Cabot St. Cinema Theatre

The Cabot St. Cinema Theatre is a nearly 100 year old theatre in Beverly Massachusetts owned by White Horse Productions, the parent company for the LeGrand David Magic Show. This theatre company has the honor of having the longest running resident magic company in the United States.

Located in Beverly Massachusetts, The Cabot St Cinema Theatre was originally known as The Ware Theatre. It was built as a silent movie house/vaudeville house and opened on December 8, 1920. The theatre was managed by Harris and Glover Ware, two former vaudeville artists, who also built and ran the Larcom Theatre in the same town.

The Ware Theatre or Cabot St. Cinema Theatre as it’s known today, has a lower level and a balcony with a total of 750 seats. There is a very large stage with fly space above and dressing rooms below the stage. The original theatre also had an orchestra pit which is no longer there.

In 1976, Cesareo Pelaez and a group of friends put their resources together and formed White Horse Productions, and their first purchase was the Cabot Cinema. The theatre was closed for only 48 hours while the group feverishly cleaned the entire theatre. Then they opened with a unique concept, they would show ‘Films Worth Seeing More Than Once’. These were often classic films and occasionally a modern movie as well. From the moment audiences stepped in the doors they knew they were getting a different experience from the typical movie theatre. There were always fresh cut flowers on display and the theatre had tuxedoed doormen and ushers.

With the theatre up and running, the group spent their off hours building props, repairing the stage, designing scenery and doing every other manner of thing needed to put together a stage magic show. Some members of the group were at the theatre till early in the morning working on projects and then would leave there to go to school or work elsewhere.

On February 20th 1977 the first performance of ‘LeGrand David and his Magic Company’ was given on the stage of the Cabot. They would eventually become the longest running resident magic company in America. Thirty five years this group performed on the stage of the Cabot.

When the opportunity arose to purchase the sister theatre, The Larcom, they decided to go ahead and purchase that theatre as well. Eventually they would present a totally different stage magic show at that theatre. One long running magic show is amazing enough, but to have two in the same town is mindboggling.

In 2013, both theatres are still owned by White Horse Productions however the magic shows have stopped. It may only be a temporary hiatus however. One can only hope.

References

• Carteles de Magia published 1994 by LeGrand David (self published by White Horse Productions)
• Life With A Magic Company published 1995 by LeGrand David (self published by White Horse Productions)
• Variedades published 1998 by LeGrand David (self published by White Horse Productions)
• There Will Be Wonderful Surprises by Avrom Surath 2007 (self published by White Horse Productions)
• Wonderful Surprises by Avrom Surath 2011 (self published by White Horse Productions)
• http://www.themagicdetective.com/2013/01/the-cabot-true-theatre-of-magic.html
• http://www.cabotcinemamovies.com/