The Re-Birth of San Francisco’s CASTRO THEATRE

By Josh Eliot

In the mid 1980s until 1990, I called the Castro Neighborhood in San Francisco my home. We lived in the middle flat of a three-floor Victorian just a few houses up from the corner of 19th and Castro - 629 Castro Street, to be exact. Only two blocks from my flat, at the corner of Market and Castro Street, was what I always considered a magical place called The Castro Theatre, where the community came together to celebrate new and classic films. Back in January 2023, I was working with Will Seagers as we developed a series of blogs about iconic locations throughout San Francisco. In one specific blog, "Deep Inside The Castro: The Castro Theatre," I wrote about how the venue was the heart and soul of the neighborhood. Even though the interiors were already dated in the 1980s, the theatre felt majestic because of its astounding architecture. With the fact that one third of the seating was the “smoking section,” it’s no wonder that the once shimmering gold leaf covered columns and ceiling always seemed dull and faded. My favorite memories in the theatre were when I went there to watch the movies Whatever Happened to Baby Jane and Suddenly Last Summer. The packed audiences at the Castro Theatre were never shy about howling at the screen or screaming out one-liners that always got the audience riled up! That was part of the fun, but as years went by the allure seemed to fade, much like its interiors, at least for my friends and me. As an avid moviegoer, there was really no place like it back in its hey-day. On February 4th, 2024, after screening the classic Victor/Victoria (1982), the newer owners, Another Planet Entertainment, enacted the plan they announced back in 2022, stating that they were closing the theatre down to start a major renovation. The goal was to reinvent this icon of the LGBTQ+ community into a treasured space for film, music and live performances.

Jump ahead to Friday, February 6th, 2026: a large rainbow colored ribbon is extended across the entire width of the entrance to the newly restored and elevated theatre. The 41 million dollar two-year project had reached its completion. The renovations were extensive, and in order to make the historic venue profitable, they removed the permanent seating, flattened the floor and installed motorized risers with removable seating. By doing this, they could adjust the occupancy floorplan to set up for concerts. The completed configuration allows 1150 seat capacity for movies and 1400 patrons for concerts. There was strong opposition regarding the proposed configurations, which tied things up for well over a year, but eventually the plans were approved by City Hall. The fact that APE was committed to hold true to their promise of continuing queer representation through movies and scheduled performers helped them to win over wider support. The Nasser family, who originally owned the theatre since its opening in 1922, also spoke out in support of the changes. The original designer of the theatre, Timothy Pflueger (1892-1946), was a top architect in the Bay Area who also created the Transbay Terminal and The Bay Bridge. APE was determined to preserve as many of the original elements as possible. Most of the murals with dragons, cherubs and wreaths were covered in up to two inches of dirt, varnish and nicotine. All were painstakingly cleaned and preserved to their original pristine condition. Honoring all of that work with a ribbon cutting were Mary Conde, VP of Another Planet, Senator Scott Wiener, CEO of Another Planet, Greg Perloff, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Luire, Drag Performer D’Arcy Drollinger and Rafael Mandelman of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Just prior to cutting the ribbon, Ruby Day, from the famed long-running musical Beach Blanket Babylon, sang our national anthem. Cheers and applause followed as they made their way into the theatre. Once they entered the auditorium, the stunningly restored ceiling with its original chandelier, designed by Pfluger, drew everyone’s attention. There was a forty minute pre-show prior to the special screening of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, hosted by Dirty Carol, Sista Roma and The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.

The Castro Theatre was always known for the Mighty Wurlitzer Organ that would rise from the floor prior to the beginning of any movie they were playing. The age-old classic song, “San Francisco,” would fill the room, and on most days the audience would sing along with it before quieting down for the beginning of the film. Today was no different, but gone was the Mighty Wurlitzer and its large, ominous pipes. Now a new one million dollar, 2000 pound digital organ emerges from the stage, and at the helm is organist David Hegarty, who has played proudly for the theatre since 1978. He collaborated with the organ builder regarding specifics for its finished design. The sisters never missed a beat and promptly escorted David Hegarty from his instrument to center stage, where they presented him with an award and proclaimed him “Saint Mellifluous!” The energy of the theatre was reminiscent of the Castro in its heyday, and to finish out the pre-show, the sisters and others gathered on stage where fourteen drag queens started a sing-a-long to “Mamma Mia.” When the 35mm print of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert began to play, the audience broke into applause and cheers at the first appearance of lead actor, Terrence Stamp, who had recently passed away.