Historic New Jersey theatre reopens after $130 million restoration

The historic Loew’s Jersey Theatre has reopened after a $130 million restoration. The 1929 Wonder Theatre, which once faced demolition, is back under its marquee just in time for its first major show, the Trey Anastasio Band, on Friday, 13 November, ABC 7 reported.The reopening was marked by a grand ceremony attended by representatives from Jersey City, Hudson County and preservation groups involved in saving and restoring the historic theatre.A historic theatreOne of New Jersey’s most iconic historic venues, Loew’s Jersey Theatre first opened in 1929. It was one of five Loew’s ‘Wonder Theatres’ in the New York area. George Rapp designed it in a gilded Baroque-Rococo style. During the Great Depression and World War II, the theatre offered an escape that didn’t cost much. Speakers at the recent ribbon-cutting ceremony called it the ‘People’s Palace’, and the name has stuck.Back in the day, the theatre hosted some of the most famous performers of the era. The general manager, Bruce Wheeler, has repeated the legend that a 17-year-old Frank Sinatra bought a ticket in 1933 to see Bing Crosby and that it changed his life, NorthJersey.com reported. The building had that effect on people. Later, in the 1970s, the theatre became a cinema. Residents, including Hudson County Executive Craig Guy, still remember seeing The French Connection, Shaft and Jaws there.By…