VisitingNewEngland
- Norwood Theater Business Partnership
Norwood Theater: A Must-See Performing Arts Venue in Norwood,
Massachusetts
Norwood Theater, Norwood, Massachusetts
by Eric Hurwitz. Created 6/25/2017.
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The Norwood Theater in Norwood, Massachusetts not only stands
as a beautifully renovated theater, but a signal that America is
returning to its roots -- that is, frequenting local downtown venues
and mom and pop businesses after years entrenched in the faceless,
generic chain-operated shopping and entertainment culture.
The 731-seat theater with 449 in the wonderfully traditional auditorium
and 282 in the grand balcony might look like an old relic, but the
reality shows a 21st century model: state-of-the-art sound and
lighting, a retractable 31X15 movie screen and the overall ability to
accommodate any kind of performing artist. Built in the late 1920s, the
Norwood Theater graces the central Norwood district with its 20th
century Spanish Romanesque-style architecture which, interestingly,
shares a similar design with surrounding churches and the old Norwood
Town Hall. This lends an interesting look to Norwood, as the rest of
the downtown feels like classic New England with its town green, big
old homes on the outskirts, and locals with thick Boston accents.
Norwood -- a southwest of Boston town known for people laying down
their roots and never moving -- once knew the Norwood Theater as a
small town movie venue to see the latest flicks. It was a great
movie theater, but, unfortunately, fell into disrepair and faced stiff
competition from the mega movie complexes. The eventual closing felt
like a real-life version of Styx' concept album, Paradise Theater, where the demise
of a movie theater symbolized the downfall of the great America we used
to know -- a time and place where small business fueled our economy.
Fortunately, caring local owners brought the Norwood Theater back to
life in 2012 after a painstakingly thorough two-year renovation. Truth
be told, I like the newer version better as it is spotlessly clean, the
seats are far more comfortable, the grand marquee out front captures
our attention the way it probably did when first opening back in the
day, and the innate detailed beauty of the place has been brought to
the forefront through thoughtful, respectful renovators. It's
like the best of both worlds: an old time theater with modern
conveniences and necessities.
The beautiful interior of the Norwood Theater.
Ultimately, the Norwood Theater is an absolutely beautiful sight
-- that is, giving us hope that independently-owned and operated
theaters like this will start a comeback and that small businesses
downtown will thrive the way they deserve to in a world that got off
track and became generic. Using an analogy, the Norwood Theater serves
as an anchor of the downtown just like a large department store would
do the same at a mall. Only in this instance, the local business
features a one-of-a-kind look and entertainment value that residents
can call their own, embrace and know that great shows -- from the Nutcracker to Colin Hay (the
brilliant front man behind Men at Work) to local tributes (the great,
late Michael Falker who taught music at Walpole High School for more
than 30 years) -- are virtually withing walking distance.
We have all heard of "feel good movies of the year," but in this case,
the Norwood Theater is like the "feel good theater" of the decade --
and hopefully beyond. It's a "must-see" for anyone who loves
entertainment and old-time theaters. May this slice of old-fashioned
Americana continue to shine its marquee sign over Norwood as a top entertainment and
cultural venue in the Boston area.
The Norwood Theater is located at 109 Central St. in
Norwood, MA. Tel. (781) 551-9000.
Also, log onto the Norwood Theater Facebook Fan Page for more information.
Editor's note: VisitingNewEngland business partnerships started on Jan.
30, 2017, and differ than feature articles previously posted on
VisitingNewEngland. Businesses pay a small, one-time fee to have pages
like this appear, and first must be accepted by VisitingNewEngland.com
editor and publisher, Eric Hurwitz, as a business he approves as part
of "real New England travel" to keep the integrity of the site.
Businesses that sign up for business partnerships receive priority by
receiving more social media exposure and link placement on
VisitingNewEngland.com. Contact me if interested in forming a business
partnership.
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Books by
VisitingNewEngland.com Publisher Eric Hurwitz
Massachusetts
Town Greens -- Discover New England's first travel attractions:
town commons!
The
Best Diners in New England --
If you love
classic diners, New England has them! In my book, I write in detail on
50 top local diners.
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