MOVIES THAT REAWAKEN WONDER Series Comes to United Palace

United Palace, the former Loew's 175th Street Theatre which opened in 1930, kicks off a year-long classic movie series celebrating the building's past as a "Wonder Theatre" and its state-of-the-art cinematic return with a DCP projector donated by Broadway superstar Lin-Manuel Miranda, and new audio equipment.

"Movies That Reawaken Wonder" was curated by the nonprofit United Palace of Cultural Arts (UPCA) to celebrate the magic of movies and movie-going. It explores why we fall in love with films, such as how "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" evokes "the wonder of childhood" and "Night of the Living Dead" conjures "the wonder of horror." Some titles are thematically matched to the month, such as "The Sound of Music" before Mother's Day and "Coming to America" before July Fourth.

To honor the theatre's vaudeville past, live entertainment is packaged with the screenings. For example, a live organ accompanies Charlie Chaplin's "City Lights" and Donna Reed's daughter Mary Owen introduces the holiday favorite "It's a Wonderful Life." Additional pre-show entertainment will be announced as each movie nears. As part of an ongoing campaign to complete the theatre's cinematic sound upgrade, the November selection will be UPCA's gala fundraiser featuring a celebrity introduction, which organizers plan to announce this spring.

"Movies That Reawaken Wonder" include:

March 5

The Wonder of Childhood

"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs"

April 2

The Wonder of Science Fiction

"Blade Runner (2007)"

May 7

The Wonder of Mom

"The Sound of Music"

June 4

The Wonder of Heroes

"Dog Day Afternoon"

June 25

The Wonder of America

"Coming to America"

August 6

The Wonder of Summer
"Jaws"

September 10

The Wonder of Comedy

"City Lights" (with live organ)

October 29

The Wonder of Horror

"Night of the Living Dead"

November

UPCA's movie gala - TBD

December 17

The Wonder of Holiday Magic

"It's a Wonderful Life"

With the closing last year of the Ziegfeld Theatre in Midtown, United Palace is the city's last remaining movie palace regularly showing movies. The stunning architecture and 3,400-seat theatre - Manhattan's 4th largest - provide a one-of-a-kind movie-going experience. The pre-show entertainment strengthens the communal experience of watching a movie, endangered by the ubiquitous access to videos on handheld devices, TVs, and computers. The New York Times called the United Palace "a cathedral for film." AMny said it was the "Best way to see movies like they used to be."

"Our favorite compliment is when we hear that watching a movie at the Palace is as electric as attending live theatre," said UPCA Executive Director Mike Fitelson. "Our audiences range from cinephiles who dress up in period costumes to families who want their children to see cherished movies on a 50-foot screen for the first time."

Movie tickets at the Palace, Manhattan's only theatre north of 128th Street, are $10 online and $15 at the door for adults and $5 online and $10 at the door for children, students, and seniors. Tickets to the annual gala screening are $10-$100.

Tickets are now on sale for "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs":

Sunday, March 5, 2017

4pm doors, 4:30pm pre-show, 5pm movie

Adults: $10 online/$15 at the door.

Children under 12/Seniors: $5 online/$10 at the door.

Tickets available at UnitedPalaceArts.org.

About United Palace of Cultural Arts

The United Palace of Cultural Arts (UPCA) is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2012 as an arts and cultural center at the United Palace, a transformational organization and venue that fuses culture, spirituality, and entertainment. UPCA is dedicated to strengthening the mind and spirit through creative expression and play. As a community resource, we provide access and exposure to progressive programming, including cultural events, arts education, movie screenings and community space that empowers the individual to nurture the artist within and emboldens children, adults, and families through exploration and open exchange. After movies had stopped playing the Palace for decades, UPCA began showing movies again in 2013, undertaking a years-long effort to upgrade the cinematic equipment, which now includes a DCP projector, JBL 3.1 sound system, and Harkness 50-foot screen.