BURLEY, Idaho — Work is underway to restore the historic Burley Theatre, bringing the 112-year-old venue back to life for a new generation of performers and moviegoers.
Built in 1914 as a dual-use theatre featuring vaudeville acts and silent films, the theater has changed hands multiple times over the decades. It dropped live acts altogether in the 1960s, and since then, not much has changed — until now.
WATCH: A deep look at what is to come for the Historic Burley Theatre
"We are restoring it so it can again be a dual-use theatre," said Brian Muir, president of the Mount Harrison Heritage Foundation. "We'll be able to show some classic movies but also live productions, plays, musicals, concerts, recitals— all kinds of things."
The Mount Harrison Heritage Foundation is taking on the monumental task of restoring the theatre to its original glory. The group has gutted the interior, creating a clean slate ready for renovation.
"When we got the theater, all of the walls were covered in installation and fabric because it was a movie theater and they just wanted to have no echo whatsoever," Muir said. "So we uncovered the original walls and the original plaster."
The restoration will preserve the theatre's historic character while adding modern amenities. Workers were able to save all of the decorative tin work on the walls and ceiling.
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"We were able to preserve all of the tin decorative work that is up there, and once it's all replaced with clean sheetrock and has good lighting, and we paint up the tin so that it highlights with gold— it will look beautiful," Muir said.
The renovation includes installing a sound and light booth, adding a handicap accessible restroom, and expanding the capacity of existing restrooms. The historic balcony and box seating will be reopened, with deeper rows to make it easier for patrons to move through the space.
At a restoration price tag of around $2 million, the foundation has raised about half that amount — enough to get construction rolling.
"Our goal is to open sometime in the summer," Muir said. "We might not be completely done, but it will be enough to do a show."
For Rupert resident Bethany Martinez, the theatre holds many special memories, and she's excited for its future.
"I love it! When they were doing the $2 theater, I went there all the time," Martinez said. "So I can't wait to see what they do with it."
To help raise funds, the theatre is offering multiple sponsorship opportunities, including sponsoring individual seats. Balcony seats are $500 each to sponsor, center section main floor seats are $1,000, and side section main floor seats are $750 each.
For more sponsorship information, Click Here.
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