Scene One Entertainment has reopened the Spectrum 8 Theaters in Albany, NY, restoring the iconic Albany cineplex, which is back as an independent arthouse theater. This is Scene One Entertainment’s third theater in Upstate New York, after Scene One Movieland in Schenectady and Scene One Wilton Mall Cinemas. Scene One Entertainment also operates Huck Finn’s Playland amusement park in Albany.
Spectrum 8 Theaters was first opened in 1983 by two couples who previously had owned and operated an independent movie theater, the Third Street Theatre, in Rensselaer. For decades, the Spectrum has provided independent, upscale programming of avant-garde, foreign, and independent films, along with widely-released features. Originally opened in the early 1940s as a single-screen theater known as The Delaware Theater, the Spectrum has been a mainstay of the Delaware Avenue neighborhood.
Scene One restores the selections that made the Spectrum’s concession stand a treasure: locally-sourced cakes, pastries, cookies, gluten-free delights, real butter on fresh, hot popcorn, and the location’s infamous mint brownies. Further, the Spectrum will also serve beer, wine, cider, and other alcoholic beverages (upon issuance of a state liquor license). Joe Masher, the owner and chief executive officer of Scene One Entertainment, is also president of the National Association of Theater Owners of New York State. Masher led the fight for more than a decade to allow for alcoholic beverages to be served and consumed at movie theaters and within auditoriums in which this year’s budget included provisions to include liquor for movie theaters’ licenses.
“The overwhelming response to the theatre’s closing in March prompted me to move faster with the building’s owner to get the cinema reopened. I’ve been working very closely with Keith Pickard to bring the heart and soul back into the Spectrum. The art gallery will be reactivated and the calendar that was published monthly will return,” said Joe Masher.
“We are very excited to hand over the reins of the Spectrum 8 Theatres to Joe Masher,” said Spectrum founders Sugi Pickard, Keith Pickard, Annette Nanes, and Scott Meyer. “In moving the Spectrum forward Joe brings a sense of excitement and competence. The Spectrum is an important cultural resource in the Capital Region, beloved by the community. We anticipate great things for the future of the Spectrum and encourage everyone’s support. “
“It will be wonderful to see Spectrum 8, a treasured hallmark of Albany’s entertainment scene, thrive under the auspices of a Capital District native who understands the cultural value the theater provides, both for our own residents and for visitors from around the state. I thank Scene One Entertainment for stepping in to keep the traditional movie-going experience alive and accessible in Albany,” said State Senator Neil D. Breslin.
“I’ve been attending the Spectrum since Keith and his partners opened it in 1983. I saw its first film, Lianna, when it was a one-screen cinema. I’ve been a giant fan of their operations since their start at the Third Street Theater. I am honored that Keith and his partners have selected me to carry on their tradition. They say you can’t go home again, but that’s not true,” added Masher.
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