Forum Theatre

The Broome County Forum Theatre, commonly known as The Forum, is a historic theater and former movie theater in Binghamton, Broome County, New York. The venue is also associated with the names Capri Theatre and Broome Center for the Performing Arts. Its principal theater block was completed in 1919, making the building an established part of Binghamton's entertainment and cultural infrastructure. The property is recognized for its historic architecture and continuing role as a regional performance venue. The theater is configured as a substantial auditorium with seating for approximately 1,522 people when a pit orchestra is installed and approximately 1,553 without the orchestra pit. Its building consists primarily of a rectangular theater block constructed from brick and cast stone over a concrete basement. The venue also contains a theater pipe organ, reflecting the building's origins in the era when large theaters were designed to accommodate both motion pictures and live stage entertainment. The principal entrance and lobby area was added in 1981. This later portion is identified as non-contributing to the property's historic designation, while the original theater block remains the central historic element. The combination of an early twentieth-century auditorium, later public-facing alterations, and continuing performing-arts use gives the venue both architectural and operational significance. Today, the Forum functions primarily as a performing-arts venue rather than simply as a former cinema. It serves as the home performing venue for the Binghamton Philharmonic and Tri-Cities Opera, supporting orchestral concerts, opera, and related cultural programming. Through these resident organizations and other events, the theater serves audiences in Binghamton and the surrounding Southern Tier region of New York. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. That designation formally recognizes the theater's historic importance, while its ongoing use preserves a connection between Binghamton's early twentieth-century entertainment history and its contemporary cultural life. Public information supplied for this entry does not identify a separate corporate parent, founder, private owner, executive team, financial results, or a broader commercial brand network.

The Forum Theatre is a historic theater in Binghamton, New York, known formally as the Broome County Forum Theatre and also associated with the names Capri Theatre and Broome Center for the Performing Arts. Its main theater block was completed in 1919, during a period when large American theaters commonly combined live performance, musical accompaniment, and motion-picture exhibition. The original structure established the venue as a major auditorium within Binghamton's cultural and entertainment landscape. The principal theater building is a rectangular structure built of brick and cast stone over a concrete basement. Its auditorium was designed for a large public audience, with seating capacity of about 1,522 when a pit orchestra is present and about 1,553 when the orchestra pit is not in use. A theater pipe organ remains an important feature associated with the building's original performance and cinema-era character. These elements reflect the technological and architectural expectations of early twentieth-century American theaters. The building later received a substantial alteration to its public entrance and lobby. That portion was constructed in 1981 and is considered non-contributing to the property's historic designation. The addition nevertheless became part of the venue's modern circulation and public-access arrangement, allowing the historic auditorium to continue operating while the building adapted to later expectations for audience entry and front-of-house space. Over time, the Forum's role developed beyond that of a former movie theater. It became a continuing home for live cultural organizations, including the Binghamton Philharmonic and Tri-Cities Opera. These resident relationships have made the theater an important performance site for orchestral music, opera, and related events in the Binghamton area. Its function therefore combines historic preservation with active use as a regional arts venue. The Forum Theatre was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. The designation recognizes the historic theater block and its architectural and cultural importance. The available reference material does not provide a detailed account of the theater's original developer, successive owners, individual managers, renovation financing, or every stage of its programming history. It does establish the building's 1919 completion, its 1981 entrance and lobby addition, its auditorium capacity, its pipe organ, its resident performing-arts organizations, and its 2008 historic-register listing.

• 2008

  National Register of Historic Places listing

  [1]Broome County Forum Theatreen.wikipedia.org

  The Forum Theatre was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in recognition of its historic and architectural significance.

• 1981

  Entrance and lobby addition constructed

  [1]Broome County Forum Theatreen.wikipedia.org

  A new primary entrance and lobby area was added. The addition is classified as non-contributing to the property's historic designation.

• 1919

  Main theater block completed

  [1]Broome County Forum Theatreen.wikipedia.org

  The principal rectangular theater building was completed in Binghamton, New York, establishing the structure that remains the historic core of the venue.

A historic regional performing-arts venue that combines preserved early twentieth-century theater architecture with ongoing orchestral, operatic, and cultural programming.

• Venue · 1919

  Historic theater auditorium

  The venue's principal offering is its historic auditorium, which accommodates approximately 1,522 patrons with a pit orchestra and approximately 1,553 without one. The auditorium is housed in the original 1919 theater block, built of brick and cast stone over a concrete basement, and includes a theater pipe organ. Its scale supports orchestral, operatic, theatrical, and other large-format cultural events.

• Orchestral performance

  Binghamton Philharmonic performances

  The Forum serves as a home performing venue for the Binghamton Philharmonic. This relationship positions the theater as an important local site for symphonic concerts and connects its historic auditorium with continuing professional orchestral programming in the Southern Tier region of New York.

• Opera performance

  Tri-Cities Opera performances

  Tri-Cities Opera uses the Forum as a home performing venue. Its presence supports opera production and presentation in Binghamton, extending the theater's role from historic cinema and theater building to an active center for professional performing arts.

1. 1Broome County Forum Theatreen.wikipedia.org
2. 2The Forum Theatrebroomeforum.com