A historic Utah theater is making a comeback. Here’s a look at its renovations.

Murray • A vintage theater that once held local premieres for films like “The Wizard of Oz” and “Gone with the Wind,” and even hosted a young Adele, is finally ready to welcome patrons again.

The Friday reopening of the Murray Theater at 4961 State has been a long time coming, according to Katie Lindquist, the theater’s manager. The charming venue originally opened in 1938 to showcase movies, but shuttered in 2017 after falling into disrepair.

“It was one of the first theaters in the county,” Lindquist said, “to play a colored movie.”

Murray purchased the “pretty dilapidated and rough” building from private owners in 2015, she said. When the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center was awarded to Taylorsville, even after Murray submitted a proposal to host the venue, it ignited the fervor to renovate the Murray Theater.

The multimillion-dollar renovation project was approved in 2019 with an expected completion year of 2022. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, however, funding was lost and the project was put on pause.

Work picked up again after the project secured new funding from Salt Lake County and found a different architect, CRSA, and construction company, Judd Construction.

When crews began digging, they uncovered an open water source right under the stage, which delayed construction some more while they figured out how to pump the water out, Lindquist said.

Now, six years after its initial approval, the Murray Theater is ready to open its doors.

The renovation is inspired by historic photos and memories of the theater, according to Lindquist. “We tried to talk to people who had memories of being here,” she said, “to see what they remember.”

The two most common responses the team behind the project received, theater assistant Bethany Tucker said, pertained to a person with a penchant for hypnotism and a crunchy snack.

Many recalled seeing a hypnotist named Vandermeide who was in residence at the theater, while others remembered a card that could be ripped to receive popcorn. The theater team is hoping to give the popcorn cards a comeback.

Now, the stylish theater where old meets new has 333 cushy seats with cupholders (an ask from Murray Mayor Brett A. Hales, according to Lindquist), a high-tech and versatile stage, and plush red carpet. Outside, the iconic marquee is ready alongside ticket-sales booths. There’s even a retro silver concession stand in the lobby.

The theater has a limited amount of room, since it’s “landlocked” by the neighboring businesses, Lindquist said. To add a dressing room and green room, crews dug underground.

The stage also has an orchestral lift, meaning it can go up and down into the green room area. In place of a fly system — a stage system that helps move lights, scenery or curtains — the stage has a fixed catwalk, called a tension grid, due to the venue’s low ceiling.

The venue will host a variety of shows because of the stage’s unique setup. There will be concerts to start out, with groups like Fleetwood Mask, a Fleetwood Mac tribute band, on the calendar.

Lindquist and Tucker said they hope to bring in film students from nearby Murray High School to showcase their work, and try different programming like movies, cartoon days, or even “moms’ matinees” showings.

The theater is also working on acquiring the buildings directly behind it to make room for parking. In the meantime, Lindquist encourages patrons to park at Ken Price Field to the southeast or at Murray City Hall to the northwest.

“A lot has been a guessing game,” Lindquist said, “but it’s exciting to see it all pulled together.”

The Murray Theater’s first event will be a concert from singer-songwriter Loren Allred.

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