The Waco Hippodrome is Closing

And I'm afraid it might be my fault!

I want to preface this by stating how much I love the Hippodrome.  I love all old theaters, but the Hippodrome is a particularly beautiful one.  Sure, it needed a little more upkeep than it was getting, but the good people behind it did the best they could to keep it going with limited resources and very little support from the community.

And I just think it was so cool to have something like the Hippodrome in Waco.  In addition to musicals and plays, the Hippodrome also began airing classic and contemporary movies the last couple years.  I've attended a Vanguard High talent show and a handful of concerts there as well.  And the Rocky Horror Picture Show hoop-la engineered around the Hippodrome last year was just SO MUCH bizarre and crazy fun.  All my experiences with the Hippodrome have been beyond positive.  I have been a firm supporter.

So a few weeks ago (right before my birthday actually) when the Hippodrome screened the classic film Dr. Zhivago, we just had to go.  And it was lovely!  There was great old-timey music playing as we arrived.  We got popcorn and candy and drinks.  We sat in our seats and admired the unique details of the old building while we waited for the show to start.  The film itself was totally engaging and entertaining (it was my first time to see it).  It was a memorable and delightful experience.

Only one problem.  As lovely as the everything was, the seats are old.  Like, really old.  And fine for sitting an hour or two at a time.  But Dr. Zhivago?  Is a long movie.  The overture began at 7:00 and it was 9:00 before we even hit intermission.  Intermission!  There was still an hour and a half to go.  And our backs were kind of hurting (because we're old) and our knees were cramping (and feeble) and the seats were made for smaller people (because people were so much smaller back then, not because we're so big) and we just couldn't sit there that much longer (because we're also pathetic).

So during intermission we grabbed our coats and our empty soda bottles and our candy wrappers and we just kind of slipped out the front door.  We figured as much as we were enjoying the movie, and wanted to see the end, we could totally rent it and watch the last half with our feet propped up on the coffee table from the comfort of our own couch (which is, let's be honest, our favorite way to watch any part of any movie, beginning or end).  And then we scurried over the street to Austin's on the Avenue to toss back a couple of delicious gin and tonics and toast my birthday (again).

At the time it seemed like the perfect ending to a really cool night.  But now I feel guilty.  I bailed out.  I didn't see things through to the end.  I clearly wasn't willing to work hard enough.  I displayed less than the utmost rapture and regard.  And that kind of rejection can be painful, debilitating even.  Especially to an entity as proud and venerable and, well, old as the Hippodrome.

So is it my fault?  Did I kill the Hippodrome?