{"id":82935,"date":"2025-12-05T16:46:17","date_gmt":"2025-12-05T16:46:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/82935\/"},"modified":"2025-12-05T16:46:17","modified_gmt":"2025-12-05T16:46:17","slug":"castro-theatre-eyes-next-chapter-at-pivotal-moment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/82935\/","title":{"rendered":"Castro Theatre eyes next chapter at pivotal moment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

SAN FRANCISCO\u00a0\u2014\u00a0At the start of the pandemic, when live entertainment was shut down<\/a> across California, Gregg Perloff \u2014 chief executive of Another Planet Entertainment<\/a> \u2014 told his team to use the downtime to find a new project that excited them.<\/p>\n

They quickly set about identifying a versatile venue somewhere in San Francisco, and began driving around \u2014 socially distanced in half a dozen cars \u2014 to scout options. Then they came across the Castro Theatre, a once-grand movie palace that had slipped into disrepair despite being one of the most recognizable LGBTQ+ landmarks in the world, and learned the family that has owned it since it was built in 1922 was looking for a partner to help restore it.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe knew \u2014 wow,\u201d said Mary Conde, a senior vice president with the Bay Area concert and events company. \u201cThis is so much more than a movie theater.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Workmen <\/p>\n

Workmen install an air conditioning condensate line in the historic Castro Theatre.<\/p>\n

Within the LGBTQ+ community, the Castro is a symbol of liberation. In the 1960s and 1970s, Harvey Milk<\/a> and other gay activists turned the Castro neighborhood<\/a> into a safe haven for queer people nationwide, and the theater and its lighted red marquee and blade signage served as a giant X on the map for those flocking to find it.<\/p>\n

Now, about five years and an estimated $41 million in renovations later, Another Planet is gearing up for a grand reopening of the 1,400-seat theater as a multipurpose concert, movie and community venue, starting Feb. 10 with a sold-out, 20-show residency<\/a> by Grammy Award-winning queer singer Sam Smith<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI LOVE San Francisco and The Castro especially has been so central to the Queer community here over the years,\u201d Smith wrote in September, calling it an honor to \u201cbecome part of this iconic venue\u2019s history.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

The Castro Theatre\u2019s iconic marquee lights up the famed LGBTQ+ neighborhood of the same name in San Francisco.<\/p>\n

For decades, the theater served as a backdrop to major gay rights protests and an incubator for queer cinema, including as host to Frameline\u2019s<\/a> San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival. Activists raised funds there to fight Anita Bryant\u2019s anti-gay crusade<\/a> in the 1970s and to raise AIDS awareness in the 1980s.<\/p>\n

Two days before his raw and relatable \u201cLetter to Mama\u201d<\/a> was published in 1977, author Armistead Maupin went to the theater to read the chapter in which his \u201cTales of the City\u201d<\/a> character Michael Tolliver comes out to his conservative mother after learning she was supporting Bryant in Florida. Milk, who that same year won a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors as one of the nation\u2019s first out elected officials, was in the crowd with Jones, and Maupin \u201cthought the roof was going to come down<\/a>\u201d as cheers and tears erupted in the audience.<\/p>\n

After Milk and Mayor George Moscone were assassinated at City Hall in 1978, the theater remained a gathering point. When former supervisor Dan White received a shockingly lenient<\/a> conviction for manslaughter in the fatal shootings, protesters rallied near the theater before marching to City Hall. Police then stormed the Castro<\/a> neighborhood, brutalizing bar patrons in the surrounding streets.<\/p>\n

In 2008, the theater hosted the world premiere of the feature film \u201cMilk,\u201d<\/a> about that era, as protesters waved signs outside reading \u201cVote No on Prop. 8,\u201d a measure that eliminated the right to same-sex marriage in California. In 2015, crowds gathered outside the theater once more to celebrate the Supreme Court ruling that recognized a right<\/a> to same-sex marriage nationwide.<\/p>\n

For longtime activists in the neighborhood and those leading the project to restore the theater, that history gives the theater and its reopening a special significance \u2014 particularly in light of renewed attacks<\/a> on the queer community by the Trump administration and Republican lawmakers across the country<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt would be impossible to overstate the importance of that building to this community,\u201d gay activist Cleve Jones said on a recent afternoon at Twin Peaks, a long-standing gay bar just up the block. \u201cThat\u2019s where we go to celebrate victories, to mourn losses, and so often to premiere films that were huge milestones in the progress of this community and the movement that was partially born here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Cleve <\/p>\n

Cleve Jones, a leader in the gay rights movement for decades, stands near the theater, the importance of which he said would be \u201cimpossible to overstate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Perloff said his company is committed to honoring and maintaining the theater\u2019s role as a beacon of hope for the queer community, in part because of the \u201cchange in the political climate in this country\u201d in recent years.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis theater has taken on a much more important and significant role not just locally, not just in the Castro district of San Francisco, but all over the world,\u201d Perloff said. \u201cWhile people think San Francisco is in a bubble, the LGBTQ community is under attack everywhere \u2014 and we have dedicated ourselves to making the Castro an inviting place for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

No easy solution<\/p>\n

Even before the pandemic, things weren\u2019t looking good. Box office revenues had declined sharply. Badly needed capital improvements multiplied. Community leaders worried the building would be demolished like so many other historic cinemas, and members of the Nasser family, which owns it, had similar concerns.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe theater was 100 years old,\u201d said Steve Nasser, 72, whose father opened the theater with his brothers. \u201cThere were many aspects of it that were simply \u2014 functionally and economically \u2014 obsolete, and things that couldn\u2019t be easily fixed or addressed without very significant costs to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Nassers were scrambling to find a solution when Another Planet came knocking. Even then, saving the Castro wasn\u2019t a sure bet.<\/p>\n

Inspectors flagged that the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake<\/a> appeared to have shifted parts of the structure. Clay tiles in the walls had started to disintegrate. A previous renovation had coated the ceiling in a polyurethane that was so heavy that \u201cthe integrity of the ceiling was really in bad shape,\u201d Conde said.<\/p>\n

\"Mary <\/p>\n

Mary Conde, with Another Planet Entertainment, points out a renovated column at the theater.<\/p>\n

The seats were old and worn out, with \u201csprings poking out and sticking you,\u201d she said. Years of cigarette smoke had left a thick layer of nicotine over some surfaces, while lead paint covered others. The walls were filled with asbestos, which precluded any cutting or wiring through them.<\/p>\n

\u201cAbsent some sort of intervention,\u201d Conde said, \u201cit would have fallen in on itself.\u201d<\/p>\n

There were also significant community hurdles.<\/p>\n

Movie buffs and other preservationists were adamant that the original seating \u2014 a sloping floor with immovable seats \u2014 be preserved<\/a> as one of the theater\u2019s most historic characteristics. Another Planet and its supporters said it had to be replaced with a retractable system if the venue was ever going to be financially viable.<\/p>\n

A petition was circulated to keep the old seating, followed by formal hearings by city officials. Eventually Another Planet won the right to remove the floor seating but not the old seating in the balcony \u2014 just enough of a compromise to move forward.<\/p>\n

Restoring an icon<\/p>\n

Part of what makes the theater so appealing is its ornate design by Timothy Pflueger<\/a>, a now-famous San Francisco architect who took on the project as one of his earliest commissions.<\/p>\n

Blending Spanish Colonial Baroque style with Beaux Arts and Art Deco elements, the building has a Churrigueresque facade, golden columns and molded cherub faces in its walls, sgraffito murals flanking a uniquely rounded stage, a richly painted leatherette ceiling with curves that match the draping of an Asian tent and a giant metal chandelier hanging from its center.<\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

The meticulously restored ceiling and chandelier of the Castro Theatre.<\/p>\n

To restore the theater to its former grandeur, Another Planet nearly tripled its investment to $41 million from $15 million.<\/p>\n

They reinforced the building\u2019s main structure, including with a new steel grid across the roof, and cast molds of plaster details to replicate and fill in missing pieces. Historic preservationists<\/a> worked for months meticulously restoring the autumn-colored ceiling and its Asian-themed and dragon-encircled character medallions.<\/p>\n

Contractors built a heating and air conditioning system and bypassed the asbestos-laden walls with piping down the exterior of the building into the basement, for air to flow into the theater from around people\u2019s feet. They are installing one of the world\u2019s largest symphonic organs, three separate sound systems \u2014 one for musical acts, one for films and one for other events \u2014 and new screens and projectors for both current and vintage films.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve tried to think of everything that could be needed for any type of event,\u201d Perloff said. \u201cThis is a labor of love.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Workmen <\/p>\n

Contractors work where rolling platforms for temporary seating will be installed inside the theater.<\/p>\n

Excitement meets uncertainty<\/p>\n

On a recent morning, friends Paul Loesel, 56, and John White, 74, sat chatting out front of Castro Coffee Co., one of two small businesses that have long rented small storefronts in the theater but are set to close<\/a> as Another Planet takes over and uses the space for an expanded box office.<\/p>\n

Loesel, who has lived in the Castro for 24 years, said he goes to Castro Coffee every morning, and its loss deeply annoys him. Still, he thinks the renovated theater is going to be great for the neighborhood.<\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

The Castro Theatre has long anchored San Francisco\u2019s historic LGBTQ+ neighborhood.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe programming looks OK \u2014 movies, different performers, bands, drag queens \u2014 so it looks like they\u2019re trying to keep it exciting,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

White, who has lived in San Francisco for 47 years, said a transformation was necessary for the theater and its iconic marquee and blade to survive, but he doesn\u2019t fully trust Another Planet and worries about the company sacrificing the theater\u2019s historic charm for modern concert venue accouterments, such as hanging lights and speakers.<\/p>\n

\"A <\/p>\n

The intersection at Market and Castro streets in San Francisco, just up the block from the historic theater.<\/p>\n

The conversation echoed many others in the neighborhood in recent years, where people have expressed a mix of excitement and anticipation \u2014 concern for those being displaced and a deep desire to see the theater\u2019s legacy protected.<\/p>\n

Some of the neighborhood\u2019s gay icons \u2014 including Jones and Maupin \u2014 were among the critics. Tom Ammiano, a former San Francisco supervisor and another friend of Milk\u2019s, said many felt the theater\u2019s history was given lip service. Of course it couldn\u2019t be \u201cpreserved in amber,\u201d he said, but its core identity as a movie house should have been better preserved.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome people say, \u2018You old guys don\u2019t want change.\u2019 Yes, I want change \u2014 I have fought for change,\u201d Ammiano said. \u201cBut at the same time, I would like something conserved that contributed to LGBT history.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ken Khoury, 74, who has run Castro Coffee for 38 years, said he and his brother, who has a nail salon at the site, feel like they are being tossed aside. \u201cI\u2019m glad they took it over,\u201d he said of Another Planet. \u201cBut I did not know that I was going to be the victim of their success.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Patrons <\/p>\n

Patrons dine in a parklet in the Castro District.<\/p>\n

The Nassers said they are working with the Khourys and city officials to find a solution for the brothers, including potentially renting them space in vacant neighborhood storefronts. Perloff said he understands the concerns, but that they are a \u201cdistraction\u201d from all the good the theater and its patrons are going to do for the neighborhood\u2019s many bars and small businesses.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe plan on putting 200,000 people \u2014 think about that number \u2014 through the theater in a year,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Nate Bourg, president of the Castro Merchants Assn., who runs a nearby members club, said everyone wants the \u201cactivity and foot traffic\u201d that will come with the Castro\u2019s reopening, but also for the theater \u201cto continue to be a symbol of queer liberation and hope and safety and inclusivity.\u201d He\u2019s optimistic they can have both. <\/p>\n

\u201cReopen the theater, fill some vacancies, retain our queer identity,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"Mary <\/p>\n

Mary Conde of Another Planet Entertainment stands on the marquee of the theater, which is set to reopen with a sold-out Sam Smith residency starting in February.<\/p>\n

The next chapter<\/p>\n

Jones, who opposed the removal of the seats and remains skeptical about the project, said he nonetheless hopes for its success.<\/p>\n

Jones helped Milk organize in the early days of the gay rights movement, continued leading the movement after Milk\u2019s assassination, battled for the rights of AIDS patients and first conceived of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, now a global symbol of resilience to a virus he has lived<\/a> with for decades.<\/p>\n

Jones called it \u201ca real challenge to narrow down the number of incredibly powerful events\u201d he\u2019s personally witnessed at the theater, from Christmas concerts by the Gay Men\u2019s Chorus to the premieres of \u201cso many of the pioneering documentaries about the community now called LGBTQ+.\u201d<\/p>\n

Among his most cherished theater memories, he said, are seeing his close friend Gilbert Baker \u2014 who created the rainbow flag<\/a>, another universal symbol of LGBTQ+ pride \u2014 walking the theater\u2019s aisles handing out chocolates during the 2017 premiere of the ABC miniseries \u201cWhen We Rise,\u201d which was based on Jones\u2019 memoirs, and a subsequent memorial for Baker following his death a few weeks later.<\/p>\n

\u201cI walk in there, and I smell the popcorn, and I\u2019m just transported back to so many events,\u201d Jones said.<\/p>\n

The theater\u2019s renovations have made him feel nostalgic and protective, he said \u2014 but also keenly aware of the battles ahead.<\/p>\n

When gay people first took over the neighborhood more than half a century ago, they created something \u201cthat had never been seen before on the face of the planet,\u201d Jones said: an unapologetically gay and politically assertive neighborhood.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe poets came here<\/a>, the radicals came here, and this neighborhood drew all these people who wanted, yes, maybe to escape hometown America, but also came here specifically to be part of a movement \u2014 a social justice movement,\u201d Jones said.<\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

The Castro Theatre\u2018s facade.<\/p>\n

A similar movement is needed today<\/a>, and will require neighborhoods like the Castro to be strong and vibrant, Jones said \u2014 which is why the theater\u2019s next act is so important.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a bigger issue,\u201d he said, \u201cand it\u2019s increasingly, in my view, connected to our survival.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"SAN FRANCISCO\u00a0\u2014\u00a0At the start of the pandemic, when live entertainment was shut down across California, Gregg Perloff \u2014…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":82936,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[4188,47160,1409,47163,47162,20393,47158,1459,47159,47161,15157,101,103,102,104,106,105,1290,8074,72],"class_list":["post-82935","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-francisco","tag-building","tag-castro-neighborhood","tag-city","tag-feature-film","tag-gregg-perloff","tag-harvey-milk","tag-movie-theater","tag-part","tag-planet-entertainment","tag-queer-people","tag-right","tag-san-francisco","tag-san-francisco-headlines","tag-san-francisco-news","tag-sf","tag-sf-headlines","tag-sf-news","tag-wall","tag-world","tag-year"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82935","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=82935"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82935\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/82936"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=82935"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=82935"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=82935"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}