Well, actually the demolition of the current space at 707 Cookman begins today to construct the BEST arthouse cinema and performance space we can bring to Asbury Park. Hammers start striking walls and digging begins to excavate a lower level. It’s been a long process to get here, and we’re only scratching the surface – but it’s beginning.
Stay tuned, we’ll post some pictures. In the meantime, Albert Nobbs begins today at The ShowRoom Cinema.
Hi everyone – we’re back from a whirlwind tour of Midway and Park City, Utah. Out there networking and learning with our fellow Art House owners at the annual Art House Convergence. This is a conference held to gather some of the nation’s art house leaders and discuss the industry challenges and best practices at large. It was great to meet and greet our fellow art housers and pick up some much needed fresh tips on growing The ShowRoom in our fair city by the sea.
Then it was off to Sundance for a sneak peek at what may – or may not – appear on our screens in the next year. So far many of the “thumbs-up” films we saw have been picked up by distributors so we’re excited to bring them to Asbury Park.
While we were away, our phone bill skyrocketed in discussions with the architect and ShowRoom team putting together the next great entertainment establishment on Cookman Ave. We’re expecting to start swinging the hammers next week.
In the meantime, check out the latest article on our progress in the Asbury Park Press.
Coming Up: Albert Nobbs with Glenn Close.
Take Care.
This week, we’re networking and learning with close to 300 of our other ArtHouse Cinema owners, operators and distributors at the national ArtHouse Convergence conference that takes place just before the Sundance Film Festival. This event is an incredibly inspiring and informational time to learn just how The ShowRoom is measuring up on a national basis. Verdict: We’re doing pretty well!
About 75% of the arthouses across the country are non-profit status. So the 25% of us had a breakout work session to share best practices with each other and come up with ideas and solutions to our mutual challenges.
Sharing this information allows us to bring back some of the best ideas and put them to practice in Asbury Park. And with the expansion of the theater to multiple screens, the ideas are plentiful and our excitement continues to rise about the possibilities to apply these practices in a new space.
Stay tuned!
PS – Coming February 3 – We Need to Talk About Kevin with Tilda Swinton
Major set of blueprints are complete and handed over to our general contractor – he’s reviewing and will provide a timetable for demolition.
Marquee is being designed and planned.
Seating suppliers are being interviewed.
Demolition around the corner.
PS – Coming Up: Harry Belefonte documentary “Sing Your Song“, We Need to Talk About Kevin and Albert Nobbs.
Status of The ShowRoom Cinemas:
Final construction blueprints are in the works . . . should be done by the end of the week. Then it’s on to building permits, demolition and other fine elements of assembling Asbury Park’s award winning three screen theater expansion.
In addition to all the major construction, we’re simultaneously interviewing for seating (yes Virginia, there will be REAL theater seats), electronic signage and marquee, digital projectors and file servers (film really isn’t film anymore – movies are all digitally projected), concession equipment and more.
Speaking of film, did you read today that Kodak is on the verge of filing for bankruptcy? Kodak – a name synonymous with film and cameras – may have reached the end of the now digital road. Phew.
More to come. Stay tuned
2012 is going to be a challenging year for Art House exhibitors. Especially the “non-chain” theaters like The ShowRoom. This blog entry on IndieWire outlines the issue.
With all that is transpiring in the industry to push art houses out of business, what’s pulling The ShowRoom to expand? Quite simply – customer options. Under our new three screen roof, we’ll be able to provide more options for our guests and continue to be identified as the center of film in Asbury Park and Monmouth County. The fact that there was no representation of film in the popular arts-centric city pushed us to open The ShowRoom. After two and a half years, we’re expanding into a “right-sized” facility to continue our mission of providing the area with provocative and relevant entertainment. Audiences are still discovering us and we look forward to opening our new theater by May at the gateway to the downtown – the famed “Arts Block”.
Remember: Drive with Ryan Gosling opens this Friday. It’s featured on numerous “best of 2011″ film lists. Don’t miss it.
Hello everyone. Just a note to thank you all for your support of our theater. Over the last two and a half years, we’ve realized our vision of having a gathering place in the downtown for the community to come and enjoy and discuss film and film events. And now we’re deep into the development of Asbury Park’s first multi-screen Art House theater. The new ShowRoom will not only be home to some of the most relevant and provocative entertainment on a regular basis, but will also house the annual AP IndieFest, the ever-growing AP in 3 Film Challenge and a number of new events that we look forward to announcing in the coming months.
It’s the holiday season, so most of our development team has taken a well deserved break. We’ll return next week with updates on our progress. Until then, Nancy and I wish you and your families a safe and happy New Year.
See you in 2012.
Mike and Nancy
As we roll into the New Year! – we’re awaiting the construction estimates. Since we changed the design from our original concept, we’re looking for the latest numbers before beginning. The design of the facade is being tweaked as we speak but it’ll have some really interesting features that will make the 700 block of Cookman a great destination. We’ll actually have a real marquee that you’ll be able to see from the east/west direction.
Renderings of the theater will be forthcoming.
Remember – while we’re working on the new theater, great movies are still being shown in the current theater – coming up: “Drive”, “We Need to Talk About Kevin”, “Albert Nobbs”.
Happy New Year.
MEDIA CONTACT
Shannon Furey
732-995-1638
ASBURY PARK ART HOUSE TO BEGIN CONSTRUCTION ON NEW MULTIPLEX
The ShowRoom Expansion at 707 Cookman Ave. to Begin January 2012
ASBURY PARK, NJ (Dec. 12, 2011) – More than 80 years after Walter Reade started his media empire in Asbury Park, The ShowRoom, Asbury Park’s art house cinema, is ushering in a new era of movie-going in the city. The independently owned and operated movie theater, which first opened in April 2009, will begin construction on a new, multi-level cinema located at 707 Cookman Ave. at the beginning of January 2012.
The move is a natural progression for The ShowRoom’s Michael Sodano and Nancy Sabino, who have filled an entertainment void in Asbury Park’s diverse and vibrant cultural scene; before The ShowRoom opened, the city went more than three decades without a dedicated venue to showcase film.
Since opening The ShowRoom, Sodano and Sabino have provided a non-stop roster of award-winning films, lecture series, author events and multi-media performances – drawing audiences from around the New York Metropolitan area to Asbury Park. Most recently, a screening of the newly released “Margin Call” brought a moviegoer to the city who hadn’t visited Asbury Park in 10 years. Similar stories abound among Sodano and Sabino’s audience.
“Nancy and I are committed to the development and expansion of entertainment in Asbury Park,” commented Michael Sodano, owner of The ShowRoom. “During the last two and a half years, we have grown and evolved with the city, and consider ourselves part of its cultural fabric. The ShowRoom will never waiver in its mission of providing relevant and provocative entertainment for area moviegoers. We understand our audience and recognize this expansion as a natural evolution for The ShowRoom.”
The ShowRoom’s new home will include a 75- and 30- seat theater on the ground level, and a 15-seat screening area on the second floor overlooking Cookman Ave. The upstairs will also be used as a lounge and reception area for parties, special events and more. Like many art house theaters, The ShowRoom’s personalized movie-going experience is rooted in its mission-based, community-driven philosophy. Current partnerships with Brookdale Community College, Asbury Park Film Initiative, Hope Academy Charter School, ArtsCAP and more will only be strengthened by the entertainment capabilities at the new space.
The ShowRoom will move to 707 Cookman Ave. in April 2012. In the interim, Sodano and Sabino will continue to screen a full movie schedule at The ShowRoom’s current location, 708 Cookman Ave. To learn more about The ShowRoom, please visit www.TheShowRoomAP.com or call 732-502-0472.
About The ShowRoom
Since opening in April 2009, The ShowRoom has continued to present relevant and provocative movies and events that engage audiences for a memorable experience. Its mission-driven film philosophy was recognized by New Jersey movie fans when it was voted Best Independent Movie House in New Jersey by New Jersey Monthly readers. The ShowRoom is a versatile entertainment space on Cookman Avenue’s Art Bloc that is renowned for its roster of critically acclaimed, independent, classic, foreign, family and festival-winning films. In addition, The ShowRoom endeavors to provide the community with a welcoming and acoustically ideal environment for live performances, workshops, seminars and mixed-media presentations. Owners Michael Sodano and Nancy Sabino are film-industry veterans with more than 25 years of experience in creative communications for corporate productions. With The ShowRoom, first-rate cinema and a dedicated entertainment venue has returned to Asbury Park’s growing downtown arts community. For more information, please visit www.TheShowRoomAP.com or call 732-502-0472.
We’ve reached a plan that satisfies a number of the requirements we set out to achieve in our new movie theaters for number of seats, screen size, comfort factors. We’ll have the flexibility to use the theaters for movies, live events, meetings, parties and just about anything we can produce for our community.
Large kudos go out to our architect Don Passman for having the patience to work and re-work . . . . and re-work the floor plans to get to where we are ready to start taking a hammer to the building.
Don’s here in the picture with me and Nancy.
Stay tuned for more progress.