Regent Theatre Celebrates Centennial This Year

In 1916, World War I was well underway and German Zeppelins were bombing Paris. Charlie Chaplin had just been signed to his first film contract, Mary Pickford became the first female film star to sign a million-dollar contract, and Babe Ruth and the Boston Red Sox beat the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 13th World Series.

On April 24th that year, the Regent Theatre opened on Medford Street in Arlington, MA. A state of the art theater at the time, it was said "There is no city or town that can boast of a more beautiful motion picture theatre." Quickly established as a vaudeville theater and a silent film house, people flocked to the Regent, paying between 10 and 20 cents for a ticket to see the latest releases.

On April 24, 2016, the Regent Theatre will celebrate its 100th anniversary with a recreation of the opening night event from 1916, including a special screening of the silent film Rags starring Mary Pickford, which opened the theater. More information about the Gala and tickets will be available soon.

Over the years, the theatre maintained its role as a community theater, attracting audiences from Arlington and surrounding towns while bringing the highest quality events to the area. The theater underwent major renovations in 1926 and 1940 as the industry changed from silent films to talkies and the Regent became a destination for Hollywood's first run films. Though a community theater, the Regent was not without controversy. During Prohibition, it was widely rumored bootleg liquor was stored under stage in a hidden room and in 1955, more than 2,000 fans showed up to see Davy Crockett, Indian Scout, spilling over into the streets before the police arrived. In 1997, police were again called to calm a rowdy, oversold crowd in the middle of the night during an intense World Cup Cricket Match between Indian and Pakistan, broadcasted live via satellite.

In 2001, The Regent Theatre building was purchased by Gary Adelson, a local residential real estate developer and drummer in a local blues band. "Honestly, at the beginning, I just wanted to find a space for a music and dance venue where my band could play regularly. The basement of The Regent was for rent and when I looked at it, the owner told me he was interested in selling the building."

"I wasn't actually looking for a theatre to buy, but I lived in Arlington and was excited about the opportunity to continue a venue that brought programming to the downtown area. Yet, I knew absolutely nothing about owning and operating a theatre."

In the late '90s, prior to the purchase by Adelson, the Regent came very close to being sold to become a gym or a restaurant, and was known around that time as the "Bombay Cinema" because it was being used primarily to host Bollywood films. Adelson quickly realized that in order to support a small theater, a strong line-up of diverse programming was necessary.

Over the past 15 years, Regent co-owners Richard Stavros, who began managing the venue in 1993, and Leland Stein have developed a unique line-up of local, national and international performers, including Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Herb Reed and Art Garfunkel, blues legends Honeyboy Edwards, John Mayall, and Joe Bonamassa, comedians Jimmy Tingle, Paula Poundstone and Lenny Clarke, and folk legend Odetta--to name just a few--attracting new audiences from metropolitan Boston and beyond. In 2005, iconic vaudeville and film star Mickey Rooney celebrated his 85th birthday at the Regent. When downtown theaters wouldn't touch it in 2004, the Regent hosted the Boston premiere engagement of the provocative play "Sin: A Cardinal Deposed," based on the transcripts of Bernard Cardinal Law's testimony during the clergy abuse scandal.

Today, the Regent Theatre remains true to its roots as a vibrant vaudeville house. The intimate 500 seat performing arts center offers superior acoustics and comfortable seating for live music concerts, theatre, dance, family shows, and comedy as well as special film events and documentary screenings.

"I'm proud to have played a small part in the growth and development of The Regent Theatre," continued Adelson. "I hope it is around for another 100 years!"

Leading up to the Centennial gala, the Regent Theatre will feature a host of signature events including:

· Sat. 2/13, 8pm: THE ULTRASONIC ROCK ORCHESTRA LIVE!--British Rock Classics with Special Set Honoring DAVID BOWIE http://www.regenttheatre.com/details/the_ultrasonic_rock_orchestra

· Sun. 2/14, 3pm: Rebecca Parris Trio: Valentine's Day Concert-"In Love with Parris" Boston's First Lady of Jazz Returns for Her Annual Concert on the Most Romantic Day of the Year! http://www.regenttheatre.com/details/rebecca_parris2013

· Sun 2/21, 7pm: An Evening with Jim Carter, "Downton Abbey's" Carson, the Butler--Live Music, Magic, & Stories to benefit Nepal Earthquake Relief
http://www.regenttheatre.com/details/an_evening_with_downton_abbey_star_jim_carter_carson_the_butler

· Wed 2/24 at 7pm: Johnny Winter Allstar Band with Paul Nelson & James Montgomery PLUS, Worldwide Exclusive sneak-preview of hailed documentary: Johnny Winter: Down & Dirty

http://regenttheatre.com/details/the_johnny_winter_allstar_band_feat_paul_nelson_and_james_montgomery

· Fri 3/11, 8pm: "Seriously Funny Women" Starring Loretta LaRoche & Kelly MacFarland --As Seen on PBS, NBC, ABC, CBS, and CNN
http://www.regenttheatre.com/details/seriously_funny_women_starring_loretta_laroche_kelly_macfarland

· Fri-Sun 4/1-3 (April Fools Weekend Parodies): One Man Dark Night and One Man Lord of the Rings -- Performed by Charlie Ross --from the Madmen behind "One Man Star Wars"
http://www.regenttheatre.com/#6

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