Renovations, Reopening Planned For New Canaan Playhouse

NEW CANAAN, CT — Town officials announced this week plans for a renovation and reopening of the New Canaan Playhouse building next year.

In a news release, First Selectman Kevin Moynihan said the town has entered into a letter of intent with New Jersey-based Cinema Lab LLC, under which the town and Cinema Lab have agreed to renovate and reopen The Playhouse.

The plan currently calls for the updated movie theater to open in the spring or summer of 2023, which marks the building's 100th anniversary.

"I am excited to consummate the letter of intent today with Cinema Lab in order to be able to renovate and reopen The Playhouse in time for its centennial year in 2023," Moynihan said in a statement. "We are very pleased to be working with the Cinema Lab team to create a movie theater experience in New Canaan that will be truly unique and will benefit our business community and will be enjoyed by our residents and residents of surrounding towns for years to come."

The proposal includes renovating both the interior and exterior of The Playhouse to meet current ADA regulations and building codes and completely transforming the auditorium.

Moynihan noted the project will preserve the building's charm and historical significance by leaving the architectural design of the façade and marquee intact and highlighting the street front windows as an enticing view into a new cinematic experience.

Planned interior renovations include adding a bar to serve alcoholic beverages, a grab and go concession café, re-imagined auditorium seating with plush chairs, and a table to support elevated drinks and local fare, Moynihan said.

Town funding for the proposed project will consist of $600,000 of American Relief Act funds, $1 million of Bonded Capital and the use of $750,000 from the town's movie theater fund, which has accrued from rent collections from tenants over many years. Cinema Lab has committed to contribute $1.5 million toward the interior renovations.

Cinema Lab CEO Luke Parker Bowles said he felt blessed to have the opportunity to develop The Playhouse into a place that seamlessly fits into New Canaan.

"This beautiful environment is the perfect background for our theater," Bowles said in a statement, "and we look forward to partnerships with local vendors and programming opportunities with schools, the library and a cornucopia of other offerings. Thank you for entrusting your historic building to Cinema Lab. It will be a very special place for all ages for many years to come."

According to the town, Cinema Lab is a movie theatre development and management company focusing on community-vital cinemas. Cinema Lab will add The Playhouse as one of a series of theaters around the country that will offer a technology-forward, ecologically-conscious movie theater showing first run movies that will lead the way in hospitality, programming, presentation and design.

Cinema Lab currently has cinemas in The Village at SOPAC in South Orange and The Bradley at Bradley Beach, New Jersey and The Canon in Canon City, Colorado. The entrepreneurial group is in the process of assembling a group of local investors in support of the project, town officials said.