HOUSTON — The restoration of the River Oaks Theatre has been 19 months in the making and guests can expect new experiences unique to the theater that you won’t get anywhere else.
The theatre has been a staple at the corner of West Gray and Mcduffie Street since 1939, and after being closed for the last three years the historic theatre is reopening.
“The intent with everything we did was how much can we leave what was original or how can we make it look like it was the original and how can we build it into our new revisioning of that the theatre was," explained Jason Ostrow, VP of Development with Culinary Khancepts.
The theatre has undergone a multimillion-dollar renovation led by Ostrow.
"So behind the walls, we had to dig up all the underground, redo all the plumbing, all new electrical wiring, all new breaker panels, all new kitchen installs and then of what you do see, all new flooring, all new chairs, call buttons, the stage," said Ostrow.
It's a task easier said than done while trying to preserve the unique history of this Houston gem.
"It starts out here with the marquee that we restored completely back to original condition, to the deco artwork, all of those things that added to the soul and what made the River Oaks Theatre special is what we strived to keep and we did I mean we really kept pretty much everything," Ostrow explained.
The main theatre will seat 237 people, with two separate theaters on the upper level seating 50 people each, in addition to a new private viewing lounge seating up to 20 guests.
The theatre will offer unique viewing options from foreign films to independent cinema from around the world.
"Classic films such as Fight Club, we’re doing a sneak preview of the new movie 'The Herricanes' which is about a Houston all-female tackle football team from the seventies," said Rob Saucedo, artistic director for the River Oaks Theatre.
The theatre will also play host to live shows from comedians to magicians while guests indulge in a revamped food and beverage menu.
"We can't always rely on the studios to provide us with great content so we wanted to make sure we were also bringing in amazing events too, to supplement the great movies that theaters are releasing throughout the year," said Saucedo.
Bringing new life to a treasured staple with one mission...
"To provide Houstonians with the type of entertainment that they want from a great theater," said Saucedo.
Tickets to the theater range anywhere from $11 to $14.
Guests are encouraged to book online because tickets are selling out quickly.
For more information about the theatre or to purchase tickets click here.