The Lake Theatre: A decades-old jewel rescued and revamped
There are many things to love about Oscoda, but one of downtown’s crown jewels is The Lake Theatre.
The Lake has been around since the 1940s — but there was a time, not so long ago, when the business’ future was uncertain.
“My wife, Teresa, and I bought the theatre in June 2022,” said Jim Edelman. “We were driving by one day and saw a for-sale sign and thought, ‘This is interesting.’ And suddenly, we’d bought a theatre. It’s almost like how Matt Damon bought a zoo.”
The decision was part protection, after the couple heard the lot was being considered for apartments.
“Once you take the theatre away … no one is building a new theatre,” Edelman said. “The projector alone, of that caliber, we’re talking about $100,000. Then you have to throw in another $25,000 for an audio system. You’re not deciding to build that. You have to be really committed.”
Teresa Landino-Edelman is already a local business owner, operating Mai Tiki Resort along US-23. The couple sees the theatre as their “fun” business, and doesn’t aim to make money themselves.
“We just want to keep this thing rolling and not lose money,” Edelman said. “Luckily, that’s where we’re at. There’s been no big surprises after we replaced the roof, though we did have some projector problems that first fall. We were really struggling to find parts for a discontinued model … but Christine, the manufacturer of our projector, really came through for us.
“They’d heard of our challenges and basically offered us a parts and service contract for an out-of-production projector, so our fee was a pittance. They’ve done significant upgrades over the past two years, which has kept it rolling and looking phenomenal. From an audience standpoint, you expect vibrant colors and good sound, but when I sit there and I know what it was like before … that makes it fun for us.”
Over the past two years, the couple has dramatically upgraded the theatre, repainting the walls from mustard yellow to calming blue, painting the ceiling black (“To me, that really made it a theatre,” Edelman said), epoxying the floor and bringing in fresh chairs.
“We went down by maybe 55 seats, but we also found four rows of power-recliner loveseats, and those are super sought after,” Edelman said. “We don’t charge a premium to use them. It’s first-come, first-serve, and they’re all super comfortable. The big thing, for us, was finally having cupholders in all of our seats. We both walk in that theatre and look at each other and can’t believe we got it done and how good it looks. It makes me so proud.”
The Lake Theatre is also known for affordability. Even in a world of constant inflation, the remodel didn’t take that away. You can see a movie in the single-screen theatre for $6, or $5 for ages 11 and under. Neither ticket prices, nor concession prices, have changed since the Edelmans bought the business. But don’t forget to bring cash; the business doesn’t take cards.
“I know it’s a pain for visitors who have to run to the ATM, but we’re trying to hold out as long as we can,” Edelman said. “We want to try to keep those prices as low as possible. Our cost for the popcorn cups and drink cups went up significantly last year, and candy is getting more expensive. Everything is getting more expensive. But we’ll stomach it as long as have to. I’ll never say never, but as long as we can.”
The past few months at The Lake have brought a series of fun, elaborate facades, decorating the building to match the current run — which, thanks to the demands of Hollywood, can sometimes last three weeks.
“In a small town like Oscoda, that almost dictates we do fun things to make sure people don’t forget about us, or come see the movie a second time,” Edelman said. “And it’s a fun business. If you don’t bring the fun to it, what’s the point?”
Jack Martin, the business’ “lead visionary of cool things,” approached the couple over Halloween about building out the facade to look like Dracula’s Castle.
“He built a plywood frame that sat on the surface of the theatre, so it wasn’t something that couldn’t come down and wasn’t robust enough to stay up for years,” Edelman said. “He really had a vision in his head, and has an artistic eye. He could really picture the whole thing and didn’t have to measure much, other than where things fell. It’s not like we’re hanging off the building putting up panels; it’s really Jack driving it.”
Martin is assisted by other handy artists: Donny LaPointe, Eric Andrews and Andy Pomeroy. For the release of “Moana 2,” the group turned the building into a sandcastle. Over Christmas, it was Santa’s Workshop.
What’s next? After saving a local landmark, the Edelmans are turning their attention to partnership.
“We’ve connected with other businesses downtown and, as business owners, we all work together to make things happen. For ‘Wicked,’ Tait’s Bill of Fare and Edelweiss make themed cocktails, and it’s just a fun connection back to the movies.
“The dinner and a movie concept is an age-old idea, but it works really well. In the end, we have a good time, and that’s really where all this has to start from.”
The Lake Theatre is located at 117 E. Dwight Ave. For showtimes and more information, visit laketheatremich.com.