THE BROADWAY THEATRE
A Brief History (1920 - Today)
Beginnings
1920 - 1940
The 800-seat Broadway Theatre was opened in December 1920 screening Lon Chaney in “The Miracle Man. John Hileman sold the Broadway Theatre to Bert Ward of Chicago in April 1925. Ward would later open the Ward Theater around the corner in 1937.
End of an Era
1960 - 2000
Through the 1960's and 1970s, the Broadway remained a first-run theater and live showcase. Notably, comedy duo Cheech & Chong performed there in 1978, requiring showers to be installed (long since uninstalled) downstairs. The Wards sold the theatre to John Loeks (later Jack Loeks Theatres chain) in the 1980’s, It operated as a first-run theatre until June 2000, when it closed with Samuel L. Jackson in “Shaft”.
Life During Wartime
1940 - 1960
The theatre built a major interior renovation to accommodate a new air conditioning system in 1941, building internal walls featuring murals by Frederic de Lorenzo. The murals are still there today.
The Friends of the Broadway
2000 - ???
It was purchased that year by the non-profit Friends of the Broadway, who incorporated the theatre into a playhouse and performance center. Between 2001 and 2023 the theater staged approximately 3-4 shows per season for both adult and youth productions. The theatre has also been a venue for the Central Michigan International Film Festival and since September 2022 has screened the monthly VHS night.