Last night the neighbourhood celebrated the 100th birthday of The Revue cinema*. I don’t usually attend such things, but I’m so glad I did.
The 3-D movie ‘Hugo’ was a perfect choice for the event, but to me the real point of it all was a celebration of a wonderful community of people who made it all possible. That these folks got together and worked their butts off to save the theatre and to keep it going through huge, threatening changes in entertainment technologies, speaks volumes about the kind of people who live in Roncesvalles Village.
The “Revue community” has impressed me so much over the last five years – longer really – with their dedication and their staying power that I, a non-movie goer, finally began to go to movies again in the past year. And now that I do go to movies – at least to The Revue – I’ve discovered that there’s more than a movie happening there. The Revue is also a community hub, doing programs for moms and kids, magic shows, epicure programs; they seem to have an endless variety of ideas that bring people in when theatres are closing everywhere.
Last night’s event was no exception – though it was exceptional! Trivia quiz, magicians, awards, and prizes – and I have to mention that the magicians were class acts. I didn’t anticipate having so much fun.
At the end of the day (literally) I felt compelled to buy a membership. Starting at $100 an individual, if enough of us do so, it will go a long way to making The Revue a viable non-profit theatre that remains a hub and a ‘destination’. All community-run — and another reason to love living here.
World Class City 