12 MONKEY from 1
Theatre was an adjunct to local recreation for old and young. Because of the decreased patronage, the number of programs were curtailed, yet their quality remained excellent.’’ The historic theatre is
now in the process of be- ing renovated and ex- panded and turned into a performing arts center by Alex Ray, owner of the Common Man restau- rants. And, just like the orig-
inal theatre was a big part of the community, working with community groups to further their goals, the Flying Monkey Movie House and Perform- ing Arts Center aims to do the same thing. “This is something the northern part of the state needs, a year round place where people can hear and see top musical per- formers and where arts and culture are valued as part of the whole com- munity,’’ says Ray, who said he is pleased by the response the project has received. It’s just the latest in a
long line of historic build- ings which Ray has been involved with over the last 40 years through his statewide restaurant op- eration, which has over 800 employees. “The first Common Man
THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, July 22, 2010
in Concord which was reopened as the Capital City Diner in 1987 (it has since been replaced by a new Common Man fea- turing elements of older buildings) and the Tilt’n Diner, which was moved from Massachusetts to New Hampshire in 1992. “There was an old barn
in Windham that we turned into a Common Man Restaurant in 1996 and the Common Man Inn and Spa and Foster’s Boiler Room restaurant in Plymouth were built in an old wood products fac- tory,’’ says Ray. The most recent reno-
vation of a defunct mill took place two years ago in Claremont where the second Common Man Inn and a Common Man res- taurant are now located on the banks of the Sugar River.
Alex Ray and Steve Carpenter of Pemi Glass and Mirror go over changes needed for the Flying Monkey’s box office.
in Ashland was in an 1847 home that we reworked but tried to keep true to what we thought a build- ing in that era should look like. When we expanded to Lincoln in 1986 we bought the old Pollard family home and 47 days later we opened the res- taurant,’’ says Ray. Other historic build-
ings have included a for- mer Howard Johnson’s
Known for his hands-on See MONKEY on 13
The concession stand at the Flying Monkey is being relocated from the back wall to a more prominent location.
ROGER AMSDEN PHOTOS
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56