New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
‘That will be fantastic for the town’
Madison Art Cinemas prepares to reopen in December
MADISON — It’s out with the old and in with the new as the Madison Art Cinemas prepares to reopen.
With new seats and carpeting on order, owner Arnold Gorlick is hoping to welcome back patrons at the beginning of the December.
The theater went dark over a year and a half ago due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Gorlick received a $276,298 federal grant under the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant from the
Small Business Administration.
This program included over $16 billion in grants available for venues affected by the pandemic, including movie theaters, live performing arts organizations and museums.
When the theater reopens, the number of seats in each of the two cinemas will be reduced by about 20 to 30 to make room for the new, fancier seats that “rock back,” Gorlick said.
“They’re more comfortable, much nicer seats.”
Other items that require attention are repairing the masking, the black cloth around the screen to clearly define the viewing perimeter; restarting the heating and air conditioning and paying some back bills, according to Gorlick.
Eileen Banisch, operations director for the Madison Chamber of Commerce is excited to hear the news of the reopening. “That will be fantastic for the town,” she said.
“It’s just like a big vacant spot,” she adds. “It’s like a missing tooth in the middle of downtown.
When the theater reopens, says Banisch, “the whole vibe is going to change” downtown.
Since opening in 1999, Gorlick has worked hard to curate “the best foreign and domestic movies that are available in a way that distinguishes us from the other theaters,” he said.
When he reopens he anticipates a “hybrid mix. Probably upscale Hollywood and art films,” he said.
Gorlick is buoyed by the enthusiasm of his patrons.
“I can’t even answer all the emails,” he said. “When we’re in there and the front door is open, they put their heads in and they’re so happy that they see evidence of things moving. I appreciate that very much.”