Summary
The United Palace is a spectacular, 83-year-old deluxe movie theatre at Broadway and 175th Street in Washington Heights where nearly everything in the interior is gilded. Beyond the elaborate foyer lies the third largest theatre in Manhattan, with 3,400 seats. In 2013, thanks to over 450 contributors just like you, the nonprofit United Palace of Cultural Arts UPCA raised nearly $50,000 in 40 days to return film to the United Palace for the first time since 1969. That campaign enabled us to purchase a digital projection system, clean the big screen, and start showing movies again, classics such as “Casablanca,” “It’s A Wonderful Life,” and “West Side Story” and also independent and Latino films as well.
Since then, thousands of movie lovers have walked through our doors for the first time and fallen in love with the Palace. We had no idea that this would be so successful so soon. But we also realized there’s much more that we need to do to create the classic cinematic experience that our audiences crave and New York City deserves.
The need
Over the past few months of screenings we have learned that we will eventually need to upgrade our audio and projection systems. But the next step in continuing to rebuild the movie palace is to get a new screen.
After cleaning the over 50-year-old screen last year we discovered that it was in such poor shape that it needs to be replaced. There are holes, scratches and large areas where the surface is dirty or painted over.
For $20,000 we will purchase a new screen from Harkness, the world’s leading screen technology company, that will provide a brighter, sharper, more magical image than what we have now. The installer, Howard Freedman of G Seventeen Interiors, will also add black curtains to mask the picture.
This will provide the Palace with an industry standard screen, improving the audience’s enjoyment of the movies.
Support: Raise a New Screen at the Palace | Indiegogo.
Sunday, March 23, 2014
4pm doors; 5pm stage show; 5:30pm movie
$10 online/$15 at the box office (opens at 2pm); $5 for children under 12
By the way, “Sunday Movies at the Palace With Lin-Manuel Miranda” goes down today, March 23rd and will feature a screening of “Ghostbusters”. Actor David Margulies (who played Mayor Lenny in the movie) and pre-show entertainment by the Minions of Gozer will add to the awesomeness of today’s event.
Get Your Tickets Here: https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pe.c/9886558
Related:
West Side Story with Rita Moreno @ The United Palace
Muppets Take the Heights | WSJ
In The Heights @ The United Palace – The Recap
The significance of “In the Heights” at the United Palace
The 2012 Uptown Arts Stroll Kick-Off – The Recap
Spa For The Soul: A Q&A With Xavier Eikerenkoetter
A Hip Hop Nutcracker in Washington Heights @ The United Palace
We’ll always have “Casablanca,” and the Palace
Dracula Comes To Washington Heights For El Dia Del Los Muertos
Icarus at the Edge of Time @ the United Palace
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