BEVERLY — The Cabot theater announced that, following the successful completion of major balcony renovations, it will host an open house and film screening of “Back to the Future” on Wednesday, Feb. 20 at 5 p.m. This is a free, all-ages event open to the public.
As part of the open house, staff-led tours will be held starting at 5 p.m., and there will be an activity station for community members to provide input on the venue’s upcoming mural project. The mural project comes from a grant recently awarded by the Essex County Community Foundation to The Cabot to install murals that will enhance the visibility of the venue. The screening of “Back to the Future” will follow.
“We were so thrilled with how these renovations turned out, we had to invite everyone to come see the transformative work that has been done,” said Casey Soward, executive director of the Cabot. “These renovations are only one piece of The Cabot’s forward momentum. With more renovations to come, increasingly strong programmatic initiatives, and our mural project, we’re really excited about how we’re evolving into an established, modern community hub from what started as a home for vaudeville and silent movies all the way back in 1920.”
The Cabot was originally known as The Ware, an opulent, neoclassical-style theater built in 1920 by the renowned architectural firm Funk & Wilcox. Originally used for vaudeville shows and silent movies, it was later owned by the movie chain E.M. Loews. In 1976, The Cabot was purchased by Le Grand David and his own Spectacular Magic Company, and for the next 36 years was home to this world-famous magic show. The Cabot is now being transformed into a 21st century venue for audiences of all ages, with nationally recognized live performers, current and classic movies and community events. The Cabot will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2020, with an aim to complete renovations by its 100th birthday on Dec. 8, 2020.
