BATESVILLE — Despite the missing neon lights and the chipped paint, the Melba Theater holds a special place in the hearts of many Batesville residents. As an anchor of Main Street, the Melba Theater towers over downtown Batesville, reminding residents and visitors of the theater’s glory days. More memories will be made, though, now that the Melba has been purchased, and renovations have started to get the theater up and running.
Two couples — Adam and Mandi Curtwright and Janelle and Joe Shell — started talking seriously about buying and renovating the Melba last April.
“I think Adam and Janelle had both mentioned it casually in conversation about two years ago, though,” Mandi said.
Now, as the new owners, the Curtwrights and Shells have big dreams to make the Melba a major destination in downtown Batesville once again.
The Melba Theater was constructed in 1875 as an opera house. It was converted into a mercantile store a few years later, then eventually remodeled to reopen in 1940 as one of Arkansas’ first CinemaScope theaters. The theater closed in the early 1990s, then was reopened in 2000. The theater closed in October 2014 for the winter, but the owner said it would potentially be closed for good. That’s when the Curtwrights and Shells knew it was time to take action.
People throughout the community have shared stories with the new owners about how the Melba impacted their lives. Many worked at the theater, popping popcorn or running the projector. Others saw their first movie at the Melba. First dates, high school graduations and family outings all took place in the theater on Main Street.
One of the new owners has a lot of personal and family connections to the theater, which he said made his decision to participate in this new venture easy.
“Why did we choose the Melba?” Adam asked a crowd gathered for the theater’s ribbon cutting on April 9. “It was a pretty easy decision. Like many of you, I grew up coming to this theater. Driving down Main Street, as we got closer, you could see the M, the E, the L. It was more than a destination.
“This stage I’m standing on — in 1948, my grandmother walked across it to receive her high school diploma. In 1954, my mom watched her first movie, probably sitting in the same seats you’re sitting in right now. In 2001, I came to work here as one of my first jobs in high school. I ran the ticket booth and helped out with concessions and even helped out with the projector once or twice, until they realized they didn’t have enough insurance to keep me up there.”
While the new owners are ready to revive the theater, a lot of fundraising and work still need to be done. Planned projects include painting the theater, re-covering the seats, restoring the marquee and renovating the facade. Beyond funding the cosmetic improvements to the theater, the owners need to raise money for a new projector, as film studios are primarily sending out digital films.
“In my mind, if we can get $300,000, that would take care of it,” Joe said about the renovations. “With several potential grants and everything, we’re over halfway there if they come through. … We’re trying to move as fast as we can, but we’re trying to make sure we’re organized so we don’t have multiple conflicting campaigns.”
Janelle said the group is considering an online Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for a new projector, and a Save My Seat campaign has already started at the theater. With that campaign, donors who give $50 will have a plaque inscribed with their name attached to one of the theater’s seats.
Many in the community are excited about the Melba’s rebirth, but the interest in the old theater extends beyond Batesville’s borders. Representatives from Main Street Arkansas, a statewide preservation group interested in downtown areas, were at the ribbon-cutting to offer their support and share their excitement. Main Street Arkansas is a part of the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program and provides resources, education and professional assistance to communities interested in bringing back traditional commercial areas.
“I’ve been with [Main Street Arkansas] for over 19 years, and this building has always been a special place to me as one of those places I didn’t want to go by the wayside,” said Mark Miller, small-business consultant with Main Street Arkansas. “For years, I really thought this would get in such a state of disrepair that you were going to get to a point of no return, and you were going to lose this icon in your community. … We look forward to working with you on this project, providing technical services and also preservation tax credits, and hopefully, we’ll also be able to get you some grant money as well.”
Joe said the goal at this point is to hopefully reopen the Melba this fall, and the group already has plans to get the community through the doors of the theater. For example, Joe has suggested a 25 Days of Christmas series in December, when the Melba would show a classic Christmas movie each night leading up to the holiday. Others have reminded the group about Owl Shows, movies the Melba would show later in the evening that were more suited for audiences without children.
The new owners have partnered with the Batesville Downtown Foundation, which has offered to set up a donation option through the foundation so gifts will be tax deductible.
To keep up with the renovations at the Melba Theater, visit www.melbatheater.org or the theater’s Facebook page. Staff writer Angela Spencer can be reached at (501) 244-4307 oraspencer@arkansasonline.com.