Main Street,” Farris said. “And I think it always helps when someone’s gifts or donations, you can see the results right away.”

DBA purchased the historic building in 2010 for $185,000. While it owns the Queen, DBA’s budget will

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remain independent from the theater’s. Based on conservative estimates, Farris said revenue from ticket sales should be “more than adequate” to cover the theater’s operations costs. The house manager and hourly workers will be paid through the Queen’s budget.

Other revenue streams will include rentals and sponsorships. Farris said DBA already has had a few inquiries about renting the Queen for events.

The Downtown Bryan Association’s five employees have moved into the third and fourth floors of the Queen — about triple the amount of space of their previous West 26th Street office. Farris said moving out of the lease space likely will result in a cost savings of about $7,000 per year.

‘BEST OF THE BEST’ Manager Rick Schmidlin plans varied lineup of films

By ROB CLARK rob.clark@theeagle.com

F

ilm producer Rick Schmidlin moved to Bryan in 2014, and he often strolled by the Queen Theatre on First Fridays or on a night out with his wife.

“It looks like there’s nothing going on,” he recalls thinking. But he “had a feeling of what this theater could be.”

Schmidlin expressed interest in the theater last year as construction efforts ramped up. Now, as the Queen is about to make its much-anticipated reopening, he’ll serve as the house manager and program the films that will play there.

The 63-year-old, who grew up in New Jersey before moving to Los Angeles, has a long history of film producing and editing.

One of his most notable

Welcoming the Queen back to Downtown!

projects was re-editing the 1958 film Touch of E v i l , s t a rring Charlton Heston a n d J a n e t Schmidlin Leigh, to align it with director Orson Welles’ original wishes.

He revamped Erich von Stroheim’s 1924 silent film Greed, also to return it the director’s intentions. And he restored a rare copy of Harry Houdini’s 1919 silent film The Grim Game. His work has earned awards from the New York Film Critics Circle, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and the National Soci-

ety of Film Critics.

That experience and Schmidlin’s connections in Hollywood helped to define the programming of the Queen, he says. He based the idea on the New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles.

“I didn’t want it to be something that brought in movies six months after they played in the theaters,” he says. “I just didn’t want to play the usual suspects. ... I wanted to play — out of the library of 30-40,000 films — the best of the best. And something different every night — not repeated.”

Schmidlin says the theater will show 10 movies a week. The theater has

agreements with Sony, Sony Classics, Warner Bros., Paramount, Universal, IFC and other studios. Admission price for all ages and all showings will be $5.

Fo r o p e n i n g w e e k , Schmidlin plans to show Fifth Avenue Girl starring Ginger Rogers, which he says is the same film that opened the Queen in 1939.

He’ll show the 1971 classic The Last Picture Show, which he says “explains what happened to towns like this and what happened when movie theaters finally closed.” The Florida Project, an acclaimed 2017 release, also will be shown.

See SCHMIDLIN, Page 7

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SCHMIDLIN: Hopes films will unite patrons Continued from 6

Schmidlin notes that it was a critical darling “but never came to a theater here.”

The regular schedule will include recurring themes, including matinees — classic Westerns on Tuesday afternoons, romance films and musicals on Thursdays. Weekend matinees will be geared to kids, with a film playing in English on Saturday and then in Spanish on Sunday. Sunday nights will be known as “art house cinema,” he says.

“Films that never came to Bryan or College Station, independent and foreign films,” he says. “Some will be classics, and some will be the hottest new ones that are playing every place else but here. And now they will play here.”

Hit movies — including

the Harry Potter series and superhero flicks (the Christopher Reeve-starring Superman and Tim Burton’s Batman) will be part of the mix, Schmidlin says. He’s also considering a series of films by such acclaimed directors as Stanley Kubrick, and pairing films that have a common thread, like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Gravity.

“Let’s look at those two films together and have that kind of dialogue that people will develop,” he says. “If you run films like that, half the house is going to not know each other. But after six months, they’re going to recognize each other, and dialogue will start.”

Seasonal films will be featured, Schmidlin says, including scary movies (and The Rocky Horror Picture Show) near Halloween

and “the best Christmas movies ever” for the holiday season. He’s aiming to bring in film veterans for special screenings.

One such event is already planned: James Drury of the 1960s Western TV show The Virginian will visit the Queen on May 15, sponsored by Catalena Hatters.

Schmidlin says he’s “ecstatic” about the Queen’s plans — “I’m probably doing the Snoopy dance.”

He says that the theater will be a welcomed spot for any audience — solo film fans, families, groups of friends, couples on a date. He pointed to the array of businesses outside the Queen’s doors in describing how the theater fits into the Downtown Bryan scene.

“What we have here that no one has in town is you walk out and there

are coffee shops, sandwich shops,” he says. “Next door [at All the Kings Men] they’re open until midnight, full-service food.

You’ve got the [Proudest] Monkey over there with food. You can go to Madden’s or [Caffe] Capri or [Papa] Perez or any of the other restaurants. You come out of the movie theater and actually go for a walk with a bunch of friends, rather than standing in the parking lot in the middle of the highway.

“You can say, ‘Let’s go have coffee or tea,’ or ‘Let’s have a beer,’ and people can get together and do something after a movie. ... That experience doesn’t exist now here. That experience will exist in May. And within a year, everyone will consider it just an institution that’s part of the community.”

SCHEDULE Date May 11 May 12 May 13 May 15 May 15 May 16 May 17 May 17 May 18 May 19 May 19 May 20 May 20 May 22 May 22 May 23 May 24 May 24 May 25 May 26 May 26 May 27 May 27 May 29 May 29 May 30 May 31 May 31

Film Fifth Avenue Girl The Last Picture Show The Florida Project The Virginian, Season 1 Episode 28 (with special guest James Drury) The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Camelot The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Interstellar Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Gravity Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone* Death of Stalin Unforgiven Miss Congeniality Ocean’s Eleven Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Waiting for Guffman Superman Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Batman Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets* Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool The Cowboys Raiders of the Lost Ark Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Seven Brides for Seven Brothers Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

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* In Spanish

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‘IT WAS A SPECIAL DEAL’ Supporters reflect on their history with theater

By CHELSEA KATZ chelsea.katz@theeagle.com

M

orris Schulman’s connections to the Queen Theatre go back to his childhood. He was born into the movie theater business, thanks to his grandfather, whose Brazos Amusement Co. purchased the theater in 1926.

That company eventuallybecameSchulmanTheatres Inc., for which Morris Schulman,61,nowservesas president. The Queen was always his favorite theater, he said. He worked there in his youth selling concessions.It’swherehewatched Elvis Presley on the big screen. It’s also where he had his first kiss.

“Iwasindoctrinatedpretty early,” he said. “When I was around 5 years old, I don’t remember it vividly, just some of the stories that I was told when I was a kid.

But we used to have a popcorn machine behind the stage at the Palace, and we popped popcorn for both the Palace and the Queen there. We would haul it in old ice bags.”

All these years later, Schulman still has some of the original ledgers showing the Queen’s attendance from the 1920s and 1930s. The movies were an escape, he said, for people who were still facing life during the Great Depression. It was something special to get to spend the day at the theater.

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Above: After a five-month wait while it was rebuilt, the Queen Theatre held its gala reopening in November 1939 with a showing of Fifth Avenue Girl.

“I mean, they’d actually dress up to go to the theater, kind of like going to Sunday school,” Schulman said. “That’s changed, and probably for the best. ...

But it was a special deal.

And we live in a world of instant gratification, instant communication, so back then, the only time you got to see celebrities, movie stars, whatever, was on the big screen. That was special, and they would even have circuits where actors would make rounds through different territories to help promote their product or promote the industry in general. That doesn’t happen as much.”

Schulman Theatres was based in Bryan from 1926

until July 2017, when the company moved its headquarters to Weatherford.

The company has theaters in Bastrop, Georgetown, Hudson Oaks, Palestine and Weatherford. With family and friends still in Bryan, Schulman said there is plenty that brings him back to the area.

Schulman recalls spending many Saturdays at either the Queen or the Palace, no matter if he was working.

“Even if you have projection TV in your house, you can’t beat the experience of going to the movies,” he said. “It’s not the same.

There’s something about face to face and sitting in a room full of strangers,

essentially, and sharing a moment. I mean, those are special times.”

The Queen’s progression The Queen began its life as the Stoddard Hotel in 1884. Even as a hotel, newspaper adver tisements note the first “moving pictures” being shown on a first-floor theater — known as the Princess and the Crystal — as early as 1913. The Queen name came in 1914, according to an account written by historian Henry Mayo. It changed owners multiple times before the Schulman

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See HISTORY, Page 9

Thursday, May 3, 2018

HISTORY: Theater received state commission’s designation in 2012 Continued from 8 family took ownership of the theater portion of the building in 1926.

In 1938, Morris Schulman’s grandmother Edna, a widow at that point, purchased the building — then known as the Hotel Brazos — with the Queen located on the first floor.

“She decided to invest heavily in a new, modern theater building for Bryan, such as the many going up in all the large cities across the country,” Mayo wrote.

The former hotel was taken down to the studs and redone to become a full-time theater, designed in the art-deco style. Construction began in June 1939, and the grand reopening of the Queen as a movie theater came on Nov. 21, 1939. Fifth Avenue Girl, starring Ginger Rogers, was the first movie screened, and the event included a performance outside the theater by members of the Aggie Band.

The Queen continued to operate as a full-time movie theater until the 1970s. It sat for decades in disrepair.

In 1991, the Schulmans donated the building to the nonprofit Brazos Beautiful, according to Mayo. It changed hands multiple times before the Downtown Bryan Association purchased the theater in 2010 for $185,000.

On Nov. 21, 2010, 71 years to the day since its grand reopening as a theater, the Queen’s signature crown was removed so that it could be restored, along with the façade. Community members celebrated the return of the crown and new neon lights in a lighting ceremony on Oct. 7, 2011.

The Texas Historical

Thursday, May 3, 2018

Commission recognized the Queen with a historical designation in 2012.

Finding love at the movies The Queen is also an important historical building for Bryan residents Lee and Jeanette Freeman, who will celebrate their 52nd anniversary this year. They first met at the Queen.

Lee Freeman worked at the theater from age 16 to 18, selling concessions.

Every Saturday, one of the other employees, Mary Salvato, would bring her daughter Jeanete and two sons to the theater, where they would watch movies all afternoon and into the evening.

“I don’t know how they did it, but they enjoyed every minute of it,” he said.

As Jeanette got candy or popcorn, she and Lee would begin talking, and those

conversations would last a little longer each time.

“That was our love story, but it all started at the Queen,” Lee Freeman said.

“If it wasn’t for the Queen, it never, ever would have happened.”

Jeanette Freeman remembers going to the theater when tickets cost 60 cents for adults and 25 cents for children, and spending all day in Downtown Bryan. With only one screen, Jeanette said people could come in, sit wherever they wanted and stay for as long as they wanted, including multiple viewings of the movie.

“It’s exciting to know that they’ve fixed it up,” Eagle file photo Jeanette Freeman said of the reopening. “It took a On Nov. 21, 2010, 71 years to the day since its grand reopening, long time, but it’s really the theater’s signature crown was removed and restoration began. exciting that they did that.”

Going back will bring back good memories, Lee Freeman said.

“It’s going to be fun to go see,” he said.

Opening to offer tours, music, more Eagle staff report

T

he Queen Theatre’s reopening on May 4 will include a ribboncutting ceremony with the Chamber of Commerce at 4 p.m. Tours of the theater will follow.

The Aggieland Orchestra will perform in front of the theater at 4:30 p.m. A Queen Theatre photo backdrop with a red carpet and spotlights will be on site, and there will be free popcorn.

On Sunday, May 6, the Arts Council of the Brazos Valley will present the Red Wasp Film Festival at the Queen.

The theater’s regular movie schedule begins May 11. See the first month’s schedule on Page 7.

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LONG LIVE THE QUEEN Tracing the history of the Downtown Bryan icon, from 1884 to today 1884

March 9, 1921

The building is known as the Stoddard Hotel. In 1913, newspaper advertisements note a theater on the first floor that plays “moving pictures.”

An electric sign is installed at the Queen Theatre that displays the program being shown that day. It is the first electric sign of its kind in the state.

April 7, 1914 u

June 17, 1939 The hotel that houses the Queen (then known as Hotel Brazos) and the theater are razed, in preparation for the building to be constructed solely as a theater said to cost $45,000.

W.R. Fairman, the proprietor of The Dixie Theatre, purchases the Crystal Theatre from former owner Eli Marks. Fairman announces that he intends to rename it “The Queen.”

Nov. 21, 1939

May 5, 1914

The Queen Theatre holds a gala reopening. Members of the Aggie Band played outside before the main attraction, Fifth Avenue Girl, starring Ginger Rogers.

The Queen undergoes multiple upgrades in the wake of the fire that closed the theater for nearly a month. Improvements included two “new moving picture machines,” a new rectifier, interior upgrades and more. The reopening date is set for the following Thursday.

Jan. 16, 1917 It is announced that Fairman has struck a deal with the Holley Film Production Co. and that a movie will be made in Bryan starring Bryan residents. He also announces that the movie will be shown in the Queen Theatre for two nights in February and that the leading lady in the film will be chosen by popular vote.

The film, Virginia’s Romance, stars Louise Caldwell and Bert Lyall. It is screened at the Queen in February.

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May 20, 1953 The Queen becomes the first theater in the county to be equipped for 3-D.

1960s The Queen stops showing first-run movies.

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Long Live the Queen!

Thursday, May 3, 2018

Jan. 13, 1978 A photo in The Eagle shows that The Queen is closed.

May 25, 2010 The Downtown Bryan Association purchases The Queen Theatre.

Nov. 21, 2010 The Queen’s rooftop crown is removed to undergo restoration.

Sept. 28, t2011

Nov. 21, 2013 The Queen Theatre’s historical marker is unveiled during the dedication ceremony for the theater.

Jan. 1, 2014 Interior renovations begin.

The Queen’s restored crown is put back in place.

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Oct. 7, 2011 The crown lights up and rotates in a well-attended evening ceremony.

Thursday, May 3, 2018

theeagle com

Check out more of the timeline at theeagle.com/ QueenHistory

July 8, 2017 The Downtown Bryan Association holds a ribbon-cutting ceremony for The Queen.

With the stage set, it is also announced that in addition to the planned event space, the Queen Theatre will return to its roots, showing classic films.

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CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT

Theater’s distinctive topper received its own makeover

By JOSH MCCORMACK josh.mccormack@ theeagle.com

T

he crown atop the Queen Theatre in Downtown Bryan sets the historic building apart.

The structure, handmade from 40 strips of painted flat metal, was added to the building in 1939 after the theater’s owner, Edna Schulman, had the theater renovated.

Sandy Farris, executive director of the Downtown Bryan Association, said the crown is unique in its design and placement.

“She had [The Queen] rebuilt top-to-bottom as a theater, and that is when that crown was put up there,” Farris said. “That is the only crown that has ever been up there. As far as we know, it is the only crown of its type on any theater in the country. We have never seen anything like it. It appears to be oneof-a-kind.”

When the latest renovations of the Queen began in 2010, the crown was removed for restoration and repair. Farris said the work was donated by Maaco Collision Repair and Auto Painting for the paint and Wakefield Sign Service for the neon.

All of the electrical and mechanical work has been done by Ben Hardeman, the chairman of the Downtown Bryan Association’s

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We have never seen anything like it. It appears to be one-of-a-kind.

Sandy Farris executive director, Downtown Bryan Association Queen Theater Committee.

Hardeman has been a part of each step of the theater’s renovation. Farris said that he is the only person who knows the ins and outs of the crown’s mechanical functions.

According to Hardeman, it took some time to figure out if the crown could even spin. Then work had to be done to the motor to get it moving. He said all of the

time and effort was worth it to see the crown light up and spin for the first time during a lighting ceremony in October 2011.

“It was a thrilling experience,” Hardeman said.

“We had a huge crowd; people filled the street. All segments of the community are excited about this.

It’s the crown of downtown — what more can you say?”

According to Jim

Singleton, the architect behind the Queen’s restoration, the design of the building leads the eye right to the crown.

“The vertical flutes on the building were very stylish back in the ’30s,” Singleton said. “This is an art moderne architecture.

That was the style to get this vertical feeling, and Eagle photo by Laura McKenzie it is all pointing up to the crown. That is where the The restored crown sits atop the Queen Theatre.The structure, which is handmade from 40 strips of painted flat metal, was restored in 2011. crown belongs, on top.”

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Thursday, May 3, 2018

TAKING CARE TO UPDATE

A CLASSIC Organizers strive to preserve original feel, even amid necessary changes

By REBECCA FIEDLER rebecca.fiedler@theeagle.com

T

heQueenTheatrehad been frozen in time for many years, only now to be reopened in an era of smartphones, Netflix streaming and virtual reality. But while the hallowed temple for talking pictures has been updated to meet building safety codes and cater to basic electrical and

plumbing needs, leading construction manager and Bryan City Councilman Ben Hardeman assures that the literal “crowning” jewel of Downtown Bryan will maintain major aspects of its original aesthetic and charm.

“I think people will probably be impressed with the decor on the inside,” he said. “It’s got a classic style. The walls will be

covered in drapes, which we just installed. I was really impressed with the sound quality now that [the drapes are] in.”

The eight years’ worth of renovations by Hardeman and the Downtown Bryan Association took a lot of work, as well as some research, although the mystery of the Queen’s original

Eagle photo by Laura McKenzie Work on the finishing touches continues inside the Queen Theatre, which will seat up to 145 patrons.

A closer look

• Square footage: 2,700 square feet • Number of screens: 1 • Stage space: 9’x12’ • Seats: 145 • Bathrooms: 2; 3 toilets for men, 3 for women.

See FEATURES, Page 14 • Balcony: Yes

• Elevator: Yes • VIP seating: General seating, no VIP unless specified for a particular event.

• Concessions: Popcorn, candy, soda, beer, wine.

• Tickets: Sold both online

and at on-site ticket booth.

Cost is $5 per person.

• Parking: Public downtown parking at visitor’s discretion • Schedule: Outdoor poster cases will showcase upcoming movies two months in advance.

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Keep shining bright and lighting up the night!

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Thursday, May 3, 2018

The Eagle

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FEATURES: Will support both movie viewings and other events Continued from 13 interior design might never be solved.

“We wanted it to look classic, but we have no idea what it looked like back in the 1930s,” Hardeman said. “Some of us remember what it looked like back when it was still active 30 years ago, but our memories are fading. And we have no pictures of the interior from the ’30s.”

The “modern” features installed include n ew plumbing and electrical wiring and lighting, as well as seats designed to be more comfortable than those that the bottoms and backs of the World War II era nestled into. But, Hardeman said, the atmosphere of the place will be a vintage treat. He noted that many shades of grey and black have been used to paint the theater, including a black ceiling. These muted tones nicely contrast and complement a golden curtain that will hang across the stage, he said.

The theater will support film viewings as well as concert performances, meetings and speeches.

The space is not, however, fit to host a play or musical, Hardeman pointed out, as the building has no dressing rooms, and the stage, about 12 feet by 15 feet in size, does not include wings or a backstage. The theater does hold a traditional ticket booth, though, and although the projector used to play movies will be digital, its light will land on a classic silver screen.

The concession stand will sell much of the same sort of food that a standard movie theater traffics in — popcorn, candy, sodas. The Queen will cater to nighttime audiences as well by

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• The Eagle

It’s turned out to be different [than I originally planned], but it’s still everything I imagined in terms of quality and function.

Ben Hardeman Bryan City Councilman, on the renovated Queen Theatre

providing wine and beer.

“I wanted this to be a functioning asset of the downtown area,” Hardeman said. “It’s turned out to be different [than I originally planned], but it’s still everything I imagined in terms of quality and function.”

Hardeman said he feels there will be a nice balance in movie showings and opportunities for other types of community activity.

“We think there will probably be weddings, and maybe private parties that involve movies,” he said.

It was a challenge at times to meet all the build-

ing and fire codes, but the team organizing the Queen’s construction has been able to successfully transform what was a 500-seat theater with limited facilities into a 145-seat theater with comfort and proper amenities.

It’s been quite a journey for Hardeman and colleagues. Now the old Queen crown is lighting up downtown once again, and it will rotate again once electricians fix the motor before the grand opening.

“I’ll let it be a surprise,” Hardeman said. “But when it’s up, I think people will love it.”

Eagle photo by Laura McKenzie Sandy Farris, executive director of the Downtown Bryan Association, stands in what will be her office space at the Queen Theatre. The Downtown Bryan Association’s five employees have moved into the third and fourth floors of the Queen — about triple the amount of space of their previous West 26th Street office. Farris said moving out of the lease space likely will result in a cost savings of about $7,000 per year.

BRUNO A. SHIMEK AttORNEy

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Welcome back to Downtown Bryan—we’re glad you’re here!

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SUPPORtINg DOwNtOwN BRyAN fOR OvER 30 yEARS Thursday, May 3, 2018

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Bringing an old tradition to a new generation.

Come enjoy the complete downtown experience! Step back in time and enjoy an old fashioned soda fountain drink, before or after your visit to the Queen.

Corner of time antiques & collectibles mall 118 N Bryan Ave • Bryan, Texas 77803 • corneroftime.com • 979.822.7400 Tuesday – Saturday 10am - 5:30pm