A Century of History: Celebrating 100 Years of the Richey Suncoast Theatre
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
On July 1, 1926, the Thomas Meighan Theatre officially opened its doors to a capacity crowd of 500 people. The beautiful building was designed by famed architect Thomas Reed Martin. The very first film shown that night was The New Klondike, a story about the Florida Land Boom starring the theatre's namesake, silent movie star Thomas Meighan.
For decades, The New Klondike was thought to be lost forever. But in a true Hollywood ending, the final reel needed to complete the film was found at the Paramount lot in LA. Fully restored in the spring of 2025, The New Klondike premiered at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival in November 2025 before coming home to New Port Richey for our Centennial Celebration!
Over the years, our historic building saw many changes, transitioning into The Vogue Theatre in 1939 before eventually closing its doors in 1968. However, in 1972, the Suncoast Young Peoples Theatre purchased and renovated the building, reopening on August 25, 1972, with a performance of Fiddler on the Roof. Following a merger with the Richey Theatre Guild, the name was officially changed to the Richey Suncoast Theatre we know and love today.
Last night's 100th-anniversary event was a beautiful tribute to those deep roots. The evening featured a rich theater-history presentation by Mike Worssell. In one of the most touching moments of the night, the theater presented Thomas Meighan's great-niece, Maryann, with a special photo that was found at the Paramount lot and sent to us from LA.
As we celebrated our centennial, we were incredibly honored to share our 100th birthday with descendants of the Meighan family, who shared personal stories and are carrying on his legacy right here in New Port Richey. A special and heartfelt thank you for attending goes to:
John Meighan, Thomas Meighan's great-nephew
Paul Farmerie, husband of great-niece Sally Meighan Farmerie
Maryann Meighan Riebe, great-niece, and her husband Don Riebe
Ryan Riebe, great-great-nephew
Marlo Farmerie Pastore, great-great-niece, and her husband Brandon Pastore
That is the magic of the movies. Here is to the next 100 years of the Richey Suncoast Theatre!
