TALK OF THE TOWN PHOTOGRAPHED BY EMILY HENDERSON
EAST SOUTH MAIN
A Perfect Trio THE LYRIC THEATER ADDS TO THE EXPERIENCE WITH AN ICE CREAM PARLOR AND BRICK OVEN PIZZA WRITTEN BY MICHELLE BANSE STOKES
t wasn’t very long ago that every small, central Texas Originally known as the Foster Building when it was built in 1879, the town had an old theater downtown. Locals would anxious- name changed The Happy Hour Theatre in 1913 and later to The Lyric ly wait for the new release movies to make it to their town Theatre in 1930. It received a complete makeover in the 1950s. and then pack the seats on Friday nights, their laps full of heavily buttered popcorn and boxes of Milk Duds. To- “My wife, Terry, runs The Lyric,” said John. “That’s kind of her baby. We show classic movies, not brand-new release movday, rising costs have forced nearly all ies. Terry is progressing from a history standpoint to close and either become a dilapidated ghost of Left, Big Time Pizza offers brick oven because going to the theater is an old school way of what they once were, or worse, be remodeled into pizza in dowtown Flatonia; middle, moviegoers will enjoy classic movies experiencing movies. Hollywood wants mom-andsomething entirely new, forgetting the old theater’s at Lyric Theater; right, Lyric Ice Cream former glory. pop movies to go away because they can’t make Parlor is a favorite stop next door any money off of us. We want to project the idea of to the theatre. a theater as a classic film, historic place.” Fortunately for Flatonia’s old theater, it is being lovingly preserved by John Knotts and his wife, Terry Ehler Knotts. Today, The Lyric Theater allows patrons to step off the Soon after The Lyric Theater began showing classic movies, the Knotts street and back in time with classic movies and old-fashioned favorites. added to the experience by opening an ice cream parlor next door.
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