CABARET VILLE MAGAZINE. P249
CABARET JAZZ THEATER OF THE MONTH: THE MIDLAND THEATER, A NATIONAL TREASURE!
The Newark Midland Theatre
Association stated: "May the performers in this theatre enrich the
community and may this theatre serve to stimulate a better quality of
life for our citizens and for all who may enter this historic place."
The Midland Theater is a magnificent and
monumental accomplishment in the world of entertainment, Jazz and
cabaret. Rich in traditions, quality performances and selection of
artists and performers. The
Midland Theatre serves as a vibrant and effective community gathering
place for cultural and artistic events. The 2006-2007 performance
programs include the finest productions and household names in Jazz and
cabaret. To name a few:
Emmylou Harris will be performing on
Friday, September 22;
Kathy Mattea
on Thursday, November 2;
Marie Osmond's
"The Magic of Christmas"
on Friday, December 15;
Michael Feinstein
Friday, January 26, 2007.
The Midland Celebrates
Fifth Anniversary
2006-2007 Season To Feature Kathy
Mattea, Michael Feinstein,
Marie Osmond, The Letter
The Midland Theatre is
the place where stars shine brightest, and its 2006-2007 season will be
no exception! In the fifth season following the theatre’s magnificent
renovation, The Midland Theatre will feature a diverse offering of
top-notch entertain
The theatre stood empty and virtually unused for two decades. But for fifty years, The Midland was alive … alive with the sounds of laughter, music, applause, sobs, even a blood-curdling scream of fright every now and again – all the sounds of people enjoying an evening of entertainment, surrounded in the magnificence and opulence that the movie palaces of the early twentieth century were known for.
On December 20, 1928, just a few days before Christmas, the sidewalks of the Newark, Ohio Town Square were filled with shoppers in search of last-minute gifts. Amidst all the hustle and bustle, on North Park Place there was a line of people – hundreds of them – people standing in place for hours, or, according to an account in the local paper, paying young boys to stand there for them. They braved the elements so that they could be the first to get a glimpse of Newark’s newest entertainment establishment. Finally, at 6:30 PM, the doors opened, and the excited throng filed inside. A half hour later, the Mammoth Moller organ rose from the floor, and house organist Helen D. Longfellow joined the orchestra in a stirring rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner”. The silver curtain opened, revealing a suspended American flag. Newark Mayor Robbins Hunter welcomed everyone, and then the show at long last was underway. The opening was a hit! The paper said that a "splendid program was arranged." It began with a "colored art film, showing the American Indian and many scenic spots in the West." Two vaudeville acts were followed by "The Shopworn Angel" starring up-and-coming actor Gary Cooper. One of the Vaudeville acts was the Columbia Quartet, which the review called…"four boys who sing a lot and chatter a bit. The voices are well-harmonized and they took several encores." The review of Cooper’s performance was less flattering: "Gary Cooper is not the dominate lad he usually is…." (By the way, the movies on December 20 were silents, but only a week later, the theater played a talking picture called “Manhattan Cocktail” – the first time a sound movie played in Newark!) .