Meet the Road Apple Team....King EdwardDebbieConnieDanSorg Opera House, 57 South Main Street, opened Sept. 12, 1891, replacing Middletown's old Bijou Opera House. It seated more than 1,000 people on a main floor and two balconies. It was illuminated by about 1,200 electric bulbs, a recent amenity in 1891. During its history, it has been the scene of a variety of entertainment forms, reflecting changes in tastes and technology. The last vaudeville show in the theater was Aug. 4, 1929, according to George Crout, Middletown historian. Middletown's first "talking movie" was shown there Aug. 6, 1929, after showing "silent films" for several years. It was severely damaged in a fire Jan. 17, 1935. Before its revival, the South Main street showplace was known for many years as the Colonial Theater, starting in 1947. With the support from Middletown Heritage Inc. and the Friends of Sorg, the theater was refurbished and live performances returned to the Sorg Sept. 21, 1981, on the 90th anniversary of its opening. The opera house was built by Paul J. Sorg, a Middletown industrialist and political leader reputed to be the city's first millionaire. He bought the smaller Bijou and erected the Sorg Opera House on the site. "Sorg desired to give to the people a place where public meetings could be held, and at the same time were the people could see the world's best dramas, operas, musical and educational entertainment," said Benjamin Harwitz, a Middletown lawyer and historian who knew Sorg.
Today, this venue is the home of Road Apple Music. In our music store we offer musical instruments, used c.d.s, dvds, video games, computer systems, vocal and guitar lessons.
The Road Apple Sorg Music Theater hosts weekly performances ranging from live bands, movies, plays, art shows and much more. The theater is as beautiful as it was in the 1800s. This historical theater is alive again and we are very proud to be apart of that!
The Fourth Floor Ballroom is now home to our game room. This room is open daily and offers pool tables, arcade games, fooseball tables and a huge screen for video games. The ballroom also has a stage for live music and other entertainment. Please contact us if you are interested in renting the ballroom for your next birthday party or event.
Coming soon The Road Apple Cafe will open. This coffee shop will offer sandwiches, soups, pastries, ice cream and of course COFFEE! We plan on having live acoustic acts, poetry etc. We are very excited about adding this cafe to our business.
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