Ulster Performing Arts Center

Ulster Performing Arts Center, commonly known as UPAC, is a historic theater and performing-arts venue on Broadway in central Kingston, New York. The building opened in 1927 as the Broadway Theatre, a large movie palace and vaudeville venue designed for the cultural and commercial life of the Hudson Valley. It is a Classical Revival structure with a highly ornamented facade, a semicircular auditorium, a balcony, a 76-foot-wide stage, and an elaborate proscenium arch. With approximately 1,500 seats, it is described as the largest proscenium theater between Manhattan and Albany. The theater was created during the period when large downtown theaters served simultaneously as cinemas, live-performance houses, and civic landmarks. Its opening program combined live vaudeville acts with a film presentation, and the venue quickly became an important part of Kingston's entertainment infrastructure. Over subsequent decades it hosted both screen attractions and stage performers, including appearances associated with figures such as Bette Davis, Lillian Gish, Isaac Stern, and Victor Borge. The theater's acoustics became one of its defining assets, later supporting orchestral and popular-music programming. Ownership changed several times before the Walter Reade organization acquired the property in 1947 and renamed it the Community Theatre. A 1953 alteration added the street-facing portico and modified the auditorium seating arrangement, reducing capacity from the original level. The changes reflected the venue's continuing role as a major commercial theater while preserving much of its architectural character. UPAC faced a serious threat in the 1970s. Suburbanization and the rise of multiplex cinemas reduced the audience for traditional downtown movie palaces, and the Reade organization closed the theater in 1977. A nonprofit organization using the Ulster Performing Arts Center name acquired the building, helping prevent demolition and beginning the process of repositioning it as a live-performance venue. The property was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. A major preservation and renovation effort was developed in the 1990s. The nonprofit raised approximately $1.7 million for rehabilitation, and the work was completed in time for the theater's 75th anniversary in 2002. The reopened venue emphasized concerts and other live performances rather than first-run cinema. The Hudson Valley Philharmonic uses UPAC as a performance home, while touring musicians and other performers include the venue on regional concert schedules. Management later became closely linked with the Bardavon 1869 Opera House in nearby Poughkeepsie. The Bardavon began managing UPAC in 2006, and the two nonprofit organizations merged in 2007. UPAC now operates as part of the Bardavon/UPAC Theaters organization, presenting music and other performing-arts programming while continuing to function as a major historic anchor for Kingston's Broadway corridor. Its significance rests on the combination of architectural integrity, regional scale, strong acoustics, and its transition from a 1920s movie palace into a contemporary cultural venue.

The history of UPAC begins in 1925, when a Kingston couple and an Albany man incorporated a theater venture with an initial capitalization of $5,300. The organizers acquired a Broadway site the following year and issued bonds to finance construction. New York City architect Douglas P. Hall designed the building, while Sinner and Cook served as general contractor. Construction began in October 1926 and continued through the winter, including the installation of steel framing for the auditorium and proscenium arch with a large derrick. The theater opened in June 1927 as the Broadway Theatre. Its inaugural presentation combined five vaudeville acts with Howard Hawks's comedy film The Cradle Snatchers. The opening attracted a capacity audience, and the theater initially operated with multiple daily performances. The building's exterior and interior used Classical Revival detailing with Corinthian columns, granite ornament, Aztec-inspired motifs, a decorated auditorium ceiling, and an ornate proscenium. By 1947, the property had passed through three ownership changes. The Walter Reade organization then acquired it and renamed it the Community Theatre. In 1953, a portico was added to the facade. Interior changes replaced the original floor seating and introduced a party box, bringing capacity down to approximately 1,560 seats. The venue continued to host both films and live appearances, including performances associated with Bette Davis, Lillian Gish, Isaac Stern, and Victor Borge. Its acoustics became especially well regarded among musicians. The theater's commercial position weakened during the 1970s as Kingston's downtown declined and suburban shopping centers developed multiplex cinemas. The Reade organization closed the theater in 1977, citing competition from those newer venues. Rather than allow the building to be demolished or permanently lost, a nonprofit organization called the Ulster Performing Arts Center was formed and purchased it. The theater was recognized for its architectural and historical importance when it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The building remained vacant for much of the period after closure. During the 1990s, the nonprofit undertook a fundraising and preservation campaign that generated approximately $1.7 million for renovation. Work was completed in 2002, the building's 75th anniversary year, allowing UPAC to reopen as a live performing-arts venue. Its programming emphasis shifted away from movie exhibition and toward concerts, orchestral events, and other stage presentations. The reopened facility's scale and acoustics made it useful for both local cultural organizations and touring performers. The Hudson Valley Philharmonic adopted it as a home venue, and popular recording artists incorporated it into concert tours. In 2006, the Bardavon Theater in Poughkeepsie began managing UPAC. The Bardavon and UPAC organizations merged in 2007, creating the operating structure now associated with Bardavon/UPAC Theaters. The building remains one of Kingston's most important historic cultural properties. It is the city's only unaltered pre-World War II theater and one of only a small number of surviving theaters from that period in the Hudson Valley. Its continuing role is based on adaptive reuse: the architecture of a 1920s movie palace supports a modern schedule of concerts and performing-arts events while retaining the auditorium, stage, decorative plasterwork, and other features that define its historic identity.

1. 2007Bardavon and UPAC merge

   The two nonprofit organizations merge, forming the operating relationship associated with Bardavon/UPAC Theaters.

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2. 2006Bardavon begins management

   The Bardavon Theater in Poughkeepsie takes over management of UPAC.

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3. 2002Reopens after renovation

   A nonprofit-led rehabilitation costing approximately $1.7 million is completed, and the venue reopens for its 75th anniversary with a live-performance focus.

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4. 1979Listed on the National Register

   The property receives National Register of Historic Places recognition, two years after closure.

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5. 1977The theater closes

   The Community Theatre shuts down as suburban multiplex cinemas draw audiences away from downtown movie theaters.

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6. 1953Facade and seating alterations

   A front portico is added and auditorium seating is modified, reducing the theater's capacity.

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7. 1947Walter Reade acquires and renames the venue

   The Walter Reade organization acquires the theater and changes its name to the Community Theatre.

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8. 1927Broadway Theatre opens

   The theater opens with a program combining vaudeville and film, establishing the venue as a major entertainment house in Kingston.

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9. 1926Site acquired and construction begins

   The organizers acquire the Broadway site, arrange bond financing, hire architect Douglas P. Hall, and begin construction in October.

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10. 1925The theater venture is incorporated

    A Kingston couple and an Albany man incorporate the project that would lead to construction of the Broadway Theatre.

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A large, acoustically respected regional performing-arts venue that combines historic theater architecture with contemporary concert and cultural programming.

• Historic auditorium and concert venuePerforming-arts venue1927

  UPAC's principal offering is access to a restored, approximately 1,500-seat theater auditorium designed around a semicircular seating plan, balcony, orchestra pit, and a 76-foot-wide stage. The venue's historic decorative program and strong acoustics support concerts, orchestral performances, touring artists, and other stage events.

• Hudson Valley Philharmonic performancesOrchestral programming

  UPAC serves as a performance home for the Hudson Valley Philharmonic. The relationship makes use of the auditorium's scale and acoustic reputation and connects the venue with recurring orchestral and classical-music programming in the Hudson Valley.

• Touring concert presentationsLive music2002

  The theater presents touring popular-music and other live-performance engagements. Its regional location, substantial stage, and capacity make it a stop for artists serving audiences between the New York metropolitan area and Upstate New York.

• 2006Bardavon management arrangementStrategy

  UPAC sought an operating model capable of sustaining programming and management for a large regional performing-arts venue.

  What changed. The Bardavon Theater began managing UPAC.

  Aftermath. The relationship led to a merger of the two nonprofit organizations in 2007 and the development of Bardavon/UPAC Theaters.

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• 1995Renovation fundraising and rehabilitation programOther

  After years of vacancy, the nonprofit needed substantial capital to restore the theater and return it to public use.

  What changed. The organization raised approximately $1.7 million for renovation work, which was completed in time for the building's 75th anniversary in 2002.

  Aftermath. UPAC reopened with a stronger emphasis on concerts and live performances, rather than its earlier movie-palace role.

  Renovation cost. $1.7 million raised for renovation (1995-2002)

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• 1977Conversion from commercial movie theater to nonprofit preservation projectStrategy

  The theater closed after suburban multiplexes weakened the economics of downtown movie exhibition and created a risk that the historic building would be demolished or remain unused.

  What changed. A nonprofit organization using the Ulster Performing Arts Center name acquired the property and pursued its preservation.

  Aftermath. The acquisition kept the building intact and ultimately enabled its later rehabilitation and reopening as a live performing-arts venue.

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1. Ulster Performing Arts Center
2. Bardavon/UPAC Theaters