Historic theater gets makeover

MINNIE Mouse and Mickey Mouse in “Disney Live! Mickey’s Music Festival”

The historic New Frontier Cinema, which has undergone a makeover that cost P500 million, will reopen in September, Araneta Group of Companies chair, chief executive officer and president Jorge L. Araneta announced recently.

One of the biggest movie houses in the 1970s, the building will be renamed Kia Theater. On July 16, Araneta signed a multiyear deal with Kia Motors’ local assembler and distributor, Columbian Autocar Corp. (CAC).

“The New Frontier was built by my father in 1965—that’s 50 years ago. Except its shell, everything inside the building has been removed and replaced with new fixtures,” Araneta said.

The New Frontier, with its winding staircase, played host to glitzy movie premieres in its heyday.

As part of a massive redevelopment project, the Araneta Group had earlier planned on renovating the theater by itself, but eventually teamed up with CAC.

Also present at the event were Palawan Gov. and CAC chair Jose Alvarez, CAC president Ginia R. Domingo and Araneta Center management consultant J. Rowell L. Recinto.

As part of the deal, CAC will have full and exclusive naming rights. It will also set up the 304.96-square meter Kia showroom in the venue.

Seating capacity

Kia Theater, which has a seating capacity of 2,385, will be equipped with the latest in audio, visual and lighting technologies, explained Araneta. “Not just a concert venue, Kia Theater will be a multipurpose facility. It will have a special setup in its orchestra section, where seats can be removable. It can also be a venue for car exhibits, dance parties or stage plays. The place will be very flexible.”

As its first official venture, Kia Theater will feature the touring Disney show titled “Disney Live! Mickey’s Music Festival” in September. For its “soft opening,” it will be the venue of a corporate event on Aug. 15 and a weeklong local stage play to be produced by the Quezon City government, Araneta shared with the Inquirer.

But how would Kia Theater fare with other venues like Newport Performing Arts of Resorts World in Pasay City and The Theatre of Solaire Resort and Casino in Parañaque, Araneta said: “We’re not competing … because we are in different locations. We can cooperate by bringing in shows that we can mount here and there.”

He added,  “People who live in Quezon City don’t want to go all the way to Parañaque, because that’s roughly an hour of travel time. We will complement, rather than compete with, each other.”

Araneta emphasized that “people who like entertainment” would be Kia Theater’s target market, particularly the estimated 3 million residents of Quezon City. “The theater is very accessible,” he pointed out. “If there are shows that are too small for the (nearby Araneta) Coliseum (which seats 16,500 people), we now have a place for them.”

Classic, contemporary

Kia Theater will feature al fresco  dining restaurants, coffee shops and other retail brands within its perimeter. “It will merge classic with contemporary design elements,” said a statement from Araneta Group. “It will greet patrons with an elegant drop-off point that will open up to a grand lobby, while a staircase will bring everyone to the theater lounge on the mezzanine floor, which can be a perfect venue for meet-and-greet sessions with the stars before and after a show.”