The aging theater underwent a yearlong renovation to turn it into a cultural hub for the borough
HOPEWELL BOROUGH -- For 31 years, Hopewell's Off-Broadstreet Theatre brought to life dozens of dramas, comedies and musicals that made people laugh and cry.
But over the years, the 1940s building began to show its age and was in need of significant upgrades. The lighting and acoustics were dated and the only restroom was upstairs, which wasn't ideal for the increasingly older audiences.
"Struggling as a profit theater is difficult and our patrons have been extraordinary, but we knew there were certain things that had to be done," said Bob Thick, who opened the dessert theater with his wife, Julie, in 1984.
In came Jon McConaughy, who, with his wife Robin, has helped inject new energy into the borough's downtown with Brick Farm Market and the transformation of the former Sunoco gas station into retail space.
This month, after a yearlong top-to-bottom makeover, the theater is again open for business, transformed into a performing arts center that the partners see as a cultural hub for the borough.
"We're hoping to feed into the series of changes that have happened to the borough to bring more people in and make it a lively and entertaining place," Liza Morehouse, one of the partners, said during Friday's preview opening.
The McConaughys initially wanted to buy the theater building to use as a creamery, but it didn't end up being a good fit for either side. The talks cooled off, only to be revived months later after fellow business owners told him the space could be a boon to the rest of downtown.
"That's when we decided to rekindle the discussion about buying the space," McConaughy said.
He found partners in Morehouse and Mitchel Skolnick and together, they formed Hopewell Playhouse.
The Thicks, though they no longer own the building, have signed a lease and for the foreseeable future will continue to produce shows.
"We're very lucky to have a tried-and-true success story as our anchor programmatic tenant," Morehouse said. "We just hope to build on that."
But as of late, the Thicks' biggest drawback was the building itself.
"They could only put so many people in here. There were restroom limitations, there were technical limitations and now those are removed," Morehouse said. "There's a full range of entertainment and cultural opportunities that have been opened up because of the renovations."
The work included renovating the lobby with a new ticket booth, serving bar, catering space and both men's and women's restrooms. Inside, permanent theater-style seating was added to the mix of movable tables and chairs and state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems were installed.
Upstairs, there is a new mezzanine balcony that can accommodate more seating, space for special events and another restroom.
Still, features like the original roof trusses and floor tiles were preserved.
"We didn't really want to scrape it all off because the history is very important and when you have someone who's been here for 30 years, it's important to tie back to how they started and to retain the building that's been here even before that," Morehouse said.
While construction took longer than expected and cost more than the partners' original estimates, that may have been the easy part. They now have the challenge of creating programming that will bring in the crowds, both young and old.
"The whole thing is how do we make this a profitable center for the arts," Skolnick said. "The Thicks' continuity gives us a chance to work up a plan on how we're going to carry this forward into the future."
The Thicks have an open house set for March 25, followed by cabarets on April 9 and 16. The first theatrical series is tentatively scheduled for the first week in May.
Though learning how to work the new technology is a daunting task, Thick said he is excited by the possibilities of the flexible space and hopes to keep it as busy as possible.
"Let's fill it up any way we can," he said. "The goal is to make it as available as possible for people who would like to use it for any number of reasons."
The partners hope to introduce a broad mix of entertainment, including classical music, jazz and rock concerts, staged readings, lectures and TED talks.
The goal is also to support other businesses, whether it's having them cater events or helping to bring more foot traffic to the downtown.
"The idea from the beginning was always to have this be part of the community," McConaughy said. "The other businesses in town would get a benefit from the theater and the acts that are here would benefit the community because of the local artisans, local music, local performers."
The theater is located at 5 S. Greenwood Avenue, Hopewell Borough.
Cristina Rojas may be reached at crojas@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @CristinaRojasTT. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.