Castro Theatre Will Reopen With Screening of 'Priscilla Queen of the Desert' on February 6

"Following its two-year-long, $41 million renovation, the Castro Theatre will officially reopen to the public on February 6 with a film screening and a very queer one at that. There will be a movie screening at the renovated Castro Theatre, with its removable seats and retractable seating tiers, to celebrate the theater's grand reopening next month. And it will be a screening of the 1994 Australian queer cinema classic,"

""This is more than a movie night; it is a homecoming, says Andrea Aiello, executive director of the Castro Community Benefit District, in a statement. "We are inviting the community to be the very first to experience the New Castro' while supporting the preservation of the queer history and culture that makes this neighborhood a global beacon." And, Aiello added, costumes and makeup are much encouraged. "You can't show Priscilla' without audience participation, so dress in your best Priscilla drag!""

"There was some intense consternation and community debate following the takeover of the management of the Castro Theatre by local concert promoters Another Planet Entertainment who similarly, two decades ago, spearheaded the renovation of the defunct Fox Theatre in Oakland and turned it into a full-time concert venue. But, unlike the Fox, the Castro had remained an active community performence venue and movie house,"

The Castro Theatre reopens February 6 after a two-year, $41 million renovation, featuring removable seats and retractable seating tiers. The reopening screening will present the 1994 Australian queer cinema classic; tickets go on sale January 9 at 10 am. The event will also serve as a 20th anniversary fundraiser for the Castro Community Benefit District. Andrea Aiello, executive director of the Castro Community Benefit District, described the event as a homecoming and invited the community to experience the New Castro, encouraging costumes and makeup and audience participation. Management by concert promoters Another Planet Entertainment prompted community debate, but an initial six-month program including a monthlong Sam Smith residency signals commitment to LGBTQ+ programming.

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