SENATOR Theatre Halloween Weekend Events!

Friday, October 30th

Halloween Costume
Karaoke
@ The Senator

Baltimore’s Got Talent!

On stage & on the big screen!

If it’s your dream to perform in the spotlight on
The Senator’s stage, it’s time to make it happen!

Join us Friday, October 30th for
our Karaoke @ The Senator contest finale.

All Karaoke performances take place on stage in
the spotlight accompanied by The Senator’s legendary
sound system. Live video of each performance will be
projected in real time on The Senator’s giant screen.

Featuring the latest state
of the art Karaoke system with touch screen song
selection & over 65,000 songs to choose from.

The Senator’s five week Karaoke contest finale
will be Friday, October 30th with an evening
of “Costume Karaoke”.

First place winner $200 – Second place winner $100

Plus prizes donated by area businesses & Karaoke.com

Doors open at 7:00 PM
Karaoke at 8:00 – til?

Admission $5 at the door

Bring your ID! You must be 21 years of
age to purchase alcoholic beverages.

Karaoke @ The Senator is presented in
conjunction with Brown Entertainment

* * * * *

“There’s No Place Like The Senator!”

Join us on
Saturday, October 31st for our 13th annual
FREE Fall Fest community screening.

Celebrate the 70th anniversary of two
1939 cinema classics,
The Wizard of Oz & The Senator Theatre!

Presented by:
The Friends of the Senator Theatre

The Wizard of Oz
(1939 – G – 100 min.)

Starring:
Judy Garland

Doors open at 12:30pm

1:00 pm – 1:30 pm
The festival begins with our
traditional kids costume parade across the stage.

1:30 – 3pm.
Free screening of “The Wizard of Oz”

* * * * *

Join us on
Saturday, October 31st at 10 PM
for a Halloween horror double feature!
Special guest appearance by cult sensation
Chainsaw Sally!

Chainsaw Sally and Jimmy O will introduce
the 10 PM feature,
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre!

Leatherface Lives!

Tobe Hooper’s
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
[1974 – R – 85 min.]

Five friends visiting their grandpa’s old house
are hunted down and terrorized by a chainsaw wielding
killer and his family of grave-robbing cannibals.

&

The Dead Walk The Earth!

George Romero’s
Dawn of the Dead
[1978 – R – 120 min.]

Following an ever-growing epidemic of zombies
that have risen from the dead, two Philadelphia
SWAT team members, a traffic reporter, and his
television-executive girlfriend seek refuge in a
secluded shopping mall.

Admission $6

* * * * *

Join us this Sunday, November 1st

The Senator Theatre
& Park Vibe
Present:

D’Jembe Jazz Jams

Get in on it or all up in it!

Click here for a YouTube clip
of a previous jam session.

Join us from 6 pm – till…

“D’Jembe Jazz Jams” are free form and
open to the public.

Limited percussion instruments provided.
Join us and join in!

Visit www.senator.com for further information and
help spread the word!

SENATOR RFP Pre-Proposal Conference: Groups Interested Gather for Meeting

Updated: Oct 6, 4:45pm – Attendees list

Yesterday, on the 70th anniversary of the opening of The Senator Theatre, the Baltimore Development Corporation (BDC) held their scheduled pre-proposal meeting for parties that had registered their interest in the Request For Proposal (RFP) process. One of these (or a conglomeration) may ultimately become the next owner or leaser (with Baltimore City as the landlord) of the historic 1939 theatre.

We are aware of at least a dozen groups that were represented.
Locals:

• AB Associates
• Belvedere Improvement Association (BIA)
• The Charles Theater
• Charm City Enrichment
• Conits Group, Inc.
• GWWO, Inc.
• Herndon Contracting, Inc
• James Posey Associates
• The Music Workshop
• Noch – Noch, Productions
• Personal Electric, LLC
• Rita St Clair Associates, Inc.
• SCT (Senator Community Trust)
• SRI (Site Resources, Inc)
• UCAM (United Community Access Media)
• Urban Information Associates
• WEI (Worcester Eisenbrandt, Inc.)
• WTMD 89.7FM (Towson University)
• Ziger / Snead LLP

Out of state groups:

• John Milner Associates (PA & VA)
• Majestic Star Entertainment (NJ)

It should be noted that absence of a group from yesterday’s meeting does not preclude them from submitting a proposal. The occasion created a forum in which the BDC could deliver a briefing and allow groups to pose questions about the process and tour the theatre.

Said questions we were told were being recorded and would be disseminated, with answers, on the BDC website by October 13, 2009. We’ll include a link here when the page becomes available.

We’d like to take the opportunity to thank:

• Maryland State Senator Joan Carter Conway for attending and posing some important questions regarding timing and community involvement when proposals are to be evaluated.
• Eddie Leon of the Commission for Historical & Architectural Preservation (CHAP) for clarifying the situation regarding interior designation proposal approved by the CHAP commission back in May. Said proposals still have to gain approval during public meetings of the Baltimore City Planning Commission and then City Council before coming into effect. Mr. Leon stated that this could perhaps be completed by spring 2010.
• Kristen Mitchell and Kim Clarke of the BDC for taking the time to present this opportunity, answer questions and for the refreshments.
• Tom Kiefaber for providing access to this great facility for the event & to his family’s 70 years of unbroken presentation excellence.
• Gayle Grove for the Senator Theatre 70th anniversary cake (sorry the camera phone didn’t do it justice).

BDC Issues Request For Proposals (RFP)

Updated (Sept. 24, 2009) – More links (scroll to bottom)

Senator Theatre RFP cover sheet

The Baltimore Development Corporation has officially issued a Request For Proposals for the purchase or lease of the historic Senator Theatre today, on behalf of Baltimore City.

Announcement excerpt

The goals of BDC in offering this RFP include, but are not limited to, the following:

A) Solicit a respondent who will purchase or lease the Senator for use primarily as a movie theater and/or performing arts venue, though additional uses are also welcome
B) Maintain a schedule of events which keeps the Senator active throughout the week
C) Reinforce the mutually beneficial relationship between the Senator, Belvedere Square, surrounding communities, and the Govanstowne business district by serving as a positive economic generator for the area
D) Respect and capitalize on the building’s rich history
E) Complement and maintain the property’s unique historic interior and exterior features
F) Achieve the highest quality of architectural and interior design
G) Renovate the Senator to ensure the comfort and safety of patrons and employees enhance patrons’ experience and incorporate the services, amenities, and support facilities necessary to attract and accommodate a range of events and patrons (per event)
H) Achieve positive impact for the City including quality jobs increased tax revenues community stabilization opportunities for minority and women owned businesses and contribution to the City’s long term economic growth objectives and
I) Create a primarily privately-funded project with minimal public sector financial support.

The RFP document can be downloaded from the BDC’s web site at: http://www.baltimoredevelopment.com/proposals.aspx

A “pre-proposal conference” is scheduled to be held:
Monday, October 5, 2009 @ 10AM
The Senator Theatre
Notification of attendance required
[note: we asked for clarification regarding who can attend. Kristen Mitchell (BDC Senior Economic Officer) responded quite promptly:
“The October 5 meeting is open to anyone who is interested in submitting a response to the RFP.”]

Additional information and/or notice of intention to attend the Oct. 5 conference:
Kristen Mitchell
BDC Senior Economic Development Officer
410-837-9305

LINKS:

• WBAL: Proposals Accepted For Senator Theatre & interview audio with Kim Clark (Executive Vice President of the BDC) by Anne Kramer
• Baltimore Sun: City seeks proposals for using Senator Theatre by Lorraine Mirabella
  Excerpt: On Monday, [David] Cordish said in an e-mail that his company would not submit a bid, but would step in to help keep the theater going.
  “What we’ve said is that if the city is stuck, call us; we will form a nonprofit,” Cordish said.
• MD Daily Record:  City seeks buyer to run Senator Theatre by Robbie Whelan
• City Sets Guidelines for Senator Theatre by Luke Broadwater
• BDC Seeks Senator Theatre Encore by Daniel J. Sernovitz
• City Seeks Someone To Run Historic Movie House – WJZ TV (Maryland AP news)