BRADLEY BEACH – The new ownership of the town’s Main Street cinema, renamed The Bradley, is bringing back movies a little early with some dino action.
Cinema Lab, the owner of the former Showroom Bradley Beach, said it will offer movies starting July 1, ahead of the theater’s planned renovations, as a “summer pop-up theater.”
The first movie coming to the Bradley’s screens is “Jurassic World: Dominion,” one of this year’s big summer releases. Moviegoers can catch the summer’s blockbusters with popcorn, candy, soft drinks, beer, wine and cider, Cinema Lab said. Ticket prices are all $6.
“Over the past several weeks, studios have had record breaking success with recent openings such as “Top Gun” and “Jurassic World” and, while we look forward to officially opening next year, we didn’t want to keep the theater dark, while so many great summer films are upon us,” said Luke Parker Bowles, chief executive officer of Cinema Lab in an announcement to the community.
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Earlier this year, Cinema Lab purchased the theater from Mike Sodano and Nancy Sabino, owners of the Showroom in Asbury Park. In 2018, the two bought the former Beach Cinema, which was originally built in 1915 as a vaudeville theatre named the Palace. It began showing movies about 10 years later.
The Asbury Park and Bradley Beach theaters were forced to close at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. They didn’t reopen, and in September 2020, Sodano and Sabino made the decision to close permanently. Showroom Cinema Bradley Beach was only open for a less than a year before the coronavirus hit. The sale of Showroom Asbury Park to Manasquan resident Daria Parr was announced last August.
Now, Cinema Lab plans a $1.5 million renovation, including work to create three screens from one, a new marquee, façade and extensive interior renovations.
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In the note, Parker Bowles said the company is completing its designs and continuing fundraising for its official opening in summer 2023. The company has purchased the building and is “nearly half way to our fundraising goal, so things are moving at a great pace.”
“There are minimal renovations, to date, so don’t expect to be blown away,” he said. Renderings and floor plans will be displayed in the foyer. “There are also auditorium and seat naming opportunities for the cinema, which is scheduled to open next year,” he said.
More details about the pop-up theater will be on The Bradley pop-up section at www.cinemalab.com next week. The film offerings will be updated each week in advance on the website.
David P. Willis: [email protected]
