NEW IMAGES: Tale of Two Keiths; Keith Albee (and sis) Still Need You

Thursday, December 26, 2013 - 19:12 by Tony Rutherford , HNN Entertainment Editor

Before the ball drops in Times Square for the first minute of 2014, there's still time for a tax deductible investment in preservation of Huntington's Fourth Avenue performance palace, the Keith Albee Performing Arts Center.

Illustrating the vital necessity of continued preservation and restoration, just compare photos. The Keith's "sister" theater in Flushing, NY has been declared a landmark, but sadly for 30 years has endured demolition by neglect. Plans again have been green lighted for a mixed use high rise that preserves only the RKO Keith's lobby, although the auditorium is not beyond restoration. It's 85th anniversary was Christmas Day. (See Flushing RKO at end of gallery)

Fortunately, Huntington's Keith stayed in operation and a $700,000 roof kept the elements from destroying this "temple of amusement" from the past.

As you move through the gallery, pictures illustrate proposed "before/after" renderings of the Keith Albee (Huntington) interior, and the gallery shifts to examples of still needed restoration areas, such as the dressing rooms and electrical board.

Finally, the gallery displays spacious photos of the theater and flashes back to the festivities of the "gala" as we follow "flapper" Elsa and other guests through the Great Gatsby era celebrating the Keith Albee's opening ... and pointing potential donors to wonders that come from restorations yet to come.

Deadline for charter membership in Orpheum Society --- which supports the continued restoration --- has been extended until Dec. 31. A one time tax deductable donation of $1,000 offers these benefits for members:

Invitations to private receptions
Advance notice of upcoming events
Opportunity to purchase tickets prior to “on sale” dates for select performances
Discounted pricing for select special events
Networking opportunities with like-minded persons who share your passion for restoring national treasures
Names on honorary plaque at the Keith-Albee
Other benefits developed by fellow members of The Orpheum Society

For more information call Media Promotion Enterprises at 304-697-4222 or http://concerts.mpe-entertainment.com/1928-keith-albee-gala-the-orpheum-...

(To express contempt for the RKO Flushing conditions and proposed non-restoration, email: info@melindakatz.com., or visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/220242754654213)