Forum, 236 Washington Street, Binghamton, NY

Seating 1200
The building is in two parts: the main, rectangular theater block completed in 1919 and the primary entrance and lobby area constructed in 1981.
Originally opened for vaudeville and movies as the Binghamton Theatre (retaining that name into the 1950's) it had a seating capacity of 1,804 given in the Film Daily Yearbook, 1941 edition.

The Binghamton Theatre was renamed the Capri Theatre in 1960.(1)(2) Boxoffice of June 20 reported that Comerford Theatres had held an invitational premier on June 8, and the remodeled house had opened to the public the following night. The renovation had included reseating the auditorium, reducing its capacity from about 1,800 to about 1,200. (2)

In summer 1975 it was announced that the Capri was being considered as the future home for the Broome County Performing Arts Center. Also announced at the same time was that a large Robert-Morton theatre pipe organ was being installed in the theatre by local organ enthusiasts.
The theatre organ at the Forum is one of the few of its kind in existence.
The Robert Morton organ at the Forum is an instrument with four keyboards, or "manuals", and twenty-four groups (or "ranks") of pipes. It was originally used in the America Theater in Denver in the 1920's. It was removed in 1930 and installed in the Pillar of Fire Church in Denver. The church used it until about 1970, when it was removed by a speculator who transported it to Michigan and stored it in a chicken coop(!) By that time, the trustees of the Binghamton Savings Bank were looking for a theater organ to install in the Forum as a gift to the community. In 1975 they located the Morton organ through a Tennessee broker and sent out two technicians to Michigan to examine it. They purchased the instrument and had it transported to Binghamton. It was restored and installed in the Forum under the direction of local technician George Melnyk.

Ceiling light

Now known as the Forum Theatre, it is home to the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra's Pops Series, Tri-Cities Opera, Broadway Theatre League and various dance groups.
Now known as The Broome Center for the Performing Arts.



Jerry performed here on 11/26/83 Early and late shows Jerry Garcia Band




1.)^Roe, Ken, comments, http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/11360
2.)^Vogel, Joe, comments, 2010-06-23, http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/11360