Revive the Thruway Theatre

Revive the Thruway Theatre A medical clinic halfway between 2 major hospitals? Turn it back into the Thruway Theatre! Though many folks stream view now, there should be a crowd here.

In 1969, a time capsule was buried in concrete outside the box office of the newly opened Thruway Theatre in Winston-Salem, NC. The theatre began operation with the Steve McQueen thriller “Bullitt” as its first feature. The capsule will be opened in 2019, fifty years after its placement. The theatre lasted only half that long before closing. The concept of time capsules is to observe how much chan

ges after generations. The Thruway went through changes of its own before going under. Kiddie matinees as well as midnight shows packed in seat sales on its off hours. The 780-seat auditorium was split into two theatres in the late ‘70s for obvious financial reasons. Religious demonstrators picketed the entrance when it ran Martin Scorsese’s “The Last Temptation of Christ” in 1988. On its final day of operation in 1994, the offered fare was “Sister Act 2” and “House Party”, a comparative whimper to its early years with films like “The Sound of Music,” “The Poseidon Adventure,” and “Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid”. The real pity is that the brass plaque over the time capsule shows commemoration with the theatre’s opening, and what currently stands there is a day spa (not hard to find now) and an urgent care medical office — even though there are two major hospitals located a mile off in either direction. With the meager capital clout of a page, I propose that the Thruway Theatre be brought back to proper life for the time capsule’s opening, at least in part of its former space. Yes, multiplexes are the thing these days, that is, if folks don’t stream movies right into their devices. But it’s possible that Winston can support an art house with independent films, in addition to the tiny Aperture twins now downtown on Fourth Street. I have little doubt that the adjacent Ardmore neighborhood and its legions of children could support Thruway with Saturday kiddie shows. Midnight shows could work as well for the city’s hip crowd (though staffers probably wouldn’t want to scrape toast off the ceiling after “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” like the old days). I have no business degree or financial backing to bring to the table, only the urge to call on everyone with a similar opinion for our lost neighborhood treasure. The movie’s not over yet; as of this writing it’s still seven years until the capsule opens up!

Gradually I’m going to recall every film I took in at Thruway. And this one in about 1977.
10/11/2024

Gradually I’m going to recall every film I took in at Thruway. And this one in about 1977.

Played at the Thruway in 1977.
09/13/2022

Played at the Thruway in 1977.

02/10/2021

Tune in for some great music and trivia at 6.

12/22/2020

Join us by making a donation to one of the local food banks to help us reach our goals! HMC Partners has joined with WTOB 980AM & 96.3 FM Radio and Classic Country 98.1 FM WBRF to help bring food to families in need. We are donating to local food banks throughout NC and VA this holiday season because many communities have faced an even greater need at their food banks this year. Learn More…
https://bit.ly/3fZv6V7



11/11/2020

6:00 on WTOB. Tim Clodfelter and Bob in the PM. Don’t miss it.

10/10/2020

Don't miss Don Mark's Surfside, The Early Edition. Today, streaming on WTOB980.com
or 96.3 fm
or 980 am

09/19/2020

Coming up at 3:00 - It's Don Mark's Surfside. Today, Don welcomes Clay Lee of The The Carolina Blue Dots to the show.

Good Tunes.
09/06/2020

Good Tunes.

TODAY AT NOON. CASEY KASEM’S AMERICAN TOP 40 FEATURING THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 8, 1973.

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Winston-Salem, NC

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