New amenities, old school decor
Renovated Madison Theatre to re-open Friday
ALBANY >> The Madison Theatre, which is re- opening on Friday after four months of renovations, will provide a twist on the traditional movie-going experience.
The refurbished venue will have two 130- seat theatres that will show movies including “The Sting”, “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”, and “Slap Shot” this weekend. In lieu of showing the most recent films, the theatre will feature classics, comedies, cartoons, and fan favorites.
All movie tickets, whether for college students, kids, seniors, or adults, are $5, said Daniel Laiosa, manager of the theatre and Madison Entertainment Group LLC. He said they wanted to “have fun” with the old- time coming attractions and would eventually offer $1 discounts for movies if people dressed up in togas for “Animal House”, or turbans for “Lawrence of Arabia” and the like.
“We want people to leave feeling like they had an awesome experience,” said Laiosa.
The business housed seven movie theatres up until its closure in September. Now, only the two largest screens and theatres have been upgraded while the other rooms have been retrofitted in a $225,000 project.
Flanking the business to the east, two of the small theatres have been converted into a storefront for Valatie-based Tierra Farm which will sell nuts, granola, chocolate covered items, fair trade coffee, and almost 190 other products. That store location is expected to open in mid-March, estimated Laiosa.
And three theatres in the rear of the facility are being constructed into a 400-seat, multi-purpose
space for concerts, lectures, and other events. That will open in about one year, said Madison Entertainment Group CEO Darren Grout, who also helps manage the Tierra Farm business that has been around for 14 years. The total space including the cafe, he said, is about 14,000 square feet.
Tierra Farm set up the Tierra Coffee Roasters cafe on Madison Avenue, to the west of the theatre, a couple of years ago. Then, about one year ago, Grout said they started to consider a renovation project at the movie theatre that was formerly managed by Joe Tesiero, who still owns the building.
Staying true to its healthy food roots, the theatre will offer “higher grade food” including natural sodas, all natural candy, and a better quality popcorn; a large container will be sold for $ 4.50, said Grout.
There are currently 14 employees at the cafe, while six to 10 will work in the theatre and two at the storefront, he said.
“This theatre is for the community,” Grout said, adding that they made sure to get input from the local neighborhood association and they plan to have a suggestion box.
The Madison Theatre originally opened in 1929, just around the time that movies were starting to get sound. It was a nickelodeon theatre which also had vaudeville acts and
“This theatre is for the community. ... We wanted to keep the feel of the old theatre and its decor.”
— Madison Entertainment Group CEO Darren Grout
concerts in the 1950s and 1960s, said Laiosa, noting that some very old reels were found during renovations and given to the owner, Tesiero.
The recent venue changes include new seats, new sound equipment, new speakers, digital projectors, a gutted concessions area, new front doors and new neon lights in the marquis. With older but fresh movies slated, the operators hope to draw an audience of all ages.
“We wanted to keep the feel of the old theatre and its decor,” said Grout, pointing out the old carpeting, and 1930s- style sconces.
A ribbon cutting will be held at 5 p. m. with area officials at the theatre on Friday and the first movies will begin at 7 p. m. followed by 9: 30 p. m. showings. Matinees will also be offered on weekends.
The Madison Theatre, located at 1036 Madison Ave, in Albany, will be open Tuesday through Sunday.