The “ROYAL” sign from the Royal Theatre will be in the custody of Arkansas Sign and Neon for renovations.
If you’re passing 111 S. Market Street in downtown Benton anytime soon, you’ll see that major renovations are underway at the historic Royal Theatre. The most noticeable difference is its iconic vertical sign is missing from the skyline. Read more below.
This is just one part of a larger effort to restore the building’s vintage marquee and lighting. The project comes after years of wear to the theatre’s lighting.
Crews removed the tall vertical portion of the sign this week—the section that spells “ROYAL”—using a crane to lift the heavy fixture over power lines and onto a flatbed truck.
The piece will be repaired and restored before being reinstalled. Work is being completed by Arkansas Sign and Neon.
In addition to restoring the vertical sign, crews are also upgrading the wavy light border around the marquee and replacing the marquee backboard.
The neon on the sign had been partially nonfunctional for some time. There were broken sections of the lighted wavy border. There were also several missing marquee letters – and that type of letter is no longer manufactured.
The renovation replaces the aging neon with modern LED lighting. It’s designed to maintain the classic neon appearance while improving reliability, according to Daphne Shoppach of the Royal Players Board.
The total cost for the lighting and marquee renovation project is estimated at approximately $42,000.
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- Before marquee restoration
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- Before marquee restoration
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- During marquee restoration
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- During marquee restoration
Board members have been paying for the work incrementally from available funds while working to raise additional support. Community donations are being accepted to help complete the project. Visit www.theroyaltheatre.org and scroll down to the “Donate” button.
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- Theatre seats available to public.
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- Sign up using the form.
The Royal Players Board is also offering the public a chance to own a piece of the theatre’s history. In the late 1990s, actor Jerry Van Dyke owned the theatre and had the maroon seats installed. Van Dyke is known as “Luther Van Dam” on the TV show “Coach.”
Those seats are being removed and replaced. If you’d like to own a part of history, they will available to the public for free.
Complete an online request form to join the waitlist, and board members will send text messages when seats become available. The process is happening in phases, and therefore, participants may be contacted multiple times as additional seats are released.
Recipients will be responsible for picking up the seats at the Royal Theatre and loading them – the chairs are heavy. They must be picked up the same day contact is made.
The ongoing improvements represent more than a visual upgrade for the historic venue. Theatre leaders say the renovations are part of a broader effort to preserve the building while continuing to support local arts and entertainment in downtown Benton.
💺💺💺Fill out the seat request form at https://forms.gle/cnnckoScCpx1cfvu8. Make donations toward renovations by visiting at www.theroyaltheatre.org, and scroll down to the “Donate” button.
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