Crighton Theatre - Conroe, TX
Posted by: 
Raven
N 30° 18.654 W 095° 27.415
15R E 263742 N 3355793
The Crighton Theatre is located in downtown Conroe, Texas. It was built in 1934 and is the home base of The Montgomery County Performing Arts Society and the Sounds of Texas Music Series Committee.
Waymark Code: WMJ4HF
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 09/22/2013
Views: 7
The Crighton Theatre -- known as the "Crown Jewel of Montgomery County" -- is a historic theatre built in 1934 in downtown Conroe, Texas. It is the home base for performances offered by The Montgomery County Performing Arts Society and by the Sounds of Texas Music Series Committee.
The Theatre also serves as a Live Stage venue, being the home of the county's Stage-Right Productions. Both Concert and Live Stage performances at the Crighton are funded in part by a grant from the Conroe Commission on Arts & Culture.
A brief history of the Crighton Theatre itself:
When oil was discovered in Montgomery County in 1934, Conroe Mayor Harry M. Crighton sold his drugstore and went into the oil business. His success in the oil business and his civic pride influenced his desire for a grand theater. In 1934 he hired architect Blum E. Hester to build a movie palace similar to the great Majestic Theatre in Houston using native stone like that of the capitol in Austin.
"Stars Over Broadway" starring Pat O'Brien was the featured attraction on opening night, November 26, 1935, in the highly touted and acoustically perfect Crighton Theatre. Students from the Abel School of Dance also performed. Tickets were 50 cents for adults and 25 cents for children. In order to accommodate vaudeville shows, Hester's design allowed scenery to be flown in the 40 feet of space above the stage. However, vaudeville was on the decline and the Crighton never hosted this form of entertainment. Air conditioning made the Crighton extremely popular during the hot Texas summers. The Crighton flourished for many years but as the drive-in theaters and modern wide screen theaters became popular the audiences grew smaller. The Crighton Theatre was finally closed in the mid-sixties.
In 1976, Frank and Hallie Crighton Guthrie, the then owners of the Crighton Theatre, donated the theatre to the County to the Conroe Chamber of Commerce: their only stipulations were that the Crighton name be maintained, that the theatre be primarily used for the performing arts, and that the Little Theatre of Conroe be the resident theater group. The Montgomery County Foundation for the Performing Arts (The Crighton Theatre Foundation) was formed to accept the gift of the old Crighton Theatre on behalf of the residents of Montgomery County.
After an extensive 3-year, $500,000 renovation effort, the Theatre re-opened in January 1979. The opening "Gala Week" festivities included The Houston Symphony on January 25, the Conroe Chorale on January 27, and The Tidelanders (a men's barbershop chorus) on January 28. On February 1, 2, and 3, the first theatrical performance by the newly named Crighton Community Playhouse (formerly the Little Theater of Conroe) was presented. "The Last Meeting of the Knights of the White Magnolia", a spoof about a small Texas town, seemed appropriate.
Over the last 30+ years, more than 200 stage productions by the Crighton Players and numerous professional performances by the Montgomery County Performing Arts Society and The Sounds of Texas Music Series have been held in the restored Theatre to the delight of the residents of Montgomery and surrounding counties.
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