A RENOVATED architectural gem at Oberon will hold its launch event this weekend.
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Lucy and Johnny East bought the Malachi Gilmore Hall in Oberon Street in 2017 and have been progressively bringing the building back to life.
They held a Malachi Revival weekend in 2018, which included music and a long lunch, but this Saturday's The Rivoli performance will be the first show held at the site for 40 years.
The evening will include special opening celebrations.
"We are so excited to open our doors and welcome the community back to the Malachi," Ms East said.
"The Rivoli is a fitting performance as it's an ode to a bygone dance era and we will bring that magical energy back for an unforgettable evening."
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The Rivoli, presented by the Dance Makers Collective and featuring dancers and a live band, is described as a "celebration of social life before social media, when to meet was to talk, laugh and move to music together".
The show takes its name from the Rivoli Dance Palace in Parramatta, which was Western Sydney's favourite dance hall from the early 1930s to the late 1960s.
Key features of Oberon's Malachi include a 200-seat hall with proscenium stage and a rare unpainted caneite panelled ceiling.
The auditorium and foyer has West Australian jarrah hardwood floors with a quirky diagonal fireplace and unique curved wall of glass blocks.
The Easts say their planned events at the hall for 2022 include cinema screenings, live music, art exhibitions and dinner dances.
They hope to hold regular concerts including the Malachi Nights series, focusing on new original music performed live by local and nationally renowned singer-songwriters.
They have asked for suggested uses for the Malachi from the Oberon community and ideas include film clubs for kids and a monthly Young Adults Screen Society.
The Easts say the revival of the Malachi has been made possible with funding from the NSW and federal governments and the building has been restored by local tradespeople and many generous offers of volunteer help.
The Rivoli will be performed this Saturday, April 9 (7.45pm) and Sunday, April 10 (1.45pm) and tickets cost $50. Tickets are available through the Malachi Gilmore Hall website.
