metro Federation Congratulates Our 2015 Award Winners IFETIME CHIEVEMENT Like 'Old Hollywood' Harvey Bronstein Margot Halperin The new Riviera theater brings luxury back to the movie experience. Adam Bland( YOUNG LEADERSHIP AWARN I D FRANK A. WETSMAII Brian Y. Satovsky AWARD SYLVIA SIMON GREENBERG AWARD Regina Colto Join Us At Federation's 44 •■■ •••"°--. IL P Thursday, May 21, 2015 5:30 p.m. Light fare and drinks Dietary laws observed Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit 3220o Middlebelt Rd. Farmington Hills, MI RSVP jewishdetroit.org/awardsnight by May 6, 2015 Here For Good &"% Jewish Federation OF METROPOLITAN DETROIT 2003600 24 -ril 30 • 2015 JIB Julie Edgar Special to the Jewish News espite the immediacy of streaming services like Netflix and Hulu, abundant cable movie channels and even DVDs, people still are drawn to the movie theater — but ifs got to be at least as comfortable as their living room. A little elegance with that bucket of popcorn doesn't hurt either. The folks behind a new cinema in Farmington Hills are betting on luxury. A project of the joint partnership of Cloud Nine Theater Partners LLC (which runs the Maple Theater in Bloomfield Township), and the Buffalo-based Dipson Theatres, the Riviera, which formally opens today (April 30), features nine screens, all outfitted with reclining chairs, and state-of-the-art film projec- tion and sound. A 10th auditorium, the "Screening Room" is a 50-seat auditorium for pri- vate events. Like its sister theater, the Maple, the Riviera will offer cocktails and a lounge and higher-end concessions (gourmet pizza, etc.). There will also be live music on the weekends. The Riviera is in a spot long ago occu- pied by the Grand River Drive-In at 9 Mile and Grand River. It later became the UA West River Theatre, part of the West River Centre shopping center that is anchored by a Target. It then morphed into the Phoenix Theatres, which closed in 2003, when its lease expired. Cloud Nine and Dipson decided to combine forces and remake the 38,000-square-foot space as an old- time movie palace that features gold chandeliers and red velvet drapes — "a throwback to old Hollywood," says Ruth Daniels, a managing partner. Ron and Roman of Birmingham designed the renovation. "The new trend is luxury; says Daniels, who spoke last week from CinemaCon, the annual gathering of movie theater owners in Las Vegas. "Some people are saying these are the new 'stadiums: Sitting in these reclining seats, ifs almost like you're in your own pod. It's very private. It's not like an old movie theater where you're bumping elbows" The partners did a ground-up renova- tion, redoing the bathrooms, lobbies and auditoriums, trimming the number of seats from 2,000 to 800 to create a more intimate venue. A grand opening charity benefit to show off the Riviera and raise money for four local charities is set for Wednesday, May 6. A strolling buffet and a choice of movies is part of the soiree. While the Riviera will show senior- friendly movies and family-friendly blockbusters like The Avengers, it will also offer the kind of independent, smart films the three-screen Maple Theater would show if it had the room. For its opening weekend, viewers can see Woman in Gold and Age of Adaline, among others. Riviera ticket prices will be the same as the Maple's, ranging from $8-$12, with lower prices for children and students. Cloud Nine, which took over the Maple in 2012, added a coffee bar and a traditional bar there and is finishing renovations to the lobby. ❑ Riviera's May 6 Grand Opening The Riviera's grand opening charity benefit begins at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 6. The evening includes a strolling supper, a signature cocktail, live music, choice of movie, popcorn, snacks and more. Jay Towers of Fox2- TV and WNIC-FM will serve as emcee. Sales of tickets, at $100, will go to National Council of Jewish Women-Greater Detroit Section, an organization that promotes social justice and advocacy local- ly and federally; Jay's Juniors, Towers' charity that provides Disney World vacations for fami- lies with a child suffering from an chronic or acute illness; Sweet Dreamzzz Inc., a charity that provides sleep education and bedtime essentials to economi- cally disadvantaged students and their families; and Oakland Early College, a college prep program at OCC's Orchard Ridge Campus that enables high schoolers to earn college credits. To purchase tickets, visit EventBrite.com and search for the Riviera Cinema. Advance reservations are recommended, although tickets will be available at the door. Cocktail attire is welcome. The Riviera is in the West River Centre at 30170 Grand River, Farmington Hills.