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Author
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Topic: New Warren flagship theater in Broken Arrow, OK
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Buck Wilson
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 894
From: St. Joseph MO, USA
Registered: Sep 2010
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posted 07-08-2014 11:49 PM
Just kinda chatting out loud here, forgive me if this is old news. All very exciting to me!
I was unaware Warren was associated with such quality. I found out about this new location and then the current flagship in Moore, OK after my GM informed me that our previous district manager under Hollywood Theaters, R ance Blann will be working at the B.A. theater. He was laid off with the recent Regal merger. To be honest, he made out like a bandit. Good for him. Regal blows hard.
Anyways, actual screen curtains? THX certified auditoriums? curved stadium seating? Modern sloped floor theaters? I had no idea this all existed under one roof in Moore. I'll have to visit. Wonder if it has proper masking.
Also glad to hear the new B.A. location won't have an IMAX ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
http://www.tulsaworld.com/scene/movienews/warren-theatres-broken-arrow-project-aims-for-biggest-best-theater/article_f707a43f-11d7-5779-a7c4-860ab85b1226.html
" Warren Theatres' Broken Arrow project aims for biggest, best theater yet "
"It was a couple of years ago that Bill Warren was having lunch with city officials in Moore, discussing the massive success that his Warren Theatre had become in the community. There was good food, good conversation, and a question that caught Warren off guard."How proud are you of this theater?" the individual asked of Warren, who could not answer immediately.
"I choked up," Warren said in a recent interview about the construction of a new Warren Theatre in Broken Arrow, which is scheduled to open in November. "It's that personal to me. It's about more than just the business."
It's also about leaving a legacy, explained Warren, who is in his mid-60s.
"When you're at a certain age, some things become about the personal accomplishment. My name is on (the theater)," he said.
The Kansas businessman's current legacy includes expanding his movie theater empire from Wichita into Oklahoma, with a state-of-the-art Moore theater that outgrosses any theater in a 10-state area, including Texas. That theater's 601-seat IMAX auditorium sells more tickets than any IMAX in North America.
For the Warren Theatre in Broken Arrow, he's aiming even higher. He's building a $40 million blockbuster to rival any you'll see on the silver screen.
"I have used the silly expression that the Broken Arrow theater is going to be bigger, better and badder than the one in Moore — like that one but on steroids," Warren said with a chuckle. "But that's true. My motivation is to build the nicest theater ever built in America right there in Broken Arrow."
It's a statement that Norman Stephens has heard more than once from Warren, and the economic development coordinator for the city of Broken Arrow knows that Warren delivers.
"There will not be a finer luxury theater in America, that's what Bill tells me all the time," Stephen said. "There's not a doubt in my mind that what Bass Pro Shops did for the north end of Broken Arrow, the Warren Theatre will do for the south end of Broken Arrow."
The Warren style, and size matters
The expectations are high at any Warren Theatre, from the design (art deco artwork) and special features (adults-only theaters with food and beverage service, including alcohol) to the size (bigger is better) and the service (employees wear snazzy 1950s-style uniforms).
A look into Warren's past offers a hint of these inspirations: His first job at age 16 was popping popcorn at a Wichita movie palace a half-century ago. By 18, he was managing another theater.
By 19, he was asking Frank Carney (one of the brothers who founded Pizza Hut) to invest in a multi-screen theater concept, and his career took off.
"We've tried to re-create the glamour of those theaters of the old days, the movie palaces that had balconies and marble and fireplaces. We did all of that and then combined it with the latest technology," Warren said. "The customers seem to have responded."
He wouldn't reveal many new concepts for Broken Arrow's 18-auditorium theater, but when he did mention some features, it was noteworthy.
On this theater not having an IMAX screen because the Tulsa-area's two-IMAX limit is filled: "Quite frankly, the screens we're putting in at Broken Arrow will be larger than screens currently in the area, and not by a little, but by a lot. I'd say that probably our two biggest screens will be double (in square footage) the size of any screen currently showing movies in Tulsa."
On customer service, after hearing that one large Tulsa theater employs 30-something workers: "We intend to hire about 200 people. When a customer needs something, they'll be able to find someone to help them."
On the grandness of his movie palace: "We'll have about $1 million just in imported marble in that location. People will realize that they are in a special place."
The Moore Warren Theatre is a huge success, and Warren could simply have built that theater again. But that's not Warren's style.
"Of course they will have a similar look and feel, but it's like when you look at a three-year-old Mercedes, and then you look at a redesigned, latest-model Mercedes," Warren said, then switching to a movie analogy. "This is my own personal 'Field of Dreams.' "
He is building it, and the people will come.
A community difference-maker
The Warren Theatre, sized at about 150,000 square feet, will be the main anchor tenant for the 100-plus acre development that is the Shops at Aspen Creek, located on 121st Street and east of the Creek Turnpike's interchange at 145th East Avenue, or Aspen Avenue, as it's known in Broken Arrow.
The expectation is that the movie palace will be surrounded by a major retail area, said Warren Unsicker, vice president of economic development for Broken Arrow Economic Development Corporation.
"It's going to be a regional attraction. Not just a Broken Arrow movie theater, but a regional destination area" that people will travel to from surprising distances, Unsicker said.
"It will be an experience that you can't get anywhere else in the area."
The city of Broken Arrow is offering a $7.25 million incentives package to Aspen Creek's developer, which includes sales-tax rebates, costs for utility construction, storm water retention and rights-of-way purchases. The incentives will be funded by revenue from 2008 and 2011 bond packages.
Broken Arrow officials have determined that luring "destination retailers" are best for their city, Unsicker said, "so we do have to 'sweeten the deal' sometimes, but it's for the greater good. That's what we've seen," he added, with reference to a similar program employed in bringing Bass Pro Shops to Broken Arrow.
"What I know is that Bill Warren outdoes himself every time he builds a new theater, and we're very proud to be the next 'outdoing' because this is going to be the area's premier theater the minute that it opens."
Getting it right —— by November
Stephens and Unsicker were among many who knew that to create a retail hub in south Broken Arrow, the key was the Warren Theatre. Warren's decision to locate there means city leaders will be busy at this year's International Conference of Shopping Centers luring tenants to surround the theater.
"Something we found out is that many, many communities want their own Warren Theatre," Stephens said, "but he picked Broken Arrow."
"We're looking at sometime in late November" being open, Warren said, "but the most important thing is that we build it right. We build and design and own our own buildings, so we spend more and we care more."
That helps when the time comes that Warren wants to renovate or expand, as he did with the IMAX in Moore in 2012. It's good economics, he said, to have such freedom when he wants to improve his product.
"We don't care about being the biggest theater company," he said. "We care about being the best theater company."
Going for the 'wow' factor
From the moment you walk into the Warren Theatre in Moore, there's a "We don't have this in Tulsa" feeling. But they will have it in Broken Arrow later this year.
Bill Warren's concept is to bring back the grandeur of the "golden age of Hollywood," and his personal touches are everywhere. The sheer volume of Art Deco artistry through murals and architecture is surprising and impressive. Walking into the 601-seat IMAX theater, the largest in the state, has a high "wow" factor.
There aren't merely restroom areas with doors marked "Men" and "Women," but rather a lounge area with couches and chairs and a fireplace, filled on a recent day by teens talking and using outlets to charge their electric devices.
Inside the stadium auditoriums are unique clocks on the wall and velvety "waterfall"-style curtains that rise before the feature with an announcement of concessions and diner offerings and a welcome: "On behalf of Bill Warren, the staff and the management, thanks a million for coming, and enjoy the show."
Yes, there's a diner. Order anything from the menu and take it to auditoriums, from nachos and quesadillas and chicken tenders to macaroni and cheese bites, spicy green beans, and an extensive assortment of burgers, sandwiches, pizzas and ice cream desserts.
These are just the downstairs features. Only those 21-and-older are allowed in the upstairs area to enjoy other amenities.
The two largest non-IMAX auditoriums at the Warren Theatre are the "Grand Auditoriums." Sit with kids of all ages in the downstairs portion of these on a Friday or Saturday night, for example, for $10.50 a ticket, or you can go upstairs and sit in the balcony for $18.
It's adults only in the balcony, where with the push of a button they can summon a server for food-and-drink service. Push another button and the seat reclines.
Guests here can order a prime rib or pasta, among other offerings, and they can order an alcoholic beverage from the bar in the upstairs lobby area. Beer from Oklahoma City's RoughTail Brewing Company could be ordered on a recent visit.
But wait, there's more.
The "Director Suites" are smaller auditoriums upstairs for adults only. The food and beverage offerings are the same, and these seats are not only huge recliners, but also have heated seats and backs that are popular with female guests, according to manager John Racine.
The price for "Director Suites" auditoriums —— between the two is a large lounge area with more couches, chairs and fireplaces —— is a $22 movie ticket. You have to pay for this kind of privacy and luxury.
"We never hear any complaints" about the price, Racine said. "What we hear instead is 'When are you going to put 'Captain America' tickets on sale? I want to watch it in the Director Suite and I want to buy them now.' "
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Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."
Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001
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posted 07-09-2014 09:58 AM
I've visited the Moore Warren theater many times. Up until recently that theater has been my first choice on where to see big event movies. Lately I've been going to the Harkins theater in downtown OKC since it has the only screen in Oklahoma equipped with Dolby Atmos.
Yes, all the "standard" movie theaters have THX certification and screens with proper masking & curtains. The IMAX branded theater is the only purpose built IMAX branded theater I've personally seen equipped with curtains. The Chinese Theater in LA has curtains, but that was an existing theater that was converted to IMAX branding.
The only complaints I have about Warren Theaters is none of them have Dolby Atmos, even though they use Dolby 3D, Dolby servers and even run Dolby Surround 7.1 trailers on 7.1 shows. When Atmos was first announced I kind of expected Warren to be one of the first theaters in this region to support it. Instead they've stayed on the sidelines, perhaps observing the situation between Atmos, the more conventional Auro format and whatever is going to come from DTS OpenMDA.
I'm not sure how Warren could make Atmos work in their balcony equipped Grand Auditoriums. The ceilings are pretty high in there. This past weekend I was in Houston. We visited Moody Gardens in Galveston. I watched a Great White Shark 3D movie in their "MG3D" theater, which IIRC used to be an IMAX 15/70 theater. It's now equipped with Auro 11.1. They had lots of tiny surround speakers in two rows on the side and back walls and some speakers on the ceiling. With the ceiling so high the audio really didn't sound any different than a standard 5.1 presentation. Warren's Grand Auditoriums could have the same problem with Atmos. They would need some bigger, more powerful speakers up there to do any good.
Warren Theaters usually don't play their movies very loud. I don't want ear-piercing volume levels, but the audio could stand to be a little more dynamic (particularly on the bottom end). I can't help but wonder if some "this movie is too loud" complaints have made managers turn the fader down a little bit.
With the announcement of bigger than IMAX screens at the Broken Arrow location I have to wonder if they'll be featuring new laser based digital projectors.
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