Town Council gave Royal Poinciana Playhouse second chance at splendor

Letter to the Editor, Palm Beach Daily News
Saturday, December 06, 2008

As a nonresident of Palm Beach and a theater enthusiast, I was especially pleased to have participated in the informational network supporting the landmarking of the (Royal Poinciana) plaza and the entire Playhouse.

Renowned architect John L. Volk gave as much attention to the design of its interior as to its exterior Regency-style architecture.

He paid particular attention to the functionality of the Playhouse as a venue for live performances by designing a two-plane acoustical curve across the stage proscenium, creating the best acoustics for a theater of its size in the country.

Attending performances at the Playhouse was always a memorable occasion. Its graceful and spacious stadium-style seating and unmarred sight line from every seat in the auditorium were always noted and valued. The colonnade of Regency-style arches, and a splash of red created a glamorous setting of excitement in anticipation of what was about to take place on stage.

Having worked until recently for the State of Florida in the field of historic preservation, I am thankful to the Palm Beach Town Council for allowing the cultural community this opportunity to resurrect the Royal Poinciana Playhouse, with its quality materials, elegant design and functionality, to its former dignity and splendor.

The will and the need are there for bringing a valued and truly missed Playhouse back to serve as a cultural venue for the residents of Palm Beach and the Palm Beach region.

Bonnie Dearborn

Boca Raton

Royal Poinciana Plaza Landmarked

NOVEMBER 12, 2008
PALM BEACH, FLORIDA

The Palm Beach Town Council today voted three to two in favor of landmarking the Royal Poinciana Plaza.

“We are so grateful for the support of council members David Rosow, Susan Markin and Gail Coniglio,” said Patrick Henry Flynn, President of the Palm Beach Theater Guild which has lead the three year campaign for landmarking.

“In a year of political surprises, this was the biggest one,” Flynn continued. “We hope to work with the developers to create a new plan for the complex.”

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Patrick,

From Niagara-on-the-Lake, Congratulations! This is wonderful news! And, it’s about time!

Jim Bratton

Arthur Oldham II

November 9, 2008

Palm Beach Town Council
360 South County Road
Palm Beach, FL 33480

Dear Council Members,

I urge you to think of Palm Beach as a unique haven, rather than just another Florida community where condos rule the roost. If the Playhouse goes, why not the Flagler Museum? Surely there is a developer who can find a way to shrink Flagler for the right to install residential units.

The Playhouse, like Palm Beach, is a gem. I grew up in New York City and worked there for some years, so I have attended almost every theatre there. I also lived in London for a year and visited a majority of those theatres. But our Playhouse stands at the top of the list when you consider its many outstanding features, which include sighting, acoustics, seating comfort, and appropriate size for so many of our best plays that were not written for stadium-size settings.

I have one actor friend, James Karen*, who began his career on Broadway and has played in our Playhouse twice. He tells me his heart would be broken to hear the Playhouse was lost.

Mine too.

Sincerely yours,

Art Oldham II
Palm Beach, Florida

*His films include Wall Street, Jagged Edge, and The Pursuit of Happiness.

Comments

You One Man Band------you bet you are-----this landmarking would never take place with out your unbelievable efforts ! Sainthood would be more like it--------and the citizens of this county and the town of Palm Beach should be eternally grateful to this one man band.

Jan McArt

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THANK YOU PAT, AND ALL SANE PEOPLE. ONLY THE INSANE WOULD WANT TO TEAR DOWN THIS TREASURE! NOW LET’S GET IT BACK TO DOING WHAT IT WAS DESIGNED TO DO, AND IT DID SO WELL!

Gilbert V. Levin, Ph.D. in Sanity

'One-man band' Patrick Flynn deserves thanks from Palm Beach

Saturday, November 15, 2008
By WILLIAM O. COOLEY
Special to the Daily News

You have to help me here. Since when does the Palm Beach Daily News ridicule a private citizen for doing his best to save a valuable Palm Beach community asset?

Last Sunday's cartoon depicting Patrick Flynn as a one-man band was a cheap shot and beneath the dignity of the editorial staff of the Shiny Sheet.

Patrick Flynn should be canonized for his efforts in working with the residents of the town to save the Royal Poinciana Playhouse and promote cultural awareness and a community theater in Palm Beach.

The Town Council, after a long hearing, by a 3 to 2 vote, voted to landmark the Royal Poinciana Plaza. Many folks had a hand in this effort but I would have to single out Pat Flynn (the one-man band) as the catalyst, as the cheerleader, as the one who brought us to the party.

Communities all over the country would give their right arm to have a facility in their town such as the Poinciana Playhouse. What does Palm Beach nearly do, give a green light to a group of developers to tear this Volk masterpiece down.

Against all odds, against the Citizens Association, the Civic Association, the Kosoy/Munder Group and their PR and lobbying machine, their hired chairman of ARCOM, the Palm Beach Daily News, The Breakers hotel and a whole host of characters who were promoting the destruction of this community asset, the preservationists prevailed.

With Pat Flynn drumming the beat for us, we made the case that the Plaza should be landmarked. Thanks to the forward vision of David Rosow, Gail Coniglio and Susan Markin, the Poinciana Playhouse will live to fight another day.

Now, the town should enforce the March 6, 1979, agreement between the developers of the plaza and the town. That agreement requires the developers of the plaza "to continue to lease the space now occupied and used by the 'Poinciana Theater' only for use as a theater of the performing and/or visual arts ..." It requires them to "continue to lease" this facility. They are willfully breaking this agreement.

The plaza developers are letting this valuable asset "die by neglect" and the town is letting them get by with serious code violations. They are not being required to live up to the 1979 agreement or town ordinances.

The Kosoy/Munder group should recognize that this theater is a real asset to their development and they should base their development around the theater and forget plans to wreck it. They should drop the idea of demolition of this architectural asset and replacing it with more condominiums.

Thank you, members of the Town Council who voted for preservation of the theater. Thank you, members of the community who supported this worthwhile endeavor. And thank you, Patrick Flynn, for having the courage and perseverance to stick you neck out and take a stand ... you one-man band.



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