'A gem and a treasure': It's been 10 years since a successful campaign reopened the Howell Theatre

HOWELL — The Historic Howell Theater has earned its reputation as a cornerstone of history in Livingston County. The theater has been operating on and off for 96 years, and is celebrating the decade anniversary of its most recent reopening in June 2014.

Many know the Historic Howell Theater for its creative selection of blockbusters, independent films and short movies; however, when it first opened in 1928, the theater also had live performances and a pit orchestra.

“In the early days … they would have Vaudeville entertainment that would play before the movie started,” said current owner Tyler DePerro.

The theater transitioned to show exclusively movies in 1944, and enjoyed many decades of success. It was incorporated into a larger company in the 1970s, but was forced to close its doors in 1998, soon becoming the property of the city of Howell.

The theater made a comeback when it was purchased by the Chandlers in 2001. The family went to great efforts to both modernize the theater and preserve elements of its 1920s splendor.

“It was a giant one-screen theater in the past, and the Chandler family cut it into two screens,” DePerro said.

But the Chandlers sold the theater in 2009. The Root Restaurant and Bar, a critically acclaimed eatery based in White Lake, planned to transform the space into a restaurant while keeping the central marquee. Amidst backlash over the historic loss, the shift never came to fruition.

It wasn’t until 2013 that DePerro bought the theater. His efforts began with a Kickstarter, which had a goal of raising $70,000. It ended up raising only $30,000 — but DePerro said the bigger accomplishment was spreading awareness "and then getting people who wanted to support financially outside the campaign."

A significant portion of funds raised went toward the transition from film to digital projection. Many large-scale movie theaters had started to adopt the technology at the start of the decade, and DePerro knew it was a vital investment to keep the theater running. He also gave the theater a cosmetic makeover.

A year later, the Historic Howell Theater was reborn.

“This month in June, this summer, marks 10 years,” DePerro said.

DePerro has a background in film production and event coordinating, and said “just keeping the theater alive and energetic and breathing” was his main motivation in taking over.

"You really have those generations that come in and say they met their wife here ... or they went out with their boyfriend here, or they had a birthday party here, or they got engaged here," DePerro said. "These stories really make it worthwhile.”

Subscribe: Get unlimited access to our local coverage

DePerro continues to embrace distinctness of the nearly 100-year-old theater. Not only does the Historic Howell Theater host classes and field trips to educate locals, but it also strives to offer a unique selection of movies that deviate from the blockbusters shown in commercial movie theaters.

The venue carries a variety of movies and short films on a frequent basis, and hosts annual events targeted at a specific moviegoer niche, including an Oscars short film feature in March, a "Grease" sing-along on the first day of summer, and a 12-hour horror film festival in October. DePerro is even considering bringing back VCR films in the future.

“Once they find us, and they see the cool movie posters, and they see the passion on the walls … I think that's really part of what's missing with bigger movie theater chains,” DePerro said. “The passion for movies is really lacking.”

“Sure, big chains will always be here, but these downtown theaters are so community-based. … That’s what gives character to communities. They’re such a gem and a treasure to come across and keep.”

— Ari Hickman is an incoming junior at Brighton High School and a freelancer for The Livingston Daily. Contact the newsroom at newsroom@livingstondaily.com.

This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: The Historic Howell Theatre celebrates a decade since reopening