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The Fall of the Wonder Theatre

The Fall of the Wonder Theatre

By the late 1960's, the likes of Michael Shea, Vincent McFaul, and Ed Meade were long gone, as were the old vaudeville shows and film studios. Now under the ownership of Loew's Theatres, Shea's Buffalo Theatre was falling into decline and disrepair. It was beginning to seem more and more likely that Shea's Buffalo Theatre would share the fate of the other Shea's theaters and would soon be demolished entirely...

The (not-so) Mighty Wurlitzer

During World War II, the organ fell into a state of extensive disrepair...the Loew Corporation had no interest in using the grand organ and the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company of North Tonawanda had ceased production of new Wurlitzer organs by 1942. So the instrument sat in Shea's Buffalo Theatre, unplayed for some thirty years, rotting away. Massive leaks in the theater's roof during the 1960's caused severe water damage to the pipes and for a time there was serious thought of junking the instrument, now literally held together with baling wire and rubber bands while mushrooms had actually begun to grow in the chambers!
Before Shea's Performing Arts Center had their Broadway Season, we had the Shea's Buffalo Attractions: in 1969, Loew's tried offering a subscription series for touring shows, including many touring Broadway productions like <i>Fiddler on the Roof</i>, <i>Cabaret</i>, Neil Simon's <i>Plaza Suite</i>, <i>1776</i>. But Loew's had trouble with booking productions, with shows being cancelled and by July 1972, the Shea's Buffalo Attractions were no longer being offered.

Photo Credit: The Buffalo News - August 27, 1969

Before Shea's Performing Arts Center had their Broadway Season, we had the Shea's Buffalo Attractions: in 1969, Loew's tried offering a subscription series for touring shows, including many touring Broadway productions like Fiddler on the Roof, Cabaret, Neil Simon's Plaza Suite, 1776. But Loew's had trouble with booking productions, with shows being cancelled and by July 1972, the Shea's Buffalo Attractions were no longer being offered.

Photo Credit: The Buffalo Courier - July 11, 1970

Photo Credit: The Buffalo News - June 4, 1975