Rialto Theater - Celebrating 100 Years

Oneofthelargestexpensesofprovidingmusiciscoveringthecostofmusiclicenses

Whethermusicisperformedliveornot,allmusicislicensed Ifyou’refamiliar withtheRialtoyouknowthetheateroffersalotoflivemusicandthatmostofthe theatricalproductionsalsoutilizedlicensedmaterial.Allofithastobepaidfor.

Wedidn’thavetoaskTerrytwice AssoonasweexplainedoursituationTerryagreed tosponsormusiclicensingforallRialtoperformances Anditdoesn’tendthere

Thisyearisthefirstyearofthetheater’s“RialtoRoseConcertSeries”.

ThisisamonthlyconcertseriessponsoredbyClassicMovers,JennyCristelli’s FarmersInsuranceandTerryWaggenerofWaggenerBrake&AutoRepair

Ittakesallthreetokeepthis“SecondSaturday”concertseriesgoingandwe appreciatethemall WhenwewentlookingforsponsorsTerrywasourfirstcall

Again,wedidn’thavetoasktwice

TheRialtoTheaterisanamazingplacetoplayandlistentomusic,butthesound systemwaslacking Atthebeginningof2023,webeganpurchasingbitsandpiecesof amodernsoundsystem.EnterTerryWaggener.Terrywasatashowandwastoldof thenewsystemandhowexcitedweweretohavesomethinginplace

Itwasexplaineditwas“agoodstart”

Terryaskedwhatitwouldcostforustopurchasetherestofwhatweneeded. Whenwetoldhimthedollaramounthesimplysaid,Doit,“Igotthis”

ItismenandwomenlikeTerryWaggenerthatmakethiscommunitywhatitis

TheRialtoasksyoutopleasesupportthepeoplethatsupportoutcommunityandthe RialtoTheater WaggenerBrakeandAutoRepairislocatedonthecornerofElmand BirchinCañonCity.Ifyougetachance,stopby,meetTerryandthankhimforallhe doesforFremontCounty --FromtheRialtoTheaterBoard

Ifyouenjoycommunityevents,especiallylivemusicevents,you’velikelyheardthenameTerryWaggener. HeisacommunityassetandacriticalsupporteroftheRialtoTheater.

Alook back at the legendary history of Florence’s RialtoTheater

Fewbuildingscanboastthestoriedhistoryofthe RialtoTheaterinFlorence,whichiscelebratingits

100thanniversaryinSeptember

Afterconductinghoursofresearchatboththe FlorencePioneerMuseumandResearchCenter andtheRoyalGorgeRegionalMuseumand HistoryCenter,thefadedhistoryoftheRialtohas cometonewlight.

IthaswitnessedtheriseandfallofVaudeville, completewithCharlieChaplin-likeantics andhilarity,theemergenceof“talkies”,anda menagerieofsimilartheater-relatedeventsofthe 20thcentury However,uniquetoFremontCounty,italsohasservedasacommunitytheater,achurch,and asastageforFlorenceHighSchoolstudentstoshowcasetheirdramatictalents

ThisremarkabletheaterhaswitnessedFremontCountyrisefromthereddirtofColoradoandbeatthe oddstoofficiallycelebrateits100thbirthdayinSeptember

AccordingtoaFlorenceParadoxarticledatedSept 20,1923 thetheaterofficiallyopenedonSept 25 ofthesameyearfortheexpresspurposeofshowingsilentfilms BuiltbyRichardandSultanaElhage,it cost$55,000toconstructandtheopeningnightfeatured“TheMerry-Go-Round,”accordingtoaFlorence CitizenarticlefromSept.26,1923

“Everyavailableseatinthehandsomenewbuildingwasoccupiedandtheprogramwasworthyofthe highestpraiseandcommendation,”thearticleread “TheRialtoorchestra,initselfaninnovation rendered manypleasantnumbers”

Thetheaterheld800seatswhenitfirstopenedbut,afterbeingopenlessthanadecade,entereditsfirst majorrenovation.AccordingtoaPenrosePressarticledatedOct.24,1930,thetheaterreopenedafter renovations,whichresultedintheinstallationofthefrontmarquee,ticketbooth,andrearrangementof thefrontlobby.Therenovationcosttheownersapproximately$10,000andwastoutedtobe,“oneofthe handsomestandmostmodernplayhousesintheWest,”readanotherPenrosePressarticle.

Thetheaterwaspurchasedin1927byBP McCormickandheandhisfamilyranthetheaterwellintothe 1960s

Duringthattime thetheaterhostedcountlessshowsandperformancesbut,perhapsthelargestwasAug. 22,1930,when1,000peoplecrammedinsidetoattendafreeshowingofLummoxduringthethen-popular FlorenceFestival.Theshowingwasprecededbya45-minuteliveconcert.

Thoughthetheaterwasleasedbymultipleentities,includingEverettColeofCañonCity,theMcCormicks continuedtooperatetheRialtothroughouttheheydeyofthemotionpictureindustryuntilabout1960 AMarch16,1972,FlorenceCitizenarticlereads,“TheMcCormickfamilyclosedbecauseofthelack oftheatrepatronsandalthoughtherewere twoattemptstorevivethetheaterbusinessin Florence,neithereffortwassuccessfulduringthe 1960s.”

Theownershipofthetheateratthistimeisa bitmuddled,andperhapslosttohistory,butthe McCormicksandtheColeseachownedapartof thebuilding’smortgagearoundthistime

Atsometimeinthe1960s,thetheaterwas purchased atleastinpart,byafundamentalist preacherbythenameofC.F.Wardwhousedthe buildingasahouseofworshipandcalleditthe

“People’sTabernacle”

However,theRialtoexperiencedadifferentsortof revivalin1972whenthreeFlorencebusinessmen, L.L.Tripp,JimProvenzano,andKenLivingston signedanoteattheFirstNationalBankofFlorence toholdthetheateruntilfinaldispositionsfor purchasecouldbemade.Accordingtoa1972 FlorenceCitizenarticle,thetheaterwassoldtothe communityfor$10,500alongwiththetheater’s motionpictureprojectionequipment--someof whichremaininthedisplaywindowsinthefrontof thetheater.

Thethreemenpurchasedthebuildingviamany fundraisingefforts,includingtheirinnovative “Buy-a-brickplan”whichraised$1foreverybrick oftheRialtosoldtocommunitymembers By 1975,thecommunityefforttobuythebuildinghad succeeded and,“RialtoTheatreclubmembersand RedBrickPlayersmetattheCapriCafe..toburnthe mortgageontheRialtoTheatrebuilding”readaNov 6,1975,FlorenceCitizenarticle

ItwasduringthistimethattheRedBrickPlayersenteredtheRialtoscene Theentertainmentgroupand chorusformedafterthetheater’spurchaseandspentadecadeandahalfentertainingFremontCountywith melodramasandanassortmentofotherplaysincludingOklahoma!,BellsareRinging,HuckleberryFinn andLoveonaRooftop TheRedBrickPlayersleasedthebuildinguntilfoldinginapproximately1980 However,changewasonthehorizonfortheagingbuilding,and,in1981,thetheaterwasdonatedtothe Florence-PenroseSchoolDistrictfortheexpresspurposeofhostingdramaticandotherschool-centered events.

“Theschooldistricthasbeenpaying$1,500fortheuseofthebuildingforschoolconcertsanddramatic performances,”readaSept 11,1981,DailyRecordarticle

Thetheaterunderwentasignificantfaceliftthroughout1982and,accordingtoa1983FlorenceCitizen article,receivedanewroof(becauseofapartialcollapseafteryearsofdisuseand/orlimitedmaintenance), aclean-upofthelobby,andnewlighting.Plasterworkalsowasconductedandseveraliterationsofnew paintinvariouslocations

ThecharmoftheRialtoseemedtofadefortheschooldistrict,however,andina1988DailyRecordarticle wascalled,“Thedistrict’sleast-favoritebuilding,”andseveralgrantsweresoughttocontinuerenovations andremodels.

Bytheearly1990s,Rialto’ssalvationwasathand Twobidsweresubmittedtotheschoolboardto purchasethetheaterin1992,onefor$25bythenewlyformedFlorenceArchitecturalandCultural Traditions(FACT)groupandonefor$5,000byVerneEisele

“BoardmemberDorisDemboskymadethemotiontoacceptthebidfromFACT Shesaidthatalthough thelargermonetaryamountshouldbetakenintoaccount,shefeltthatthepreservationofthebuildingand theintendeduseofitwereofimportance,”readaMarch11,1992,DailyRecordarticle.

ArepresentativeofFACT,SandyAylward,statedthat“undermanylayersoflatexpaintontheceilingof theRialtothereisabeautiful,hand-painteddesignusing24-karatgold”Partsofthisdesigncanstillbe seenbytheuntrainedeye

In1993 thetheaterwasofficiallyaddedtothelistofhistoricsitescultivatedbyHistoryColorado--a venerableandtimelesshonor.

Bythe2000s,FACThadsucceededinremovingthe decayingseats,reinforcingsaggingceilingbeams, re-vampingthebathrooms,andrepaintingseveral areas Thoughmanygrantswereattained,muchof theworkstemmedfromthegoodheartsoflocal citizensandbusinesses,andtheRialtosteadily becameknownaseveryone’stheaterbecauseof communityinvolvement

Thoughthetheaterofficiallyreopenedasa communitytheaterin2005,morerenovationswere instock,andby2007,skidloadersandconstruction crewswerebackon-site Thefoundationwasdrilledawayandreplacedandnewheatingandcoolingunits wereinstalledontheroof Themanyrenovationeffortswerebuoyedbyloyalcommunitymembers,such asJerryRobinson,whopledged$100,000tothetheater,LarryandBerylBaker,whopledged$50,000, andcountlessotherswhotoiledeitherinmanpower,monetarily,orboth Likemanyinstitutions,RialtowashithardbytheemergenceoftheCOVID-19pandemicandwasforced togodarkfor18months Inthemeantime,thetheater’sfloorwasreplacedandtheboardworkedtocreate shortvideostomaintainthepublicinterest ThetheaterhostedaseriesoffivesketchesfromTheCarol BurnettShowalongwiththetheater-createdcommercialstoentertaintheiradoringFremontCounty masses

Numerousfundraisingactivitieshaveincluded steampunkfestivals,internetfundraisers,spare changecollections,andmanymore--andthe communityalwayshascomethroughforthem

Thoughthecurrentboardhopestobringtheoriginal charmbacktoRialto,theyacknowledgethatalotof workremainstobedone

“We’retryingtobuildreservesbecause,whenwedo beginthenextrenovationproject,wewillhavetogo darkagain--atleastforafewmonths,”saidcurrent boardpresidentCarolynSolseth

Theboardhopestoconductathree-phaserenovationinthecomingyears,beginningwithphaseonein 2024.AccordingtoSolseth,thefirstphasewilllargelyconsistofrenovatingthelowerlevelofthetheater. Thisincludesfinishingtrimworkandpaint,possiblyfindingnewseating,andinstallingnewcurtainson thestage

“That’swherewetrytorecreatewhat’salreadythereandcopyit,”Solsethsaid “Wewantittolooklikeit did[in1923]asmuchaspossible.”

TheRialtoTheaterhassurvivedbecauseoftheunifiedgritandlovethatFremontCountyhasforit Few buildingshavethehistoryoftheRialtoandithas witnessedgenerationupongenerationofFremont Countyresidentsastheyhavegrownup,hadtheir ownchildren,andmovedintoretirement

Onethingiscertain,however.TheRialtoTheater willnotberetired,notanytimesoon.Itwillcontinue toprovideastageforfundraisers,dramas,comedies, events,andaplaceforthecollectivespiritof FremontCountyforyearstocome

-- Olivia Johnson, Cañon City Dai y Record

There’sonenamethatstandsoutheadandshoulders aboveanyonecurrentlyassociatedwiththeRialto.

LarryBakerjoinedtheF CTboardofdirectorsearly in2015andhasservedcontinuouslyandremained oneofitsmoststeadycontributorsoftime,talent,and financialacumen.Hiscarpentryskillswereinvaluable andhisbackgroundandcontactsinthehardware businesswereuniqueandirreplaceable. BakerwasjoinedbyhiswifeBerylinprovidingsound judgement,insight,wisdom,andexpertiseoverthe years.Theyhavedonatedmorethan$50,000overthe yearsandparticularlyduringthepandemicwhenthe revenuestreamwasbarelyatrickle,andthestagewas darkLarryandBerylkeptthelightsandheatonand thewaterrunningfrommonthtomonth.

TheBakersarepillarsintheFlorencecommunityand havekepttheRialtorenovationvisionaliveandwell.

--Fromthe ialtoTheaterBoard

RialtoTheaterThroughTheYears