A glimpse of the ceiling is worth the price of admission.
On Friday evening, The Castro Theatre (opens in new tab) — arguably San Francisco’s most magnificent movie palace — will reopen to the public after a two-year renovation with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a screening of the camp classic “The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.” Another Planet Entertainment, which took over management of the 104-year-old venue in 2022, spent $41 million (more than twice the initial estimate) to update the beloved theater — doing everything from installing new toilets and seats to polishing the chandelier.
The work was not without controversy. Fearful of losing an icon of queer culture, a large, vocal segment of the LGBTQ+ community unsuccessfully fought to turn management over to a nonprofit. Many were angry about the displacement of a nail salon and coffee shop that rented street-facing units inside the theater. Others bemoaned how the protracted closure reduced foot traffic in the nightlife-heavy neighborhood.
But after taking a tour of the new space, we suspect many critics will be awestruck by the results. It helps that the theater’s recently released musical and cinematic calendars are replete with local talent and LGBTQ+ artists, crowned by a 20-date Sam Smith residency.
From basement to balcony, here is everything that’s new at the Castro. Take a look for yourself.
The walls have been painstakingly scrubbed of decades worth of dirt.
The ends of the aisles are meant to resemble architect Timothy Pflueger’s designs.The building is ready for its next 100 years
Another Planet Entertainment assembled a team of acousticians, structural engineers, mechanical engineers, and architects who were all dismayed at the theater’s dismal state. There was asbestos. There was lead. Signs of neglect were everywhere, and standing water in the basement had eaten into the concrete walls.
“They said, ‘If this building just sits here as is on its own, in a few years, things are literally going to start falling,’” APE Senior VP Mary Conde recalled. So the sewage, plumbing, HVAC, and electrical systems are all new. Even the vestibule ticket booth’s stained glass has been replaced. “We didn’t cut any corners,” Conde added.
For performers and talent, there are now three green rooms, all with updated facilities. From the perspective of the audience, there is a new movie screen, Dolby sound system, and digital projector. And the vertical neon sign, the neighborhood’s biggest landmark, is fully functioning once again.
The interior is beautiful — and ADA-compliant
Above all, it will be hard not to get a crick in one’s neck from staring up. Decades of accumulated cigarette smoke have been cleaned from the walls and ceiling, and the architect Timothy Pflueger’s many art deco details are newly apparent. Early in the renovation, workers uncovered a proscenium arch that had been obscured since at least the 1960s, and its Egyptian-style scrollwork now frames the stage.
The floor seating is flexible, to accommodate changes from film screenings to concerts.
Throughout the auditorium, cherubs, devils, and mythological figures are newly visible, and the striking, 30-by-30 pastoral murals that flank the space have been brightened. The only missing elements are two large movie posters, of “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and “Der Blaue Engel,” which the Nasser family — who own the theater — removed.
More important, the Castro is now more accessible. The angle of the floor — or “rake,” in theater parlance — has been slightly reduced, with a lift installed, to ensure that wheelchair users aren’t relegated to the front rows.
It’s smaller, and (almost) all the seats are new
The old Castro had a fixed capacity of 1,408. Now there’s room for 1,385 standing patrons, dropping to 1,115 when the seats are installed. That’s because the removable seats are slightly larger, with an additional 6 inches of space per row (allowing people to remain seated if their neighbor gets up for popcorn). And unlike the old, cramped, wooden seats, the new ones are cushioned, with ergonomic seat rests. And cup holders, finally!
One section of original seats remains in the balcony. No cup holders there!
The ceiling might be the most dazzling detail.
Not all the seating is new, however. One section of cast-iron seats in the balcony was deemed significant by the Historical Preservation Commission, meaning it cannot be removed or altered. So the seats remain, a testament to the past.
There are way more toilets
In a big change, the former men’s room is now the women’s room, and the women’s room is now a “men’s/unisex” room. Each has more stalls and urinals, doubling the theater’s facilities and, in theory, preventing those long, snaking queues from forming during intermission.
And the organ is coming soon
The entrance has been painstakingly restored, right down to the replacement of the ticket booth’s stained glass.
For decades, every film screening at the Castro began with a performance by the Mighty Wurlitzer organ, typically played by local legend David Hegarty. But fans will have to wait a little longer to hear the familiar strains of Judy Garland’s “San Francisco (opens in new tab).” A new organ, weighing 1 ton, will be installed March 17.
“It’s the largest symphonic digital organ in the world,” Conde said, noting that workers had to excavate 10 feet under the floor — by hand — to accommodate its considerable heft. “We had teams out here for months with a shovel and a wheelbarrow, removing one scoop of dirt at a time.”