A desert theater's comeback: Palm Springs historic treasure reopens after $34-million renovation
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Hollywood loves a good comeback story, and Palm Springs has one for the books.In 1936, the dusty desert town’s Plaza Theatre staged its grand opening with the premiere of George Cukor’s romantic tragedy “Camille,” starring Greta Garbo at the height of her powers.Spotlights beamed into the night sky, a red carpet lined the entrance to the 800-seat Spanish Colonial Revival theater and flashbulbs burst on famous faces, including Frank Capra, Robert Taylor, Barbara Stanwyck, Tyrone Power and Shirley Temple.The splashy affair helped cement the reputation of the burgeoning community of about 1,000 full-time residents as a vacation retreat for Hollywood’s movers and shakers.
Over the next 90 years, Palm Springs grew to become a world-famous resort town, with a population of around 45,000 that can swell to nearly twice that number with seasonal visitors, especially during its mild winters.The Plaza Theatre, however, fell on hard times.
Despite serving as a gravitational center for the city’s entertainment scene for decades, it was shuttered in 2014.It sat run-down and vacant until 2019, when a campaign to revitalize it gained steam.
On Dec.1, after a $34-million renovation, the city’s cultural crown jewel reopened with a concert featuring superstar Cynthia Erivo at the height of her powers, backed by a jubilant Palm Springs Pops Orchestra.
Spotlights beamed into the night sky, a red carpet lined the entrance and cameras flashed.The historic venue had come full circle.“This is not a remodel,” said J.R.
Roberts, president of the Palm Springs Plaza Theatre Foundation, which spearheaded the effort.“If we walked in here in 1936, this is exactly what it looked like, down to every color, every detail, every light.”The only two aesthetic exceptions are an LED screen behind the stage and the theater seats, which were white leather and are now plush red.
Gone are ...