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BACKSTAGE Historic theater bridges Roaring '20s, Depression era Belushi show to help fund restoration of Holly Theatre in Medford Comment By Evalyn Hansen DailyTidings.com By Evalyn Hansen Posted Aug. 23, 2015 at 12:18 PM By Evalyn Hansen Posted Aug. 23, 2015 at 12:18 PM » Social News Randy McKay, executive director of Jefferson Live!, is coordinating the upcoming blues concert with Jim Belushi and the Sacred Hearts at the EdenVale Winery on Aug. 29 to benefit the restoration of Medford's historic Holly Theatre. McKay also manages the Cascade Theatre in Redding, Calif. I met McKay at the Holly Theatre one afternoon. EH: Walking into this theater takes your breath away. RM: I’m here almost every day and have been for several years. Every time I walk in here, it’s still pretty impressive. EH: Is it the dimensions? RM: I think that’s part of it, because we don’t have a balcony. There’s nothing to break up this huge open space, so it feels even bigger than it otherwise would. If it were a traditional theater, with an orchestra level and a balcony cutting it in half, it wouldn’t seem quite so huge. EH: What’s the reason for not having a balcony? RM: I suspect that it’s because it was the first theater designed for sound film. They flew a couple of acousticians from New York to consult on this project, and because of that, we have this seating design. Not having a balcony is far better acoustically. We’re used to this in movie theaters now, but in 1930, this was a revolutionary concept. It didn’t really come into vogue until the '50s. EH: This was built in the '30s? RM: The Holly Theatre opened in 1930. It started construction in 1929, just three months after the stock market crashed. Because this major construction project started at this most uncertain moment, they made some really interesting choices that make it a very unique building. It is just as grand as any other movie palace, but it was all done with paint instead of three-dimensional plaster or hand-carved woodwork. The interior of this building was very ornate, designed to look like a Venetian street scene. That’s what we will be recreating. The building is structurally sound, so this is an interior design project, more than it is a construction project. That’s why this project is as affordable as it is. EH: How did you get into this business? RM: I started my career as a kid in high school in a beautiful historic theater in Yakima, Wash.: the Capital Theater. I fell in love with those beautiful old buildings. Every chance I have gotten since then, I have worked in beautiful old buildings — from the American Conservatory Theatre’s Geary Theatre in San Francisco to the Cascade Theatre in Redding. EH: What kinds of events will happen here? RM: It will be mostly music, everything from jazz and blues, reggae, classic rock and country, to classical music. We’ll do lots of on-screen programming, that hearkens back to the theater’s original use: a lot of film festival programming. We’ll also be a facility that the community uses: a whole breadth of things from community dance recitals to big artists like Bonnie Raitt or smaller performing arts and dance groups that can fit on our funny little stage. One of the things that a project like this is really good at, besides bringing great new entertainment that isn’t currently happening here, is economic revitalization. You can see it around the Craterian Theatre; it’s the most vibrant part of Medford’s downtown. This corner is really quiet, so we would like to make it equally vibrant. Coming together as a community, getting to explore and enjoy a facility like the Holly with neighbors and friends is a really powerful experience. Jim Belushi and The Sacred Hearts will perform Saturday, Aug. 29, at the Amphitheater at EdenVale Winery. Tickets are available at HollyTheatre.org, or call 541-772-3797 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Friday. Free Tours of the Holly Theatre take place the first Saturday of each month from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Holly and Sixth Streets in Medford. Evalyn Hansen is a writer and director living in Ashland. She trained as an actor at the American Conservatory Theatre and is a founding member of San Francisco's Magic Theatre. Reach her at [email protected]. By Evalyn Hansen DailyTidings.com By Evalyn Hansen Posted Aug. 23, 2015 at 12:18 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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