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WhAt’s oLd is nEW: hoW to inCorporAtE nEW

tEChnoLoGy into historiC thEAtEr mArqUEEs

Written by David Wuellner, Watchfire Signs

There are hundreds of historic theaters, cinemas, and opera houses in North America. These
iconic structures evoke memories of simpler times, when a night at the movies with friends
was a cherished event.
In recent years, there’s been a renewed interest in bringing these structures back to their
original splendor. As new state-of-the-art sound and light systems, HVAC and modern
conveniences are added to these buildings, owners often wonder how they can also bring
the marquees into the 21st Century without sacrificing their iconic looks.
Original theater marquee signs used a combination of flashing incandescent bulbs and
backlit reader boards. When a theater undergoes a renovation, it can be surprising how
expensive it is to repair, maintain and operate these original signs. Replacement parts have
become increasingly scarce and the electricity it takes to run older signs can be quite
pricey.

In addition, the labor required to keep
messages on these old-fashioned signs
current is extensive and requires someone
to manually change out the sign letter
by letter using a pole or ladder. This
can become inconvenient and even
dangerous in winter weather.

Mimicking the look of old marquees
Fortunately, new LED technology and
advanced content management
systems designed to work with digital
message centers is providing an attractive
alternative for theater owners looking to
renovate their marquees without losing the
original look.

The Lebowsky Center in Owosso, Michigan,
is a prime example of how theaters can
maintain a historic look while benefiting
from modern technology. When a huge
portion of the building was lost to fire in
2007, the front of the building and original
marquee were spared. With many of the
original Bakelite plastic panels broken,
the intricate design and operation of the
marquee made the prospect of a total The Lebowski Center, Owasso, Mich., was nearly lost due
to fire in 2007. The original marquee (top) was spared and
restoration difficult and expensive. retrofitted with an LED sign (bottom) that mimics the look of
Despite the building’s location within a the old Bakelite letters, down to a mismatched “T.”
designated historic district, and some
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