Westfield's Rialto Theater Reopening​—​For One Day

WESTFIELD, NJ - The Rialto Theater will be opening its doors Oct. 10 to host a special screening of "The Addams Family" in a one-night screening of MGM’s new animated comedy.

As part of its AddamsFest celebration, the Town has partnered with MGM to bring this event to the Westfield community. Rialto Theater owner Jesse Sayegh also played an instrumental role in this special evening.

“We have had an ongoing collaborative relationship with MGM for more than a year as they took a great interest in Charles Addams’ hometown during their promotional efforts for this film,” said Westfield Mayor Shelley Brindle.

The sudden shuttering of the Rialto Theater, which had been a staple in downtown since 1922, was caused by a dispute between tenant and landlord, according to Brindle.

During the timespan when the certainty of the Rialto’s availability for the screening was in question, the Town received offers from other venues in Westfield to screen the film, including the Presbyterian Church, the James Ward Mansion, and the Board of Education, officials said.

“Showing The Addams Family at our beloved Rialto will make for an incredible evening in Westfield as we gear up for AddamsFest,” said Councilwoman Dawn Mackey, AddamsFest
Chairperson. “Jesse and Doreen Sayegh are tremendous community partners, and were fully on board to host this screening prior to the unexpected closure of their property. They remained committed to resolving all related issues in order to re-open their iconic theater for the evening, a true showing of their dedication to Westfield.”

Tickets to this screening are extremely limited, and will be awarded to 30 winning entries (each receiving four free tickets) of the Rialto Rising contest. To enter, residents are asked to submit a letter-sized sheet of paper to convey what the Rialto means to them.

The entry can be a photo, an illustration, or a brief written sentiment; entries are not judged on merit, but will instead entered in a random drawing – with all submissions to be used as a Rialto Rising exhibit in the lobby to demonstrate the theater’s significance to Westfield.

“We are so thankful for the generosity, creativity, and collaboration of this community – the very hallmarks of AddamsFest – that brought this to fruition. We cannot wait to roll out the black carpet and open the Rialto’s doors for this special one-night event,” said Mackey.

All entries, which must be submitted by a Westfield resident, should include the entrant’s name, address, phone, and email address, and can be dropped off or mailed to Westfield Town Hall (attn: AddamsFest) at 425 East Broad Street. The deadline for entries is 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 8. For more details, visit www.addamsfest.com/addams-family-movie.

Starring an all-star voice cast led by Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Chloë Grace Moretz, Finn Wolfhard, Nick Kroll, Bette Midler, Allison Janney, Elsie Fisher and Snoop Dogg playing IT, "The Addams Family" will be released by United Artists nationwide on Oct. 11.

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