Historic Ritz Theater reveals renovation plans for 2025

Plans include air conditioning repair, new plumbing, and lighting overhaul.

The Historic Ritz theater in Rockville has been a staple of the local community for well over a century.

With age, however, comes the need for repairs and updates to equipment so the theater can keep up with the times while staying true to its roots.

This summer, the Ritz has experienced some issues with both the plumbing and air conditioning inside the building. In order to fix the plumbing, all of the internal parts of the toilets and sinks had to be replaced from scratch. This has largely fixed the issue, but air conditioning is a much more difficult task.

The air conditioning that is currently inside the building is roughly 30 years old and is on the docket for the Ritz to replace in 2025. According to General Manager David Crowder, the cost to replace the air conditioning would be over $50,000.

Fundraising for the AC repair and other projects began in 2024, and so far, the Ritz has raised over $300,000 of their $500,000 goal. Donations can be made online at the Ritz website, or in person at the theater.

Another big renovation coming to the Ritz is a complete overhaul of the lighting systems in the main theater. This includes brand new stage lights for live performances, as well as replacing all of the house lights with wirelessly controllable LEDs. 

General Manager Crowder mentioned that this renovation, while significant, will go largely unnoticed by the average theater goer, as the Ritz will maintain its classic look. He stated, “our goal anytime we do anything in the theater is to bring it up to date but keep its roots as a historic 1912 theater.”

The Ritz will close operations to begin its renovations in early January of 2025. No end date has been announced currently, but Crowder says they are working hard with their contractors to ensure the project gets done as fast as possible.