Historic Single-Screen Hollywood Theater To Reopen In Dormont

Online, March 24, 2011 (Newswire.com) - The Friends of the Hollywood Theater (FOHT), a non-profit organization formed in November 2010, is pleased to announce the reopening of Hollywood Theater in Dormont. The theater will reopen on May 4th, with a screening of the PBS documentary "The New Metropolis".

Determined not to lose another single-screen theater, a group of local movie-lovers, area residents and community leaders banded together to formulate a strategy to reopen the beloved Hollywood. The result was the FOHT, whose mission is to reopen the theater not only to show movies, but as a community center where the public can enjoy movies, film festivals, concerts, and special events such as big screen viewings of sporting events and the Academy Awards. The FOHT hopes that reopening the theater will add to the vitality of the Potomac Avenue business district, Dormont, and the entire region.

The group's 11-member board and 25-member advisory board bring a mix of expertise in business, management, accounting, fundraising, marketing, public relations, and programming to the project.

Plans are for the FOHT to rent the facility while it raises money to purchase the building. Special event fundraisers will be held throughout the year. In addition, FOHT will apply for grants and seek donations from the public and other sources.

The group has already secured a commitment from the 48 Hour Film Festival to utilize the venue, and plans to bring back the popular "Rocky Horror Picture Show" with audience participation and shadow casting by the Junior Chamber of Commerce Players.

The theater will open on a part-time basis in May 2011, with a more robust film schedule beginning in June. Tax-deductible donations can be made to "Friends of the Hollywood Theater," and mailed to P.O. Box 7902, Pittsburgh, PA 15216.

The Hollywood Theater is located at 1449 Potomac Avenue in the heart of Dormont's business district, and features a balcony, a large concession area, and a lobby with spacious comfortable seating. The projection booth features 35mm and Dolby digital capabilities. The theater is located two blocks from the Potomac light rail transit station, with ample public parking lots nearby and access to bus routes from West Liberty Avenue.

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