The theater at Edmond Town Hall has undergone significant upgrades and renovations during the last few years. New seating, brand-new projection and sound system, even a new screen have all made the experience of attending an event in that room much more enjoyable.

Now thanks to a decision by the ETH Board of Directors, live broadcasts will be introduced to the historic building. Sports fans will be the first to enjoy the new addition, when some of the opening play of NCAA Men’s Tournament is aired on Thursday, March 19.

Andy Clure, a member of the town hall board of managers, said last week that this latest addition has been about six months in the making.

“We’ve been working since August to be able to do live broadcast events,” Mr Clure said March 13. “We’re always looking for new ideas.”

The board looked at several different companies to find one that would be able to provide the service needed for Edmond  Town Hall to be able to show live events. In the end, Mr Clure said, they chose Charter Communications. 

“It’s basically over-the-air broadcast,” he said of the system that has been added. “One of the neatest things is, the resolution is the most up-to-date one available. It’s even better than what you can get at home.

“It’s 4K resolution,” he said. “I know it sounds cheesy, but it’s true: you really have to see it to believe it.”

Members of the board, said Mr Clure, previewed the new system on March 12, when they watched some of the Big East Men’s Basketball games.

“It was just incredible,” said Mr Clure.

To celebrate this new offering, the public is invited to Edmond Town Hall on Thursday, when the theater will be open from noon until midnight. The board of managers will host the airing of games in the tournament’s Round of 64, free of charge.

A second session has been added, with games to be screened with the new wi-fi technology on Friday, March 20, from 3 pm until midnight.

The concession stand will be open during these times, said Sheila Torres.

The Operations Manager for ETH and also a member of the board of directors, Ms Torres said that the public cannot bring in their own snacks, however. The theater regularly does not allow outside food and drink to be brought in to the building.

“If someone wanted to rent one of our meetings rooms for a March Madness party complete with their own snacks, we would certainly rent any available space,” she offered.

The use of the live airing technology will continue well beyond this week’s March Madness, said Mr Clure.

“We’re always looking for ideas,” he said. “This is definitely something we’re going to continue, maybe with the Oscars, sporting events like the NFL, opening day of baseball, and even season finales of popular shows.”

Such events, Mr Clure reiterated, will also be offered free of charge.

Free ‘Hobbit’ Screenings

In addition to March Madness on Thursday, the ETH Board of Directors has another offering for the public next weekend.

On Saturday, March 21, the theater will host free screenings of two movies: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012), at 1 pm, and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013), at 4:30. NJK Automotive of South Main Street is sponsoring the special showings.

The free screenings will coincide with the opening night of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. Admission for the third installment of The Hobbit series, which will begin at 8 pm, is the regular $2 ticket price charged at Edmond Town Hall.

“You can come and watch all three for the cost of one film,” said Mr Clure. “Just make sure you have a lot of time,” he added with a laugh. “Each of these films runs about 2½ hours.”

Screenings of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies will continue through March 26, with shows at 7 pm each night. Matinees are also scheduled, on Sunday and Tuesday, March 22 and 24, at 1 pm.

The ETH Board of Managers has changed the start times for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies on Saturday. This story has been updated to reflect those changes.

(Tuesday, March 17, 2015) In addition, the Board of Managers has extended the Thursday screening of NCAA games, and added a Friday session. These changes have also been updated within the above story.