Grand Opening of 1935 Strand Theatre Pays Tribute to Movie House Past

Marietta, GA (December 16, 2008) — The much anticipated grand opening of The Strand Theatre on the Marietta Square is here! What will now be known as the Earl Smith Strand Theatre will celebrate its Grand Opening on January 10, 2009.

“Certainly we've all got to be excited, myself especially, because I think it was perseverance that got us here,” said Earl Smith, chair of the Friends of The Strand, the nonprofit organization which formed in 2003 and has been fundraising since 2004 with the purpose of saving and operating The Strand. “We stayed the full count to get to the opening. I'm proud for all of the people who were involved and especially for all of our supporters.

A Tribute to the Movies Grand Opening will showcase the new capabilities of the facility, including the expanded stage, an orchestra pit for 10 to 12 musicians, and theatre lighting and sound. The new stage is 40 feet wide at its widest and tapers to 27 feet from one side of the proscenium arch to the other. From the apron, the stage is 33' deep

“I was at The Strand every Saturday of my junior high years and it is a dream come true to be involved in the rebirth and the reopening of The Strand,” said Earl Reece, executive director. “Our goal is to highlight movies through performances of dance, music, and theatre in a customized live entertainment show.

With Reece at the helm, a team of arts leaders in Cobb has created the show of a lifetime! The team includes Frank Timmerman, director of the performing arts school at Pebblebrook; Bob Adams, Pebblebrook technical director; Brandt Blocker, artistic director of the Atlanta Lyric Theatre, The Strand's resident musical theatre company; professional choreographers Jevares Myrick and Cindy Mora; and Lynette Grubb Strickland and Ray Hall, Jr. of Dance Stop Studios. The show will feature professional performers and local talent from Cobb

The grand opening is not just about the show itself, but about the nostalgic experience of “going to the movies” in the 1930s, a time when seeing a show was a way to escape reality, a time when people donned their furs and diamonds to make a grand entrance

“The committee has been working diligently to make this an unforgettable evening and there will be many surprises for our guests,” Reece promised.

At the grand opening, guests will first be greeted under the 610 bright lights of the marquee by tuxedoed greeters and will be ushered to their seats. Following the live performance, which is expected to last 80 minutes, guests will enjoy a champagne toast and dessert reception for $75 per person.

A preferred VIP ticket (limited number) is available for $500 per person ($350 of which is tax-deductible) or $4,000 per table of eight and will include a 6 PM cocktail reception, a gala dinner at 7 PM, the 8:15 PM show, champagne toast and dessert reception, and a special memento to remember the evening. Please call 770-293-0080 by Jan. 3 to reserve your tickets to an unforgettable night!

Complimentary parking is available for all guests at the Cobb County parking garage across Cherokee Street from The Strand.

Construction began at The Strand in September of 2007, which was completed in December of 2008. The Friends of The Strand had a goal to raise $5 million for construction and start-up operations and over $3.6 million in cash and pledges has been raised. A bridge loan was required to pay the balance of construction and the board will apply funds from the grand opening to pay down the balance of the loan.

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