money Morenci's historic Rex Theatre sees new life after owner revitalizes structure
MORENCI — A historic part of downtown Morenci is in the process of being revitalized, and the progress thus far of the structure’s rejuvenation will be shown off to the public beginning today.
The Rex Theatre, 235 W. Main St., has been sitting vacant for more than 10 years. Over that time, one Morenci native said he simply felt the urge to breathe life back into the theater, even though he didn’t know the first thing about theater management.
“I have always liked this building and I used to go here regularly as a kid,” said Morenci resident Tim Newsom, the owner of the Rex Theatre. “It’s been sitting there empty for at least 10 years and I’m a hands-on type of guy. I like projects and I like to keep myself busy. I acquired the theater because it seemed like a project that would be pretty fun. And I’m able to bring some history back to the city of Morenci.”
The Rex Theatre is 105 years old, soon to be 106. It is a historical structure that was built in 1916 as a venue for both vaudeville shows and film screenings. When it was first opened it was named the Gem. New ownership later changed its name to the Rex Theatre, Newsom said. It will reopen to the public today with a 6:30 p.m. screening of the popular Will Ferrell Christmas movie, “Elf.” The movie will also be shown in the 220-seat theater at 6:30 p.m. Sunday.
Admission is $3, and the theater serves Pepsi fountain beverages, movie theater candy and Michigan-sourced popcorn.
“I want to be able to allow families a nice night out at the movies where they aren’t spending $80 or more and breaking the bank,” Newsom said. “They can spend half of that here or less, and still have a great night out.”
Newsom said he held a soft opening earlier this fall, just to make sure he had all of the kinks of operating a theater worked out. He is excited and ready to go for this weekend.
“I’ve been investing plenty of time, money and effort into (the theater),” he said. “I’ve been making sure I get the i’s dotted and all of the t’s crossed. It’ll be pretty exciting to see some kind of a return on the investments I have made.”
Newsom purchased the theater in the spring of 2020, right around the time when the COVID-19 pandemic began to take shape in the U.S. and locally. Theaters were one of the hardest hit entertainment venues during the pandemic, having to close their doors for multiple months due to stay-at-home orders to slow the spread of the virus.
It was the perfect time for Newsom to get his hands dirty and see what exactly he got himself into for a purchase price of $6,500. Thus far, he has put nearly $30,000 of his own money into restorations efforts.
“And there is still plenty of work to be done,” he said. “When I took over as owner, there was a lot that needed repair.”
For starters, before anything could be done with the building, the city of Morenci informed Newsom the first item of repair was the roof, which was not only leaking into the theater, but needed a complete overhaul. Portions of the theater’s brick structure were crumbling and falling. The ceiling was collapsing and was also leaking.
“It was in some dire shape,” he said. “The front windows were broken and the marquee was destroyed and falling in on itself.”
Both of those items have since been corrected. Several of the neon lights on the marquee do not operate correctly, which is another of the smaller items Newsom will be tending to over the next several weeks.
“I’m pretty happy with the progress that has been made,” he said, noting that 70% of the theater is where it should be. There is still another 30% of work still to go, he estimates.
It hasn’t just been Newsom taking care of the theater’s rehabilitation. His 16-year-old daughter, Devinity, has been one of his biggest helpers and supporters. Additional family members and friends have volunteered their time and effort. Newsom also said Morenci City Administrator Michael Sessions has been a supporter of the rehab efforts, as has Evan Chase, one of the previous owners of the theater.
Because of copyright and licensing laws regarding movies, Newsom is unable to show first-release films — those that are shown at major movie theaters. He has been able to work with movie production studios such as Warner Bros. Pictures, and he can publicly show DVD films made by the studio. The next two production companies he is hoping to work with are Universal Pictures and Paramount Pictures.
For the foreseeable future, he expects the theater to remain open Saturdays and Sundays with 6:30 p.m. showings both days. For Dec. 18 and 19, the Christmas animated film “The Polar Express” will be shown. The theater will then be closed to the public the following two weekends, which include Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
If business is attractive enough, there is the potential, he said, for adding on a Friday night screening or a Sunday matinee.
The Rex Theatre can be followed on Facebook at The Historical Rex Theater.
If you go
WHAT: Rex Theatre opening
WHERE: 235 W. Main St., Morenci
FIRST FILM: The Christmas movie "Elf" at 6:30 p.m. today and Sunday, Dec. 11-12
ADMISSION: $3
ONLINE: Find The Historical Rex Theater on Facebook
PHONE: 313-688-0576
This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Morenci resident revitalizes Rex Theatre, opens theater to the public
