Entertainment : 2010 – A Palace Theatre Classic “Remake”

     This week the Vinton Palace Theatre showed “True Grit,” a Coen Brothers remake of the classic 1969 film starring John Wayne.  Much like this box office hit, 2010 was truly the year of the “Palace remake.”  Palace managers, Gerald and Marcy Horst, said their goal was to combine the classic story of volunteerism, community pride, and an unforgettable cast to recreate the Palace Theatre in 2010. 

     According to the Horsts, their vision for the theatre is to provide “a unique entertainment venue which mingles history and tradition with the latest technical innovations to create an affordable and enjoyable family experience.”

     This “remake” has been several years in development and has not been without a little pain.    Several changes and improvements have been implemented throughout the past two years to bring the patrons of the Palace Theatre a remake worth seeing!

     The Palace raised $80,000 in April and May of last year to install a new digital projector with 3D.  The Horsts note that this new technology far surpasses the old.  Even in 2D, the screen is bright, clear, flawless, and very enjoyable.

     An audio upgrade happened with the digital conversion, adding three news speakers and two new channels to create Dolby Surround Sound 7.1.  This means there are now seven distinct sound locations.

     The recent box office remodeling, adding two new windows, is designed to handle better traffic flow and customer service for sellouts.

     Online and advanced ticket sales, implemented in January of 2009, allows patrons the convenience to purchase their tickets in advance so they can avoid the cold wait outside.  Tickets may be purchased online at www.vintonpalace.org, or at the theatre.

     More than 50% of Palace patrons come to the theatre from outside of Vinton.  With the addition of a new ATM, those who have never visited the theatre don’t have to run down the street to get admission money.

      New theatre rigging was installed last September to lift the new silver screen in a safe, quiet, and efficient way – preserving the theatre for one of its core community missions – live theatre.

     Another benefit of the new digital equipment is the ability to show alternative content!  Five Iowa Hawkeye Football Games, Wii Birthday Parties and Xbox Soccer Matches have all been played on the new digital system in High Definition and surround sound.

     Also possible with the new digital projection system, the Palace now offers high definition spotlight videos to advertise and highlight your business or cause. 

     According to the Horsts, all these upgrades and changes were made to increase patronage.

     “We want to increase the number of people who experience the Palace Theatre, and we want each and every experience to be a pleasant one.”

     Gerald, who keeps the stats, says the best way to tell if this is happening is to look at the numbers.  In 2009, the Palace had a 3% increase in paid patrons.  In 2010, the number increased 10%, to over 35,000 paid patrons.  The theatre’s average “patrons per show” has climbed from its lowest point of 70 in 2008 to 80 in 2010.  Palace Theatre attendance trends are heading in the right direction!

     And the word is getting out. The Palace Weekly newsletter is now emailed to 1,685 people, up 40% from last year. 5,150 people visit the website every month, up 35% from last year. Online tickets have skyrocketed from 860 last year to 3,258 in 2010. (Excluding the 570 tickets sold so far this month.)  That’s an increase of 279%!

     And more changes are in store for the 2011 sequel!  Donations continue to come in.  The Horsts still have plans to replace the seating with more comfortable rocker/recliners.  Due to several recent sellouts, the volunteers are asking for a larger popcorn popper to handle demand. Additional concession offerings like nachos, hotdogs, or pizza are being considered, but space is a dilemma.  The Horsts also hope to showcase more alternative content such as live theatre in digital 3D, in partnership with ACT I.

     Despite much change throughout the past two years, the one constant the Horsts are quick to point out is volunteerism.  According to the Horsts, the Palace volunteers are the most important ingredient needed to make the theatre a success. Over fifty people volunteer regularly to donate over 2,700 hours of service per year.  Calculated at minimum wage, that figure amounts to over $20,000 in savings for the theatre!

     The Palace continues to be proud of its family friendly atmosphere.  Volunteers and staff are always on hand to help with seat assignments and concessions, even refilling spilled popcorn for free!

     According to Marcy, most movies will continue to target families, with stacked (matinees and late shows only) adult films one weekend a month.  The Horsts are also planning another Oscar Month in March, in which Marcy works with the booker to secure critically acclaimed films that would not usually make the Palace family friendly schedule.

     As the Coen Brothers proved with their box office hit, you can remake and bring new life to an old classic.  With a nod toward the future with digital projection, and the help and hard work of its staff, volunteers and faithful patrons, the Palace Theatre will continue to work toward that same goal.