Exclusive Look At Progress Inside Oneonta, New York’s Vibrant Theatre

It's been at least 20 plus years since I've been inside the Oneonta Theatre. This morning, I got a full tour of the building along with a history lesson and vision for the future from Friends of the Oneonta Theatre president Bob Brzozowski.

Designed in 1897 by Rochester architect Leon H. Lempert, Sr. and opened to the public in 1898, the Oneonta Theatre is one of the oldest in New York State, and older than 95% of all theaters found in North America. It's one of the first fireproof theaters in the nation.

If the theatre's walls could talk, oh the stories that would spill out. It saw its rise during the vaudeville era, and then to silent films in the early 1900s. In 1927 it closed for upgrades, ushering in the talking pictures era. The middle of the 20th century saw first run films, graduations, live performances, talent shows, and civic events.

During the urban renewal of the 1970s, theatre owner Harold DeGraw bought the building and updated the exterior and lobby to the day's standards. This was an effort to hide the building's age and save the theatre. In the 1980s, amid declining audiences, DeGraw tried again to save the theatre by enclosing the balcony, creating a 200 seat movie theater.

Despite DeGraw's efforts, waning art film audiences and new ways to watch entertainment at home led to the theater's closure in 2007. In 2008, the non-profit Friends of the Oneonta Theatre was formed with the goal of saving and restoring the space. Tom Cormier bought the building in 2009. Under his tenure, repairs were made, and the Oneonta Theatre was turned into a live music venue with a custom built bar. In 2018, it was shuttered again and put up for sale. In 2020, FOTOT formed 47 Chestnut LLC, and in 2022 purchased the building outright.

Today, work is plodding along. FOTOT's president Bob Brzozowski gave me a tour of the theater. I was like a kid in a candy store. A former executive director of the Greater Oneonta Historical Society, Brzozowski is a walking encyclopedia of the place. He noted that while he's not necessarily a theater person, his vision as a historian is to restore the theater to its original glory. One big part of the restoration is taking out the upper balcony wall, and completely opening up the building like it was when it opened.

Brzozowski has already had interest from local groups of note who are excited to perform in the space. Personally, I'd love to bring my Rocky Horror cast to the stage once I get over the awe of being inside such a beautiful and historic space. He also noted that the theatre needs extensive renovations, and a potential opening is years away at the current pace.

For the foreseeable future, Friends of the Oneonta Theatre will be actively and continuously seeking grants, finding restoration initiatives, and asking for support from the community. The total cost of the theatre stabilization project is expected to be around $1,000,000.

If you would like to make a donation to the theatre, please click here.