THE FOLLOWING IS A NEWS-GAZETTE STORY BY JENNIFER BAILEY
ABOVE: Alex Houmes, president of the Save the Lorraine Fund, shows off the restored Lorraine Theatre’s new Dolby Atmos movie projector inside the Hoopeston Lorraine Theatre, which reopens Thursday night, February 13th.
HOOPESTON — When the lights go down today for the first showing of the new film “Captain America: Brave New World” at the Lorraine Theatre, the president of the Save the Lorraine Foundation will be thinking about all the volunteers, hours of work and donors and community members who made it a reality.
Alex Houmes said reaching this historic night has involved more than 12 years of fundraising, renovations and equipment upgrades at the more-than-100-year-old theater at 324 E. Main St., Hoopeston.
“When we first took over, the place was completely molded out, unusable,” Houmes said. “Parts of the auditorium ceiling had collapsed. They had this place painted terribly; everything was green with gold accents. It was terrible and did not pay tribute to what it used to be.”
The group’s fundraising goal got a big boost when T-Mobile provided a $40,000 Hometown Grant to go toward the reopening.
The Lorriane is now decked out with Dolby Atmos technology, a new projector and a surround-sound speaker system. It has also been repainted in the same style as when it opened in 1922, thanks to a news article with photographs from the time.
Volunteer Randy Shields has done “an incredible amount of work here and has done all of our painting,” Houmes said, adding that he based the colors on some of the olives, tans and burgundies from the flooring in an effort to pay tribute to its history.
Ticket sales have been brisk, with a buzz around opening night and the entire weekend. About 300-400 tickets have already been sold for the first weekend.
The theater’s reopening also marks the return of a first-run movie theater in Vermilion County, something absent since the AMC Classic Village Mall 6 in Danville closed three years ago.
Hoopeston Mayor Jeff Wise says it’s a sight to behold.
“The reintroduction of first-run movies at the Lorraine Theater is a momentous occasion for Hoopeston,” he said. “The Lorraine has been a cornerstone of our community for generations, a place where families gathered and memories were made.
“Beyond the sentimental value, the Lorraine’s revival will have a positive economic impact on Hoopeston,” he added. “It will attract visitors from near and far, boosting local businesses. This project is a testament to the dedication and hard work of countless individuals who believe in Hoopeston’s potential.”
Wise recalled that his earliest memory of the Lorraine was going with his dad to see “Star Wars” in the late 1970s.
“The film broke twice during the movie,” he said. “The audience booed, and the usher just yelled, ‘Oh, shush! I’m fixing it.’ Either way, it was still a great movie.”
The renovations are evident from the moment visitors arrive. The Lorraine’s unique front ticket booth has been cleaned up and likely will be used only for special events.
In the lobby sits another unique piece of the theater’s history: one of its two original projectors, which date to the 1920s. Its films will now be shown using the latest digital technology.
Posters on the walls show other films that will soon be screening, including “Minecraft” in April, “Lilo and Stitch” in May and “Superman” in July.
Houmes said the theater’s booking agent will always try to get the latest films. Visitors are encouraged to see new releases on the first weekend, because repeat showings on second and third weekends aren’t always guaranteed.
At the revamped concession stand, special popcorn buckets featuring Red Hulk and Captain America are ready to go. The popcorn machine had already been replaced and is a lot easier to operate. Drinks are self-serve and feature unlimited refills.
The concession stand also doubles as the theater’s box office, Houmes said, but tickets can also be purchased at its new website at lorrainetheatre.com. This first weekend’s shows are limited to online ticket sales only, but future events will have online and in-person sales.
Prices are $6 for kids ages 3-11, $7 for seniors 60 and older and $8 for adults. Children under 3 are not allowed in the theater for movies.
“We love babies, but not when we’re trying to watch a movie,” Houmes said. “They just disrupt, right?”
Entering the auditorium, Houmes said, “This is where all the recent work and money has gone.”
First, the building was tuckpointed, and its roof was replaced. Then renovations to the interior began, including painting to remove any moisture intrusion or remaining mold; replacing the decorative, Art Deco-style sound panels with more modern versions covered with curtains; and installing new sound equipment.
To save money, Houmes and his father put in the sound system themselves, working with the suppliers. Houmes, who works at Watchfire Signs in Danville, has expertise in the area.
“The speakers are precisely pointed to certain locations,” he said. “We had lasers on top of the speakers to point them exactly as the blueprints had shown. We did all that work. It was super difficult.”
He said the historic building kind of fights back on the new equipment.
The main auditorium’s original nine speakers were increased to 22 for surround sound, in addition to others hanging from the ceiling and behind the screen.
So, will the movies be really loud?
“When the movie requires it,” Houmes said. “When there’s an explosion, it’ll be loud.”
But the intent of the new system is for creating a 3D immersion effect, not necessarily volume, he said.
This Dolby Atmos system also allows for individual sounds to be played in individual parts of the theater, Houmes added.
The movie screen is new too, and is suspended from the stage rigging system. The frame of the original screen was reused.
The theater still plans to hold occasional live events in addition to bingo, which is still occurring.
To be able to show movies, the theater must sign agreements and pay fees to studios and distributors, which enables it to download films to its server for screenings.
“It’s a lot harder than people imagine just to be able to show a movie,” Houmes said.
The single-screen theater can hold a total of about 320 people, but capacity for movies is 222; the balcony is not being used during movies because there wasn’t enough funding to install speakers there.
First-run movies will be shown Thursdays through Sundays. On Wednesdays, the theater will screen older films, faith-based movies and other pick-ups.
The theater will be operated with an all-volunteer force for as long as possible, though plans are to add paid staff.
The new system has already had two test screenings for volunteers and longtime supporters, and “that went over really well,” Houmes said.
“I knew it was a great system, but hearing it for the first time, I was impressed,” he said.
The theater also will be available for private movie parties and events for the public, such as school classes.
The ultimate goal was to have movies again, and Houmes said seeing the project through has come with big rewards.
Houmes lived down the block growing up and said he remembers seeing “The Hobbit” and “Godzilla” movies. He said the landmark building contains a lot of history for Hoopeston families.
Houmes said the group tried to think of everything it could, but they won’t know what’s missing until they open the doors and start.
He had hoped to have the theater reopened as early as November for the premiere of “Wicked,” but he said he’s looking forward to showing the second film later this year.
“I think we’re ready,” he said. “This is the best it’s looked in many, many years. We hope it pays off.”
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