Everyone in Palm Springs knows the Plaza Theatre, the historic structure reliably standing at 128 South Palm Canyon Drive since 1936. It rose along with La Plaza, Southern California’s first intentionally designed shopping center, where the theatre served as an anchor. On December 12, 1936, it opened strong with the romantic drama Camille, starring Greta Garbo and Robert Taylor, but it quickly proved it was more than an elaborate movie house.
As the Plaza picked up steam, it also diversified its programming, becoming a beacon in the area for live theatre, cinema, and even the taping of popular radio shows. During the Golden Age of Radio, the Plaza Theatre Palm Springs became something of an outpost for celebrities to host their radio shows. The likes of Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Jack Benny, and Amos ‘n’ Andy broadcast live shows from the Plaza, beaming an authentic piece of Palm Springs into the living rooms of families across America.
The Follies Era
While the Plaza Theatre served as a reliable fixture of life in Palm Springs through the decades, it finally faltered into a hiatus in 1989. It turned out to be a short-lived break. Less than a year later, TV producer Riff Markowitz chose the Plaza Theatre Palm Springs as the perfect home for a troupe he was putting together with the intention of bringing Broadway-level productions to a city that would certainly appreciate it.
Dubbed the Fabulous Palm Springs Follies, the theatre group would offer a “celebration of the music, dance, and comedy of the 30s, 40s, and 50s with a cast old enough to have lived it”, according to the Follies’ Facebook page. Markowitz invested in renovations, and by the end of October 1990, the Plaza Theatre Palm Springs re-opened as the official home of the Follies. And they continued to propel the theatre into the modern era, performing for audiences new and returning until financial strains forced a disbanding in 2014. Without the Follies to hold it up, the Plaza Theatre Palm Springs had its final curtain call as well. Or so it seemed.
Efforts to Save The Plaza Theater Palm Springs
It feels like plans have been in the works to reopen the Plaza Theatre since the day it closed. But those plans became official in 2019 with the establishment of Save the Plaza Theatre, an official push to fund the renovation and re-opening of the historic fixture of Palm Springs entertainment. With an aim to raise $34,000,000, Save the Plaza Theatre started strong but then stumbled in the early days of the unforeseen COVID-19 global pandemic. Yet, when restrictions began to lift, the organization resumed its mission in earnest, valiantly striving to raise almost 70% of renovation costs despite the city technically owning the theatre.
With enough funding collected to “get this show on the road”, construction for the restoration efforts officially began in March 2024. In addition to extensive remodeling, the Plaza Theatre Palm Springs is expanding to house a museum displaying everything from authentic and iconic movie props to memorabilia. The renovation crew also uncovered original murals once thought lost to time. Planners hope that the updates will return the theatre to a design similar to its original incarnation.
Legal Roadblocks to Renovation
That’s not to say that the path to reopening the Plaza Theatre has been smooth sailing. The city ran into controversy (among other things) when it attempted to invoke eminent domain to commandeer Italian restaurant Kalura Trattoria’s patio. The reason? According to City Attorney Jeff Ballinger, the land was needed to expand an easement from 10 feet to 20 feet to satisfy California’s building codes.
After plenty of going back and forth, the City of Palm Springs has reached a settlement agreement in the case involving the Plaza Theatre and Kalura Trattoria Restaurant, and the narrow walkway between the two. To end a lawsuit by Grit Development, the City has agreed to pay Grit 986-thousand, 500 dollars. The city will pay legal fees for Grit as well, and the city had already agreed to pay half a million dollars to Kalura Trattoria just for the hassle.https://www.knewsradio.com/money-money-money-always-money-city-of-palm-springs-settles-case/
A grand opening of the Plaza Theatre Palm Springs is tentatively set for December 2025, preceding the inaugural show: An Evening with Lily Tomlin. And As always, I stand by to offer any information/ideas/perspectives to you, your friends and your family as needed in the Palm Springs area
Photo Credit Visitor7, Plaza Theater Foundation , Cultivar413