Safe Harbors of the Hudson celebrates Lobby at the Ritz grand re-opening
Historic venue re-opens for performances and events on Broadway in Newburgh following capital improvements to space and equipment
Safe Harbors of the Hudson, a Newburgh-based nonprofit dedicated to transforming lives and building community through housing and the arts, celebrated the official re-opening of its Lobby at the Ritz performance and events space with a ribbon cutting and special reception on Thursday, April 24.
Lisa Silverstone, Executive Director of Safe Harbors, shared “Safe Harbors is thrilled to welcome audiences back to a new-and-improved Lobby at the Ritz. This is an important and well-used gathering space for our community, presenting a robust and growing array of performing arts and community events throughout the year—live music, theater and puppetry, storytelling, film screenings, dance, and more. We believe that coming together to enjoy and express ourselves through the arts is essential to a healthy and thriving community, and we are excited to grow the ambition and scale of the cultural programming Safe Harbors offers, as well as the technical support we can provide to both local and visiting artists presented here.”
The renovation includes an entirely new sound and lighting system, custom designed for the venue by Diamond Grade Media with funds from a Capital Projects grant from the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Upgrades to the Lobby also include cosmetic improvements, an updated heating and cooling system, and added storage space.
New York State Council on the Arts Executive Director Erika Mallin said, “We know that arts and culture has a profound effect on our collective and personal health: fortifying local economies, improving personal well-being and strengthening communities. The New York State Council on the Arts is a proud supporter of this project which transforms this intimate space into an accessible, multipurpose black box venue to better serve the residents and visitors of Orange County.”
History & redevelopment of the Ritz Theater
Originally built in 1913, Newburgh’s Ritz Theater has a storied past. Connected to the Hotel Newburgh, the theater seated over 1,200 and hosted luminaries including Ella Fitzgerald, Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, Red Skelton, and a young Frank Sinatra, among others. Perhaps most famously, Lucille Ball made her debut on the Ritz stage in a sketch comedy with Desi Arnaz that went on to become “I Love Lucy,” earning the Ritz the honor of being the birthplace of an iconic piece of American entertainment history.
The Ritz was converted into a cineplex in the latter half of the 20th century, and as Newburgh suffered decades of economic distress and disinvestment, both the theater and hotel eventually fell into abandonment and neglect. Safe Harbors, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, purchased the Hotel Newburgh and Ritz Theater in 2002, transforming the hotel into a dynamic mixed-use development that includes the Cornerstone Residence, 128 units of safe, affordable, supportive, and permanent housing; Ann Street Gallery, Safe Harbors’ contemporary art space; and two thriving commercial spaces on Broadway, currently occupied by GRIT Works, a co-working space and galley, and the café Baristas on Broadway.
The Lobby at the Ritz, which began public programming in 2007, is part of a larger, multi-phase redevelopment of the Ritz Theater. With an investment of $1.7 million in state and private funds to date, Safe Harbors has saved the theater building from certain collapse, installing a new roof system and steel support structure. Work is currently underway to redevelop the Ritz Theater Stagehouse, which was walled off during the theater’s conversion to a cineplex and has been empty ever since, into a second, larger performance and event space.
Upcoming events at the Lobby at the Ritz
In Frame Film Series: Mildred Pierce – Friday, May 16
Safe Harbors’ monthly movie nights hosted by Shane Killoran, Founder and Director of Hit House Creative and the Beacon-based Hit House Film series. With the goal of connecting community via the experience of film, In Frame screens a diverse and dynamic range of titles each month, with pre-show food and drinks and an introduction to each film by Killoran.
For tickets and more information, or to join Safe Harbors’ mailing list for future events, please visit safe-harbors.org
