ASHLAND — After years of renovations and delays one of the community’s iconic locations roared back to life on Friday night.
The once dilapidated and decaying Schine’s Theatre in downtown Ashland was reborn as “The Ashland” for its grand opening.
The old marquee out front that once was collapsing? Newly refurbished and illuminated with hundreds of lightbulbs. The cramped, stadium style seats? Replaced with spacious and comfortable modern loungers.
The theatre’s once white walls are now bathed in red. The carpets, not yet the home of hundreds of spilled drinks, sport a regal gold, black and red pattern. The black snack bar is adorned with sweeping golden flourishes and outfitted with popcorn machines popping away and glass displays filled with local treats.
But before the community got their eyes on the theatre’s new digs, they crowded under the marquee’s lights in the early evening to watch Mayor Matt Miller and the theatre’s board cut a ribbon.
The Ashland Theatre is “like every other wonderful theatre you’ve attended, only much nicer,” Miller said before the ribbon cutting.
“Here’s the deal. You’ve got your chain restaurants like McDonald’s and Wendy’s and Taco Bell, and you can go to them any (time) of the day and they’re good food, it’s reliable, it’s always the same, but we all do it,” he said.
“Or then you can go to a little nicer restaurant, a little bit more posh for those special occasions. Well, let me tell you, in the midst of chain movie theaters, we have the theater with posh.”
After Scott Donley, the theatre organization’s president and his wife Rosemarie, its campaign chair, cut the ribbon, Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” blared while the crowd shot off confetti poppers and shared smiles.
Bob and Jan Archer, who donated $2 million for the theatre’s renovations, took center stage as they danced to Sinatra’s crooning while the crowd disentangled themselves from confetti.
Then, it was time for the movies.
The crowd surged through the theatre’s front doors, basking in its modern ambiance and new-theatre smell. The new-theatre smell quickly gave way to the familiar scent of popcorn, and a massive, snaking line soon formed for the concession stand.
Ian Martin, 27, who was waiting in line to get popcorn, last came to the theatre when he was in middle school to see “Ice Age.”
“It’s much nicer now,” he said.
The theatre’s director, Chris Skinner, said he was feeling “really good” as he eyed the crowd. He joined the theatre renovation team on Aug. 8 of last year, or “the fourth quarter,” as he calls it.
“It was pretty well underway when I got here, but I just like to say I helped get it into the end zone. We got it across and hopefully touchdown here,” he said.
Standing at the ready at each of the theatre’s doors were a number of ushers who checked each person’s ticket, ensuring only those that won one of the 250 lottery tickets — or special guests — were allowed in to claim one of the highly coveted opening-night seats.
However, one un-ticketed visitor did manage to make its way into the theatre. Later in the evening, a small flying creature, rumored to be a bat or bird, fluttered by the movie screen.
One of the theatre’s ushers, Kyra Rush, has always dreamed of working in a movie theatre. She said she was “honored” to be a part of the grand opening for a theatre that she, too, visited when she was younger.
Eventually, the lines shortened and the crowded lobby emptied as patrons found their seats, either on the ground floor or up in the balconies.
Minutes before the movie started, state rep. Melanie Miller awarded the theatre organization with a proclamation from the Ohio House of Representatives to commemorate The Ashland’s opening.
“The development of The Ashland can be attributed to the vision and foresight of a host of innovative individuals. And all those who have been involved with its opening, including the executive director Chris Skinner and the Donleys, and many others are to be applauded on their tremendous efforts in the years that follow,” she read from the proclamation.
Then, the lights dimmed, a hush fell over the audience, and a trailer for “Fast X” flashed onto the screen, accompanied by the sounds of roaring cars and Vin Diesel’s low growl coming from The Ashland’s robust sound system.
Following the previews, moviegoers laughed along with the Guardians of the Galaxy adventures of beloved Marvel characters Peter Quill, Nebula, Gamora, Drax, Groot and Mantis for two and a half hours.
When the credits started to roll, the theatre erupted into applause.
