Building History
The Ritz Theater: A Brief History
For nearly two generations the Ritz Theater, with its distinctive marquee, was the center of neighborhood activity and evening social life.Designed in 1926 by the well known architects Liebenberg & Kaplan, who specialized in art deco movie houses in the Midwest, the theater open its doors in 1928 and was the focal point of community life during an era when everyone went to the movies on Saturday nights.Throughout Northeast Minneapolis there are fond memories of 13th Avenue alive with small businesses, cafés and at the center of it all the Ritz. One lifelong Northeast resident remembers Saturday night movies and Wednesday night “Wahoo!,” a game in which dinnerware was the regular prize.Others nostalgically remembered evenings that started with a movie at the Ritz and ended with dancing down the block at the Polish National Association.
In 1971 the Ritz was converted from a movie theater into the home of the Cricket Theater.The Cricket’s success at bringing live drama to Northeast Minneapolis included lively neighborhood nightlife. Bill Semans, Cricket’s founder, producer and frequent actor, remembers “Andy’s” (now the 331 Club) on the corner of University Avenue and 13th Avenue NE as a bar filled with actors and theatergoers for opening night parties and post-performance cocktails. “Traveling actors received their mail there — it was their home away from home,” he recalls.
The Cricket tenure in the Ritz was never properly capitalized resulting in poor building maintenance and a challenging environment.Semans tells of frozen bathroom pipes five months a year as well a heating and air conditioning system that was antiquated even 25 years ago. After nearly a decade in the Ritz, the Cricket left Northeast in late 1980 for a new home in the Hennepin Center for the Arts, presently the home of the Illusion Theater.
By 1981, following the departure of the Cricket, the Ritz transformed itself once again into a movie theater catering to a predominantly Asian audience.After fifty years as a neighborhood fixture the Ritz remained closed since 1982.
In 1993 the MCDA (now CPED) acquired the Ritz Theater building and its parking lot on the south side of 13th Avenue NE to enable the construction of the Northeast Neighborhood Early Learning Center (NELC) which opened in 1995.Demolition of the theater was considered at that time, but concerns regarding asbestos in the building prevented such action.The fate of the theater was then passed into the hands of the neighborhood association — Sheridan Today and Yesterday (STAY).
In 1995, a nonprofit group called the Ritz Playhouse, Inc. was formed with the intention of saving the theater and renovating the space to support both movies and live performances. The group’s plan was approved by STAY and the Ritz Playhouse, Inc. was given one year to raise the appropriate funding for the renovation.
The group did not succeed in raising the money, but during this period much needed maintenance of the building was provided.
After a long and rich history the Ritz has been a source of neighborhood blight for more than a decade. A local business owner recalls a period in the mid-1990s when the property became a site for vandalism, vagrancy, drinking, drug use and sex.The neighborhood choice seemed very clear — find a committed partner to renovate the building, or demolish it for parking, green space or new commercial development.
Now the future of the Ritz Theater is bright. Ballet of the Dolls has raised over $2 million of the total $2.85 million needed to purchase the Ritz and complete basic renovation improvements. In early 2005, the City of Minneapolis approved conditions of the sale and wholeheartedly endorsed BOD’s plans, citing this project as a catalyst for revitalization in Northeast Minneapolis and a cornerstone for creation of a dedicated arts district.
Ritz Theater Capital Budget
Received to date (9/09) – $2,095,831
Total Project Developments Costs – $2,843,651
Ballet of the Dolls continues to push boundaries by creating challenging original works, partnering with community organizations in education and outreach programs, and now by renovating, programming, and managing the Ritz Theater in Northeast Minneapolis. With the renovation and opening of the Ritz Theater in May 2006, Ballet of the Dolls has undertaken its most ambitious project yet; we believe that the Ritz Theater is a much needed addition to the Twin Cities performance venue profile, and that its location in one of the most vibrant neighborhoods in the local cultural scene represents an excellent opportunity to expand audiences for performing arts in the area and across the region.
Several performance companies now consider the Ritz Theater home, using its affordable studio as a rehearsal and educational resource, and scheduling their performance season on the main stage.
Organizations who have performed at the Ritz from “Doors Opening” in May 2006 to the present include: Ammala Middle Eastern Dance and Music, Buffalo Gal Productions, Cantus, Dell ‘Arte Company, Mary Easter, Eclectic Edge Ensemble, Electric Arc Radio, Emigrant Theater, Ethnic Dance Theater, Heliotrope, Foxy Tann, Frank Theater, Fringe Festival (4 years), Ignite Dance Company, James Sewell Ballet, Katha Dance Theatre, Lili’s Burlesque, Live Action Set, Minnesota Dance Theatre, Mischievous Djinn, Minnesota Opera, Mu Performing Arts, Off Leash Areaq, Perpich Center for Arts Education, Rosy Simas Dance Projects, Skewed Visions, Skylark Opera, Sound Unseen, Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater, Time Track Productions, TU Dance, Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus, Youth Performance Co., Zenon Dance Company and Zorongo Flamenco Dance Theatre.