Moorlyn Family Theatre to Remain Open Through Fall

For the first time in recent years, the Moorlyn Family Theatre will remain open through the fall and Christmas seasons and into First Night celebrations. 

Because of the new management, distributors are willing to provide first-run releases on a trial basis, depending on local response. Extensive parking is free in the municipal lots adjacent to Moorlyn Terrace and 8th Street.

The Ocean City Tabernacle purchased the theater in October 2012 and opened with a broad variety of movies and live family entertainment in time for summer 2013.

Under ownership by Frank Entertainment, the theater typically closed with the end of the summer season on Labor Day.

Now playing at the theater are the highly promoted sequel, "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2" along with "The Ultimate Life," and a critic’s choice coming of age film, “The Way Way Back.”  By popular demand, "The Butler," continues, as well.

The weekday schedule includes late-afternoon and early-evening shows with an additional nighttime showing on weekends.

Other titles coming to the cinema this fall include "Gravity" (Sandra Bullock and George Clooney) and "Grace Unplugged."

Artistic Director Seth Bazacas named other coming features: "Captain Phillips" (Tom Hanks), "Free Birds" the new animated Angry Birds film (Owen Wilson and Amy Poehler), "Thor: The Dark World" the latest sequel in the super hero saga, and the next Hunger Games release, "Catching Fire."

Assuming solid community response, the Moorlyn will add Disney's "Frozen" and the new Hobbit film, "The Desolation of Smaug," both releases in December.

Asked about First Night, Bazacas said he plans to offer free films to button-holders in two of the four screens—“VeggieTales” for the younger set and award-winning Disney Pixar short animations for older teens and adults. 

The theater will host "SURGE," a movie theatre concert event with bands like Casting Crowns, Newsboys and Lecrae, along with comedians and speakers, on Oct. 9 and 16. 

The theater also will partner with the Ocean City Theatre Company to bring the musical "My Way," a Frank Sinatra revue, to Ocean City on Oct. 11 to 13. The show is billed as "a 53-song tour through the music and legend that was Ol’ Blue Eyes himself." Tickets are $18 for adults and $15 for students, children and seniors. Call 609-399-0006 or visit the box office.

"Our goal is to stay open through the fall season and holidays in order to be able to continue to bring film and entertainment to the locals of Ocean City, and to the folks that still come to visit us in the off-season," Bazacas said. "So come on out, grab some food from a local merchant who still has their doors open and enjoy a show and support MFT."

For more information, visit http://moorlynfamilytheatre.org/.