LUVERNE - When an icon like the Palace Theatre in Luverne turns 100 years old, it seems fitting to have a year-long birthday party.
That is exactly what members of the all-volunteer Blue Mound Area Theatre (BMAT) board of directors planned as they organized monthly events throughout 2015 to showcase the historic downtown building. Now, the BMAT will mark the actual birthday month of the Palace with a silent movie showing and birthday party on Sunday.
Heidi Sehr, a 17-year member of the BMAT board, said everyone is invited to the Palace Theatre on Sunday for the free event.
“We will be accepting birthday gifts if anybody wants to give us any,” said Sehr, adding that because BMAT is a nonprofit, monetary donations are tax deductible. Any funds donated will go toward expenses and future projects.
Sunday’s program begins at 2 p.m. with music by Luverne native Bill Keitel, who has appeared on the nationally televised RFD-TV, as well as Pioneer Public Television. Keitel will take guests through a short musical history of the Palace Theatre, performing works by Fats Waller, Booker White, Cab Calloway and Wilmuth Houdini, a New York City jazz guitarist of the 1940s and ’50s.
Keitel’s performance will lead into the showing of the silent movie “The General,” starring Buster Keaton. Leona Hoek will accompany the film on the theatre’s 1926 Smith Geneva organ.
“In addition to that, we’re going to have the upstairs open for some tours and Betty Mann is going to be giving us some historical highlights from the past 100 years,” Sehr said.
The upstairs of the Palace Theatre was a museum at one point, and the hope is the ballroom space will eventually be renovated. To do that, Sehr said an elevator must be installed.
“Our long-term dreams include renovating that,” she added.
After the program, birthday treats will be served.
“As we celebrate our 100th birthday, it’s just nice to thank everybody that comes to the Palace and keeps us going,” Sehr said. “ … The theatres, a lot of them have closed, and we’re very fortunate to be able to keep ours going for so long.”
The year-long birthday celebration of the Palace Theatre kicked off in early January with Deuces Wild, followed up by a performance featuring Billy Dean and Dan Mahar. The James Sewell Ballet with Guy Noir was at the Palace in late February, and Lorie Line performed in May.
In between, there were programs for children, a Green Earth Players production and Blue Mound Opry Revisited. Last month, the Fulda Big Band performed on the Palace stage.
“They’ve been going really good,” said Sehr of the monthly performances and attendance, adding that the events have appealed to a wide variety of people and to all age groups. “We’ve gotten a lot of people to come and enjoy the theatre. It’s been fun.”
To finish out the year, the annual Firemen’s Movies will be shown Oct. 14-16; the Green Earth Players will present “The Homecoming” over two weekends in November; Tonic Sol Fa will perform Nov. 28; and Christmas at the Palace is slated for Dec. 12. Then, Monroe Crossing will perform Dec. 19.
For more information on upcoming events at the Palace Theatre, visit palacetheatre.us or facebook.com/palacetheatreluv.
