The Castro Theatre, a historic movie palace in San Francisco’s Castro District, was built in 1922 and became San Francisco Historic Landmark 100 in September 1976. Located at 429 Castro Street, the venue features a California Churrigueresque façade that pays homage to its great arched structure. The theatre was featured in a film and its marquee backdated to its 1970s appearance. Despite its architectural significance, the Castro Theatre has fallen into disrepair and struggles financially.
Designed by renowned Bay Area architects, the Nasser Family of San Francisco, the Castro Theatre has been owned by the Nasser Family since its construction in 1922. In January 2022, the Nasser Family entered into an exclusive agreement with the building. The Castro Theatre was designated a San Francisco City Landmark in 1976, protecting both the exterior and interior, which is uncommon and shows the importance of the interior to the community.
The Castro Theatre was recognized for its importance to the LGBTQ+ community when it became San Francisco’s 100th historic landmark in 1977. The Historic Preservation Committee unanimously votes to include the theater’s interior as part of its landmark designation. The Castro Theatre, built in 1922, characterizes the many cultural phases of San Francisco’s Castro District and has stood the test of time as a landmark that epitomizes not only the city but also its inhabitants.
In addition to the Castro Theatre, Another Planet has renovated and currently manages historic venues such as the Fox Theater. The Castro Theatre serves as a testament to the evolution of San Francisco culture and the importance of the arts in shaping the city’s identity.
📹 The Castro Theatre: More than a Movie Palace
There is nothing like viewing a film in a theater, and few can top San Francisco’s iconic Castro Theatre. From its storied history to …
How old is the Castro Theatre?
The Castro Theatre, built in 1922 by the Nasser Family in San Francisco, has been reclaimed by local business Another Planet Entertainment. The Nasser Family has partnered with Another Planet to restore, renovate, and program the historic venue, focusing on its significance in the Castro, film, and LGBTQ+ communities. The company has also managed other historic venues, including the Fox Theater, Greek Theatre at UC Berkeley, and Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. The restoration and preservation of the iconic Castro Theatre are aimed at ensuring its sustainability into the future.
Why is the Castro Theatre famous?
The Castro Theatre, designated a San Francisco City Landmark 100 in 1976, is the inaugural landmark with an association with the LGBTQ community. The edifice was designed by Timothy Pflueger and is associated with the Nasser family. It was recommended that its designation be revised to include LGBTQ history in the significance statement during the city-wide LGBTQ historic context statement.
What is the most unique theater in the world?
The Burgtheater in Vienna, the Khorfakkan Amphitheatre in Sharjah, the Minack Theatre in Cornwall, the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City, the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Italy, Teatro alla Scala in Italy, and the Winter Garden Theatre in the United States are some of the most jaw-dropping theater venues around the world. Live theater offers a captivating allure and sheer delight, with actors maneuvering through a symphony of emotions unfolding only a few feet away, leaving one profoundly moved and inspired.
What is the oldest theatre play in the world?
The earliest recorded quasi-theatrical event dates back to 2000 BC with the “passion plays” of Ancient Egypt, which were performed annually at festivals. The modern era of theater evolved in the second half of the nineteenth century through interaction with Europe and the development of popular theatrical forms that Egypt knew thousands of years before. The beginning was by Yaqub Sanu and Abu Khalil Qabbani, and the situation was divided into free theatrical groups, including Youssef Wahbi troupe, which presents tragedy or tragedy, and Abo El Seoud El Ebiary, Ismail Yassine, Badie’ Khayri, Ali El Kassar, and Naguib El-Rihani, which presents comedy in another way.
What happened to Castro in 1959?
Castro, born in Birán to a wealthy Spanish farmer, adopted leftist and anti-imperialist ideas while studying law at the University of Havana. After participating in rebellions against right-wing governments in the Dominican Republic and Colombia, he planned the overthrow of Cuban president Fulgencio Batista in 1953. After a year’s imprisonment, he formed the 26th of July Movement in Mexico with his brother Raúl Castro and Ernesto “Che” Guevara. Castro led the Movement in a guerrilla war against Batista’s forces from the Sierra Maestra and assumed military and political power as Cuba’s prime minister in 1959.
The United States attempted to remove Castro’s government through assassination, economic embargo, and counter-revolution, including the Bay of Pigs Invasion of 1961. Castro aligned with the Soviet Union and allowed the Soviets to place nuclear weapons in Cuba, leading to the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.
Adopting a Marxist-Leninist model of development, Castro converted Cuba into a one-party, socialist state under Communist Party rule. Policies introduced central economic planning, expanded healthcare and education, and state control of the press were accompanied by suppression of internal dissent. Castro supported anti-imperialist revolutionary groups abroad, supporting the establishment of Marxist governments in Chile, Nicaragua, and Grenada.
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Castro led Cuba through the economic downturn of the “Special Period”, embracing environmentalist and anti-globalization ideas. In 2006, he transferred his responsibilities to Vice President Raúl Castro, who was elected to the presidency by the National Assembly in 2008.
Who owns Castro?
Dustin Bluck, the proprietor of Castro and the Android podcast application Aurelian, is a distinguished orator and podcaster.
How old is Castro now?
Fidel Castro, who was known as El Comandante, passed away on November 25, 2016, at the age of 90, in Havana, Cuba. He was a member of the PCC political party from 1965 and had other affiliations, including the PPC-O (1947-1952) and the M-26-7 (1955-1965). Castro had five brothers and seven sisters.
Why is Castro so famous?
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz, the longest-serving non-royal head of state in the 20th and 21st centuries, was a polarizing figure in the world of politics. Born in 1926, he was a migrant to Cuba from Galicia, where he became financially successful by growing sugarcane. After the collapse of his first marriage, he took his household servant, Lina Ruz González, as his mistress and later second wife. They had seven children, including Fidel.
At six, Castro was sent to live with his teacher in Santiago de Cuba, where he was baptized into the Roman Catholic Church. He attended La Salle boarding school in Santiago, where he regularly misbehaved, and then the privately funded, Jesuit-run Dolores School in Santiago. In 1942, Castro transferred to the Jesuit-run El Colegio de Belén in Havana, where he studied law but did not excel academically.
In 1945, Castro began studying law at the University of Havana, but admitted he was “politically illiterate”. He became involved in student activism and the violent gangsterismo culture within the university. After becoming passionate about anti-imperialism and opposing US intervention in the Caribbean, he unsuccessfully campaigned for the presidency of the Federation of University Students on a platform of “honesty, decency, and justice”. Castro became critical of the corruption and violence of President Ramón Grau’s government, delivering a public speech on the subject in November 1946.
Who owns the Castro Theatre?
Bay Properties Inc., the family-run Castro Theatre in San Francisco, has partnered with Another Planet Entertainment for the next evolution of the historic venue. The Castro Theatre, built in 1922, has been a beloved venue for nearly a century. The partnership is expected to continue the legacy of the Castro Theatre and Castro neighborhood, as Another Planet has a rich history in rehabilitating historic venues. For more information and rental inquiries, contact thecastro@anotherplanetent. com.
What happened to the Castro Theater?
Berkeley-based concert promoter Another Planet Entertainment (APE) has leased the Castro Theater from Bay Properties to reopen in January 2023, focusing on live music, film, comedy, and other events. APE plans to update the theater by implementing improvements to sound, lighting, production, HVAC, and the marquee. However, the change raised concerns about the theater’s legacy as a repertory movie house and the future of the organ. APE’s plans have also faced opposition from historic preservation advocates and promoters of LGBTQ intangible cultural heritage.
APE proposed destroying the historic orchestra configuration by demolishing or building over the raked floor and aisles to install flat terraces for standing-room music shows with optional temporary chairs. Although APE has offered various modifications to the plan, none involve preserving the classic movie-palace seating.
What theater does Mark Cuban own?
Landmark, a movie theater chain, was acquired by Oaktree Capital in 2003 and expanded to include the Sunshine, Bethesda Row, and E Street Cinemas. In 2005, Landmark was the first to deploy Sony 4K cinema and introduced in-theater digital signage. In Indianapolis, Landmark opened the Keystone Art Cinema and Indie Lounge, featuring seven auditoriums and a lounge with plasma televisions. The Inwood Theater and Nuart Theater were renovated. In 2006, the release of Bubble by Steven Soderbergh introduced vertical integration, with the film playing day-and-date in Landmark Theatres, broadcast on HDNet Movies, and sold on DVD.
📹 Film Fans Tell New Castro Theatre Managers to Keep it Reel
Film lovers worried about the Castro Theatre being operated under a new management company showed up at the famed San …
Did the previous owner make any effort to seek out a buyer who would maintain the traditions? If not, why not? Journalism is a lacking these days. Or did I miss that story. Also, if the community cares so much about the landmark, why didn’t they buy it? Or did the previous owner never offer it. Again, a real journalist would have attempted to seek answers to these questions. CBS SF can do better.