SIDNEY — It is okay to break out in song while watching “Sing 2” at The Historic Sidney Theatre.
The Theatre has a long history as a performing arts center and movie theater, but is only now returning to showing first run films. “Sing 2” was the first such movie in nearly 20 years, said Ian Hinz, executive director of Raise the Roof for the Arts. “Sing 2” promises to be a great attraction, but a greater attraction, especially, to theater buffs, is the building itself.
Built by C.B. DeWeese, the theatre opened on Sept. 9, 1921, as “The Majestic,” for full stage productions and silent films, by 1941, it was operated by Warner Bros. Circuit Management Corp. under the new name, the “Ohio Theatre,” seating 1,300 people who attended performances that included the Vienna Boys Choir, New York City Opera and Norman Vincent Peale. The Chakeres Theatre Company assumed operations in the mid-1970s, dividing it into three theaters. In 2004, it closed as movie theater after delighting audiences for half a century. In 2009, the theater re-opened as a performing arts center under the non-profit Raise the Roof for the Arts, but its return to showing first run films did not occur until this week.
With the addition of Hinz as the new executive director, the current phase of renovation occurred between December 2018 and August 2021, which included the purchase of a new movie projector in 2020 for showing first run films. Other improvements included new flooring and seats.
While the renovations add modern amenities, it is the historical aspect of the theatre that keeps people coming back generation after generation.
“Being able to show first run movies really opens up our ability to serve the entire community. It helps us focus on the generations of Shelby County residents who have called the Historic Sidney Theatre their movie theater for many, many years,” Hinz said.
The theater’s historical multipurpose use “brings a bunch of different groups of people in — ones who love live theater and ones who love movies,” said Elizabeth Shaw, operations assistant. “One of my favorite things about working at this theater is people come in and tell us, ‘I had my first kiss at this theater.’”
The theater can get movies from many production companies, including Illumination, the company responsible for “Sing 2.” The theater wants to focus, especially at first on family-friendly films, including Marvel and Disney, said Hinz. These films tend to have cross-appeal to kids as well as to adults who enjoy animated movies with substantive story lines.
Like “Sing,” “Sing 2” promises to delight audiences.
Nick Kroll, who is the voice of “Gunter,” said as part of the film’s promotion, “Sing 2 is that perfect trifecta of big laughs, big feelings, big songs.”
Challenged as a small-town group to make it in the big city, Buster Moon (Matthew McConaughey) pitches a show featuring reclusive singer Clay Calloway (Bono).
With ““Sing 2,” “the dream is bigger, the stakes are higher,” McConaughey said in a promotional video.
Ash (Scarlett Johansson) convinces Clay to be in the show. Meanwhile, Rosita (Reese Witherspoon) develops acrophobia, fear of heights, so her role is given to newcomer, Porsha (Halsey).
It is a feel-good movie, featuring some of the most popular music songs, including “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” and “Where the Streets Have No Name,” by U-2.
“It’s time for people to come together, and feel this joy,” Witherspoon said in the same reel. “So sing out loud and dance in the aisles.”
There was a “soft re-opening” for “Sing 2,” so theatre management was not expecting to sell out on the film’s opening night on Friday evening. About 40 seats were filled. Then another 50 seats were filled on Saturday at the 2 p.m. show, followed by 60 seats for the 7:30 p.m. show.
As of Feb. 2, 2022, “Sing 2” grossed roughly $135 million domestically and $269 million worldwide.
The winter storm led to the cancellation of the planned showing of “Sing 2” on Feb. 3, 2022. The theater resumed showing the film on Feb. 4, and it will be held over for additional showings next week.
Find out what’s next for The Historic Sidney Theatre, located at 120 W. Poplar St. in Sidney, by visiting their website sidneytheatre.org. Follow them on social media on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
