Theater History

Known today as the Ulster Performing Arts Center, the Broadway Theatre opened in 1927 as a movie palace and vaudeville house designed by the famed New York City architect Douglas P. Hall. Purchased in 1947 by the Walter Reade Organization, the Broadway soon became a first-run movie house. A 1953 facelift called for removal of the grand chandelier, replacement of the 1927 marquee and blade sign with an imposing neoclassical portico, and a new name: the Community Theater.

But by 1977, the flight of business and entertainment from downtown centers to suburban malls caused Walter Reade to close the theater, and it was slated for demolition. Fortunately, it was saved by three inspired and dedicated co-partners: Norm Rafalowsky, Helen Newcombe and C. Lincoln Christensen, who also served as the first President of UPAC’s board. Through the efforts of these three and a group of concerned citizens the theater was rescued, purchased, and reopened as the Ulster Performing Arts Center. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 as one of the last great show palaces in New York State .

Sixteen years later, revitalization began with some interior renovation to ready the theater for its 75th Anniversary in 2002. In 2006, a comprehensive, multi-phased restoration plan was put into place. Following the final phase of that plan, the theater reopened in December 2017 with upgraded HVAC, significant restroom expansion, and many other vital improvements to better serve audiences.

Today, the Ulster Performing Arts Center is once again a premier performing arts venue of the Hudson Valley, presenting a diverse year-round season of superb productions, including national and international headliners in music, dance, theater and more. With a 1510-seat capacity, it remains the largest proscenium theater between Manhattan and Albany.