Oakmont's Oaks Theater owner projects updates will expand presence, use
Marc Serrao is trying to make sure the Oaks Theater in Oakmont is more than simply a community landmark.
The Oaks will begin its new life Dec. 13 with a brunch and a classic film — and promises of more changes to come.
“We had potential buyers telling us about all sorts of plans for the theater,” says Serrao, who owns another borough landmark, the Oakmont Bakery. “But we finally said, we don't want Oakmont to lose the Oaks.”
He wants the Oaks to move from being a movie-only house to being an entertainment site that will focus on live events, featuring local comedy acts and music.
The theater's first weekend back will be limited to brunch and a showing of “It's a Wonderful Life” because a state liquor license has not yet been approved. When it is — and Serrao believes it will be by January — live acts and other events will follow.
A similar screening of “White Christmas” will be Dec. 20 and 21.
The theater, built in 1938, will still show films, of course, but manager Joe Wichryk II says screenings could take on special meanings. They could be favorites, such as “Jaws” or “Rocky,” or they could be classics offered in the afternoon to give older residents some daytime activities.
Serrao says the Oaks — or parts of it — could be used for weddings, showers and other events, as well as corporate meetings or training sessions.
Summer Tissue, director of the Oakmont Chamber of Commerce, is happy the Oaks will still be around.
“We really wanted the Oaks to stay a theater, but we are excited about it getting a new life,” she says. “I love to go to the Oaks.”
The theater space now features a raised area for tables and chairs to allow guests to enjoy a film or an act in a cabaret setting. The venue seats 293 people in theater seats and 75 at the tables.
Serrao, who has owned the Oaks for 13 years, says the idea to change the theater started about a year ago. He realized competition from multiplexes was too strong and started to examine turning the Oaks into a three-screen site. Or selling it.
But he says none of the three-screen plans were too attractive, so he and his partners — his son, Tony, and attorney Meg Burkardt — decided to go a different direction.
Even before the Oaks closed its doors at the end of July, Wichryk says, work had been going on. However, cleaning up before a show got to be too big a problem, he says.
The renovation of the theater probably will cost about $400,000, Serrao says. Improvements include a new sound-and-lighting system, transforming the concession area into a lounge, establishing a table-and-chair area, and adding a performance stage in front of the screen.
It includes a new marquee that mimics the classic one, but with new lighting.
Bob Karlovits is staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at bkarlovits@tribweb.com or 412-320-7852.
