Purchased by John & Gaye Maxson in 2003, the Arlee has begun to
shine again thanks to the help of its volunteers and supporters
within the community.
The weekend will kick off on Friday, March 29 with a special
live show, "FreakShow & Tell" starring Thom Britton. Britton
blends sideshow acts (including fire eating, nails, chainsaws,
broken glass, and over 100,000 volts of electricity), stand-up
comedy, storytelling, and science into a single 75-minute
experience. This vaudeville show will have two performances-- a
shorter, kid-friendly one at 6 p.m., and a longer one
recommended for audiences 16 and up at 8 p.m. Tickets are
available online; visit
www.freakshowtell.com or
www.arleetheater.com
for more details.
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As a thank you for all the support over the years, "The Majestic" will play for
free on Saturday, March 30 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, March 31 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Given a rare three and a half stars, the late Roger Ebert said "The Majestic is
a proud patriotic hymn to America."
The theater originally was opened in 1936 by Art and Leah Struck, who operated
it as Arlee Theatre for several decades. Managers included the Strucks, Dale
Fancher, Charlie Thomas and Larry Rodgers. Don and Thelma Keith then purchased
it in 1984 and operated it as Nashville Sound Country Opry with live shows that
drew crowds even from out of state. They retired and closed the business in
2000. The Maxson family reopened it again as Arlee Theater with a sold-out house
for Ivan Parker in the spring of 2004, with movies returning to the Arlee screen
that fall.
[Gaye Maxson] |