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A Main Street Movie Theatre Returns To Former Glory In Ashland

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From first-run movies and a unique, locally-focused atmosphere to live music presented by the Broadberry Entertainment Group, the Ashland Theatre’s got it all.

Local is EVERYTHING. And at the Ashland Theatre, Ashland is exactly what you get. The rich history, the architecture, the food, the music, everything.

“When we opened we wanted to make sure we had Homemades by Suzanne in our concessions, Center of the Universe beer in our bars, and that when you come to visit the Ashland Theatre, that you get a real taste of Ashland,” said Douglas Love, CEO of the Ashland Theatre Foundation.

After having been mostly shut down since the 90s, the Ashland Theatre, located 30 minutes north of Richmond in the town of Ashland, was renovated last year. It reopened its doors on December 26th for a soft opening with the movie Mary Poppins Returns, and the screening featured a surprise visit from Poppins herself.

“[Our goal] is to make this as homespun as we can, something you can’t get from a chain,” said Love. “So having a Mary Poppins impersonator, those kinds of things are on-mission for us.”

Along with visits from Mary Poppins, the team at the Ashland Theatre is working to bring that little extra something to every event. For their run of Bohemian Rhapsody (which, yes, it’s the sing-a-long version!), they will have fake mustaches for every guest. They even have plans in the works for special event-specific drinks.

They may have begun with movies, but the Ashland Theatre has plans to go beyond filmed entertainment, bringing panels, speakers, and concerts to the theatre this year. Later in 2019, they will be hosting a panel called “Untold Stories,” in which Ashland’s elders will sit for an oral passing-down of the town’s history through the civil rights movement.

Their grand opening weekend, which takes place on the weekend of February 22-24, will feature a movie and speaker night with Ashland native Matt Green on Friday, February 22. Guests will view The World Before Your Feet, the documentary on Green’s quest to walk every block of New York City’s streets over the course of seven years. The event will also feature a conversation with Green himself.

“The community involvement of the theatre and its whole mission makes the space very special,” said Lucas Fritz, co-owner of the Broadberry Entertainment Group. “It seems as if everyone in the town is in some way or another, involved with the theatre in one way or another.”

The Trongone Band. Photo via Facebook

The Ashland Theatre has teamed up with the Broadberry Entertainment Group to procure a line-up bands designed especially for Ashland. 

“Ultimately our conversations lead to, ‘What if you guys book and promote the music here and curate something for Ashland that’s not playing other places?’” said Love. “That way, it’s not just about moving bands that play at the Broadberry up [to Ashland], but an entirely separate effort. A designed curated concert series, joining forces with them, making it something that is unique to the Ashland Theatre, [something that] reflects the audience that we’re still figuring out.”

Love and Fritz have decided to go in the direction of an eclectic and wide-ranging selection of musicians, to really explore what it means to have an Ashland sound.

“We are working hard to make sure that the artists that come through the Ashland Theatre fit perfectly. It will take a little bit of work to curate the lineup and find the perfect artists but we feel as if we’re off to a great start,” said Fritz.

Following the theatre’s Grand Opening weekend, the Broadberry Entertainment Group will be presenting a regular line-up of concerts at the Ashland Theatre, starting with two Americana-infused Southern Rock’n’roll bands, Richmond natives The Trongone Band and Raleigh, NC’s American Aquarium.  

As for that special local flair, The Broadberry Entertainment Group and the Ashland Theatre will continue to strive to provide events that allow guests to get up close and personal with artists.

“We will work with artists, agents, and managers to curate unique experiences that are special to the Ashland Theatre,” said Fritz. “That way, when concertgoers attend concerts, they will have chances to do things that they may not at other locations.”

With limited seating, and that hometown feel, the Ashland Theatre is ready to offer experiences you won’t forget.

The Ashland Theatre is currently showing The Favorite and Mary Queen Of Scots, and will be showing Green Book and Vice starting Friday. Check their website for showtimes and tickets.

Top photo: Ashland Theatre/via Facebook

Governor-elect Ralph Northam Collaborates With Ashland Brewery to Create ‘InaugurALE’

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Governor-Elect Ralph Northam might have a new favorite beer. The incoming governor tried a few brews after touring Ashland’s Center of the Universe Brewing last night with owners Chris and Phil Ray. The brothers announced InaugurALE, the official beer of the inauguration they brewed in collaboration with the governor, which will be released Jan 13.

“InaugurALE is going to be my favorite beer,” Northam predicted, “but I like everything made in Virginia.”

Northam met the Rays at an oyster fest last month with his chief of staff, Clark Mercer, who lives near the Ashland brewery. Making a beer with ingredients grown in the Commonwealth was the top priority for the three, Chris said.

Northam and Chris Ray talk beer cans

“We wanted to let the local terroir takeover,” said Phil, after his brother detailed the ingredient list. The all-Virginia production includes grain from the Northern Neck, malted in Sperryville by Copper Fox, Virginia-grown hops, and a yeast strain captured at Agriberry Farm in Hanover by Professor Grace Lim-Fong’s biology students at Randolph Macon, who cultivated the strain in collaboration with COTU.

Lim-Fong shares photos of Agriberry with Northam, Phil Ray

Chris described the beer as light, with complex flavors, and a low alcohol content. Samples won’t be available until the day of the inauguration, but he offered Northam, his staff, and this reporter a beer of our choice from the taproom menu for an impromptu tasting.

After selecting a lighter Kölsch-style beer, Northam talked about priorities and challenges for the upcoming year. “The opioid crisis is our number one challenge. Last year, we lost over 1,400 Virginians,” he said when asked about his goals.

He also talked about bipartisanship and reaffirmed his commitment to expanding Medicaid, despite rumors to the contrary, and offered that beer could help unite political opponents.

“Terry [McAuliffe] is leaving the kegerator,” he said, referring to the craft beer setup installed by outgoing Gov. McAuliffe as part of the campaign that brought Stone Brewing to Richmond. McAuliffe will keep his commemorative handle, but Northam already has plans for its replacement. “Maybe I’ll get one in the shape of the Eastern Shore.”

Like his predecessor, Northam was all-in for craft breweries. “We’re so proud of folks like Chris and Phil. They employ 22 people in good jobs with quality wages,” he said. “Small business and startups are the backbone of our economy.”

When pressed to pick a favorite beer out of the ones he’d tried, Northam signaled a shift. “I’m more used to this type of beer, but I’m ready to convert after trying that,” he said, impressed by a sip of my doppelbock. It prompted a follow-up question: Out of 206 breweries in the state, whose beer does he think he’ll stock in the keg?

“I’ll just have to visit all the breweries and sample them.”

Cracker’s Johnny Hickman talks China, country music, and their new album ahead of acoustic performance Friday

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When you look back on the alt-rock and grunge explosion of the early 90s, you see so many bands that were lumped into the genre for having just a modicum of similarity to that Pixies/Nirvana sound. For a band like Cracker, it was definitely not where they belonged on the musical spectrum.
[Read more…] about Cracker’s Johnny Hickman talks China, country music, and their new album ahead of acoustic performance Friday