Plaza celebrates 75 years

By GINA KINSLOW

GLASGOW — Many people have fond memories of the Plaza Theatre, whether they saw a movie there as a child or laughed until their sides hurt at a popular comedian’s jokes during a recent concert.

The Plaza has provided entertainment for the young and old alike for 75 years.

Musician Richard Young, who plays rhythm guitar for The Kentucky HeadHunters, remembers the Plaza from his childhood.

“In the ’60s going to the Plaza was bigger than a day at the zoo or a night at the fair for country kids,” Young said. “Sometimes on Saturday afternoon, my dad would come in the house and say, ‘Let’s go to the Plaza tonight.’ My head would almost start to swim from excitement as we drove to Glasgow.”

Young’s band will kick off a celebration of the theater’s 75th anniversary with a concert Friday night at the Plaza.

Young saw several movies at the theater and even used the building as a site for one of his band’s music videos.

“A few years back the HeadHunters did a video there with Carl Perkins and it brought everything full circle,” he said.

A celebration of the theater’s 75th anniversary is set for Friday beginning with a reception at 6 p.m. at George J’s On the Square followed by The HeadHunters’ concert at 8 p.m.

“The 75th Anniversary Gala and Kentucky HeadHunters’ concert is a wonderful way to celebrate what Glasgow has to offer as a community — an amazing local performance venue showcasing homegrown, nationally-recognized talent,” said Rhonda Trautman, a member of the theater’s advisory board. “The Plaza is a treasure and after 75 years is going strong. We appreciate the HeadHunters participating in this event and hope the community will come out and support it.”

The reception and concert will serve as a fundraiser to finish the renovation of the theater, which was begun in 2005. The city of Glasgow purchased the building in 2001 for $200,000 and spent several thousands of dollars renovating the theater from 2001 to 2005. Not everything was included in the initial renovation. The theater is in need of a new, safer rigging system and its marquee is also in need of an overhaul.

Steve Jones, executive director of the theater, said the marquee project would actually be a “re-renovation.”

“It was restored on the surface during this last renovation, but there are a lot more things that need to be done to make it a true historic renovation,” he said.

The cost for both projects will be about $200,000, he said.

In 2008, the theater began charging a $1 historic preservation fee on each ticket transaction, raising more than $5,000, said Steve Jones, executive

director of the theater.

The theater also put on a bluegrass show in November and 100 percent of the proceeds from the concert were earmarked to pay for a new rigging system.

“So we probably have $6,000 to $7,000 toward that right now,” Jones said. “It would be great if we could raise $50,000 on this benefit.”

Admission to the reception, which will feature finger foods and a cash bar, plus The Kentucky HeadHunter concert is $100. Patrons who purchase a $100 ticket will sit in the “Diamond Cluster” seating section, which includes the center two sections of rows A-P. The Diamond Cluster section consists of 300 seats and if all seats in that section are sold, it will generate $30,000, Jones said. Of the $100, $60 is tax deductible.

Tickets for seating in the remainder of the theater’s main floor are $25 each, while tickets for seating in the balcony are $15 each.

“If people want to come just to the reception, and not the show, tickets for the reception are $50,” he said.

The $1 historic preservation fee will also be applied to each ticket order.



Auction postponed

An auction was initially planned to coincide with the 75th Anniversary Gala, but donations were late coming in so the auction has been postponed until sometime in early September, said Harold Armstrong, a member of the theater’s advisory board.

Some big-ticket items are expected to be auctioned, such as a piece of real estate and a car, Armstrong said.



Plaza has experienced years of history

The theater was built by local businessman Walter Duane Aspley. It opened in August 1934.

“My grandfather built the theater and when he retired to Florida my father took over the theater,” said Emily Dale, of Glasgow.

It’s unknown how long it actually took to build the theater. Dale’s grandfather, whom she refers to as “Daddy Bruce,” designed the theater along with Dixon Rapp, a local contractor and architect.

“They worked on it for three or four years,” Dale said. “Daddy Bruce had all the money up front to do the Plaza. He had saved forever.”

Due to the Great Depression, some materials needed for the construction project were difficult to aquire and delayed the project, she said.

Dale isn’t sure where her grandfather got the idea for the design of the building.

“All I know is he and Dixon Rapp worked on the design,” she said. “I think they came up with a lot of it themselves. They wanted a Spanish-style type of interior.”

The Plaza was the second theater the Aspley family owned in Glasgow. They also owned the Trigg Theater, which was located up the street from the Plaza, and later the Star Drive-In on U.S. 31-E and the cinema on Happy Valley Road. The Trigg was the first air conditioned theater in Glasgow. The Plaza was the second.

The Plaza was built with unique features, such as the twinkling lights in the ceiling.

“My dad always loved the twinkling lights,” Dale said. “He just thought that was really ingenious the way Bruce did all of that.”

When the theater opened on Aug. 23, 1934, it could seat 1,500, including the balcony. The first movie shown was “The Cat’s Paw” starring Harold Lloyd.

Dale has many fond memories of the theater.

“From the time I was a little girl Mom would take all of us,” she said. Dale would work the ticket booth, sitting next to Robert Lile.

When she grew older, she operated the concession stand and helped clean up when the movies ended.

“I worked there until the Plaza sold,” she said.

Dale recalled one movie personality attracting large crowds.

“Elvis Presley was one of the biggest draws. It didn’t matter what movie he made. The house would be full. The lines would always stretch from the box office up the street,” she said. “We would start popping popcorn early that morning. Every time Elvis played we had to open the balcony.”

The Plaza was a theater for more than movies

“Right after it opened, Bruce built an orchestra pit. That was because he hoped to have Vaudeville acts and stage shows there,” she said.

Cowboy legends Roy Rogers and Gene Autry appeared at the Plaza, as did big band musician Les Brown and singer/actress Dinah Shore. Others who performed were country legends Dolly Parton, the Carter Family and Loretta Lynn to name a few.

Dale also recalled a different type of act by Dr. Evil.

“It was a magic act,” she said. “One of the things he did that scared everybody was he would show a snake, then the lights would go out as he talked about throwing the snake out into the audience. We all believed it. He appeared several times. It was really a popular act. We loved it.”

Pandora Harper, of Edmonton, remembers seeing Dr. Evil perform at the Plaza. Her parents, L.S. and Creola Slinker, purchased the Plaza from the Aspleys in 1973.

“They had a big for sale sign on the marquee and my dad was driving through town and saw it,” Harper said. “We had it until the city bought it.”

The Harpers operated the Plaza primarily as a movie theater.

“We were open seven days a week,” she said. “One of the movies that we played was ‘The Exorcist’ when it first came out.”

The Plaza showed the movie for a week and Harper recalls her family having to call an ambulance for one patron and a preacher picketing the theater.

“We had all sorts of drama with that movie,” she said.

The Slinkers rented the theater on occasion for special events, including performances by Dr. Evil.

Harper says she has lots of fond memories about the Plaza. She recalled parents dropping their children off and forgetting to come pick them up at the end of the evening. Her father would end up taking the kids home, she said.



City purchases theater

The city purchased the theater in September 2001 for $200,000 and renovation of the theater began under the leadership of Mayor Charles Honeycutt.

The initial project was completed in 2005. In the four years the theater has been open, several big name acts have graced its stage, such as country recording artists Patty Loveless, Diamond Rio, Marty Stuart, Craig Morgan and Tracy Lawrence. Comedians Tim Wilson, Ralphie May and Vickie Lawrence from “The Carol Burnette Show” and “Mama’s Family” have also appeared.

Loveless was the first big-name act to appear at the theater following its renovation. She played to a nearly sold out crowd.

Loveless will be returning to the Plaza for the 2009-10 season.



Theater promotes big name and local acts

In addition to attracting big-name talent to the stage, the Plaza serves as a venue for a lot of local talent.

The Far Off Broadway Players perform plays at the Plaza on a regular basis. The acting group has roots going back to the 1950s. The first play for FOBP was “You Can't Take It With You” in May 1981. For the next decade, FOBP produced some 20 plays until disbanding when the Plaza ceiling leaked during a heavy storm and destroyed the sets of “Barefoot in the Park,” the play in rehearsal, according to the acting group’s Web site.

Soon after the theater was renovated the acting group returned to the Plaza. The first production after the renovation was “Moon Over Buffalo,” in 2006. FOBP now maintains a three-show season at the theater, according to the Web site.

The Glasgow Summer Theater also uses the theater for its musical productions. The group recently presented “The Wizard of Oz,” featuring Glasgow High School chorus teacher Todd Woodward as the Cowardly Lion, as well as several local school children and community members.

In the 1950s the Plaza stage was home for the Glasgow Little Theater, another acting group.



2009-10 scheduled Plaza performers

Performers set to appear at the Plaza during the 2009-10 season are: Patty Loveless, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m.; Pam Tillis, oct. 30 at 7 p.m.; Doug Berky, Nov. 20 at 7 p.m.; Ansty McClain and the Trailer Park Troubadours, Jan. 29 at 7 p.m.; Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m.; “Rave On: The Buddy Holly Concert that Never Was,” March 25, at 7 p.m.; Gilbert Gottfried, April 23, at 7 p.m.; and John Conlee, May 21 at 7 p.m.

Because it is the theater’s 75th anniversary, tickets for performances for the 2009-10 season will cost patrons less. The average ticket price for a show at the Plaza usually ranges from $25 to $30, but for the anniversary celebration tickets will range between $20 to $25 with the highest ticket being $30.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.plaza.org, by phone by calling 361-2101 or at the theater’s box office.

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