OBERLIN — Since its showing of “Thor: Lord of the Jungle” in 1914, the Apollo Theatre has been captivating and inspiring audiences one ticket at a time.

On Friday, the official rebirth of the renovated movie house ensured the memories won’t stop anytime soon.

A rededication ceremony outside the historic building drew about 100 Oberlin residents clamoring to snap a cell phone picture of movie and television stars Danny DeVito and his wife Rhea Perlman, as well as Oberlin alum and legendary TV producer, director and writer James Burrows, known for hits like “Taxi,” “Cheers,” “Friends” and “Frasier,” who donated to the project.

With three comedians and a crowd around, it didn’t take long for the jokes to start.

“Just cut a little bit, a little bit. Make believe it’s a bris,” said DeVito, instructing his cohorts how to cut the purple ribbon wrapped around the building.

“Unfortunately the rabbi stopped here with me,” chimed in Burrows after making a small cut.

After posing for pictures and DeVito’s signing of a DVD copy of the actor’s latest series “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” for 17-year-old Oberlin resident Grant Ladina, the group went inside to pay tribute to all those who made the renovation possible.

The theater already had reopened to the public earlier with a free 10 a.m. showing of the new Harry Potter movie. A new lobby, high-definition screen and crisp sound system were all part of phase one of the $1.2 million renovation.

A second phase will include an additional screening room and educational media center on the second floor.

Oberlin College President Marvin Krislov, who spoke at the gala inside the theater that drew about 200 invited guests, said the school made the right decision in purchasing the theater from the Steel family, who had owned the theater for decades before putting it up for sale two years ago. The community gains from an intact Apollo, he said.

“This is a great asset to the community,” he said. “And I think the high school students and tweens really see this place as theirs in a profound way. Not having an Apollo was a scary prospect for them.”

The theater has been giving young people an outlet since its inception, and the teens that had gathered outside for the ceremony said they felt lost while it was closed for renovations the last several months.

“It was greatly missed over the summer,” said 19-year-old Tammy Hrinda.

“We used to be here all the time,” added her friend Alicia Bosma, 18. And even more exciting was the infusion of celebrities into the normally quiet town, Friday, they said.

“Nothing like this ever happens here,” Hrinda said.

Burrows, a 1961 graduate of Oberlin College, said it was important for him to donate money to keep the Apollo Theatre alive. Although he graduated with a degree in government, it was the theater that sparked his interest in performance art. The theater will be renamed Burrows Theater at the Apollo in his honor, although the outside façade that simply says “Apollo” will remain untouched.

“When I saw Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho’ at the Apollo I thought, if I ever get out of here alive I’m going to give some big K to Oberlin,” he said.

Burrows then showed a clip from his newest TV show, “Gary Unmarried,” in which a character discusses being an Oberlin College graduate. He closed by borrowing a famous line from President John F. Kennedy’s speech in 1963 in West Berlin.

“I am proud to say, ‘ich bin ein Oberliner,’ ” he said, to clapping from the crowd.

Contact Adam Wright at 329-7129 or awright@chroniclet.com.

In order to comment, you must agree to our user agreement and discussion guidelines.
You must be registered and logged in to post a comment. If you aren't already registered, click here.
If you are registered, click here to log in.
Need help? Email Us.