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“Varsity Theatre closing in on digital fundraising drive” From Chapel Hill, NC
posted by
ThrHistoricalSociety
on
January 11, 2015 at 8:20 pm
The Varsity Theatre, a downtown survivor that has lured generations of college students and townies across its sticky floors for mainstream movies, obscure art-house flicks and recent second-run film offerings, faces a do-or-die transformation again.
The independent theater on Franklin Street has joined other small-town cinemas in the scramble to “go digital” so it won’t have “to go dark.”
Most major studios no longer deliver film prints to movie theaters, replacing them with cheaper digital hard drives.
Paul Shareshian, who bought the Varsity in 2009, hopes to move moviegoers to help him raise nearly $50,000 to preserve a hometown theater that is a holdover from a bygone era. In a town where GATES Construction broke ground at University Mall last fall on a 67,000-square-foot luxury theater that will house 13 screens, 1,500 lush leather seats, a restaurant and a lounge with a full bar, Shareshian has a much humbler goal.
Read the entire article online at thestate.com
Image courtesy CT member Wsasser.
Comments (3)
In effort to save this theater and not to mention facing competition from the huge 13-screen multiplex at University Mall scheduled to open in mid-2015, the Varsity needs everyone’s help to stay open. I have great memories of this theatre…..The original STAR WARS played here first-run in 1977.
This theater has reached its $50K goal and it is set to remain open according to the owner and manager of this theater. Read about this in The Daily Tar Heel
“The Sound of Music” and “Mary Poppins” played here first run.