♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> AS THE LARGEST PLAY HOUSE EVER BUILT IN ROME, IT WAS BUILT AT A TIME WHEN WE HAD A THRIVING DOWNTOWN AND WE WENT THROUGH SOME DIFFICULT TIMES IN ROME.

WE WENT THROUGH URBAN RENEWAL IN THE 1970s, GRIFFITH AIR FORCE BASE LEAVING IN THE 1990S, AND ROME KIND OF HIT ROCK BOTTOM I.

HAS BOUNDED BACK A BIT AND WE LIKE TO THINK THE CAPITAL THEATER IS A LARGE PART OF THAT.

ROME RECEIVED A GRANT OF $10 MILLION, CAPITAL THEATER RECEIVED $2.5 MILLION, PART OF THE DOWNTOWN INITIATIVE.

WE RESTORED THE THEATER TO 1939 AND THE FACADE TO 128, THE ORIGINAL MARQUIS AND SIGN.

>> SO THE CAPITAL WE LIKE TO THINK OF AS ROME'S LIVING ROOM.

THE PLACE WHERE EVERYBODY COMES TO DO THINGS WE ARE WE ARE WHERE GOING TO BE TOGETHER.

A LOT OF IT HAD SEEN BETTER DAYS SO WE WERE LOOKING FOR RESTORATION OF PLASTER, RESTORATION OF SEATS SOME WE BROUGHT BACK THE ORIGINAL STYLE CARPET.

WE PAINTED EVERY SURFACE IN THE BUILDING.

>> CONTRACTORS WERE ABLE TO TAKE A CAST OF THINGS THAT EXISTED AND RECREATE A PIECE THAT HAD BEEN THERE BEFORE AND HAVE IT LOOK SEAMLESS WHICH IS REALLY FASCINATING TO WATCH.

>> WE HAD A $40,000 GRANT FROM THE COUNTY, ONEIDA COUNTY, TO GO TOWARDS OUR HVAC SYSTEM.

WHAT WE REALLY WANTED TO DO WITH THAT FUNDING IS ELIMINATE THE DISCOMFORT THAT PEOPLE MIGHT HAVE THAT TAKES THEM AWAY FROM THAT IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE.

>> THE LARGEST PART OF THIS IS THE MARQUIS AND BLADE SIGN AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T JUST AFFECT THE... AFFECT THE OPERATION.

IT AFFECTS THE WHOLE DOWNTOWN AND WHOLE CITY OF ROME BECAUSE IT'S VISIBLE FROM ALL OVER THE PLACE AND THAT'S BROUGHT MOORE EVENTS INTO THE BUILDING AND OF COURSE THEY ALL PLAY ON EACH OTHER.

SO THE MORE EVENTS WE BRING HERE, THE MORE VIABLE WE ARE.

>> WE HAVE A COMBINATION OF EARNED INCOME WHICH IS OUR ACTUAL TICKET SALES, AND THAT ROUGHLY COVERS MAYBE 40 TO 50% IN A GIVEN YEAR.

WE HAVE DONORS THAT WILL GIVE TO OUR ANNUAL FUND.

SO OUR FUNDS PROGRAM, SO PEOPLE WHO ARE LOYAL AND COME A LOT AND THEY'RE LIKE WE WANT TO GIVE YOU GENERAL MONEY DO WHAT YOU DO BECAUSE WE RESPECT THAT AND WE APPRECIATE WHAT YOU ARE DOING NOW SO WE TRUST TO YOU DO THAT.

WE'VE ALWAYS HAD DREAMS TO CREATE LIKE A LITTLE THEATRICAL MUSEUM FOR ROME.

SO SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO OUR 95th ANNIVERSARY AND GOING INTO OUR 100th ANNIVERSARY, WE WANT TO REDOUBLE OUR EFFORTS TO FOCUS ON THE HISTORICAL NATURE OF THE BUILDING.

SO GOING AFTER MORE PRESERVATION GRANTS, GOING AFTER MORE HISTORICAL AWARENESS GRANTS, WHERE WE ARE ABLE TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE BUILDING.

>> A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE CONFUSED ABOUT THE FACT THAT A THEATER LIKE THIS WAS BUILT TO SHOW MOVIES, BUT IN THE 20s AND 30S, THIS IS A FAIRLY COMMON PLACE TYPE STRUCTURE FOR EXHIBITING MOVIES.

WE DON'T FORGET OUR HISTORY.

WE KNOW WE OPENED AS A MOVIE THEATER.

WE ARE NOT ASHAMED OF THAT.

WE ARE PROUD OF THAT AND SHOW MOVIES ON A REGULAR BASIS IN