Admiral Twin Officially Reopens with Ribbon Cutting
FIRST TICKETS: Atem Cash of TTCU accompanied the SRO Showgirls to the ticket window as Jared Glover of Jim Glover Chevrolet and Tulsa Mayor Dewey F. Bartlett, Jr. purchased the first tickets after the ribbon cutting to see Spiderman.
GTR Newspapers photos
Blake Smith, owner of the Admiral Twin Drive-In, is ready to take one big relaxing breath after 588 days. That will be the time between Sept. 4, 2010 when he watched his landmark drive-in theater screens burn to the ground and the July 15 official ribbon cutting.
During that time, every emotion and effort has been extended. He wasn’t even prepared to properly celebrate when the drive-in did a soft opening on June 15, 2012. “It was a photo finish,” Blake says about the opening. Not everything was fully operational but that didn’t stop a crowd so large they had to turn away a long line of cars.
One month later, Smith put the finishing touches on his Phoenix that literally rose from the ashes. July 15 was the time to celebrate and Smith did that with the theater fans that helped keep him going, even before the smoke died out.
Helping Smith with the ribbon cutting festivities at the marquee entrance were Tulsa Mayor Dewey F. Bartlett Jr., who also attended the official Ground Breaking ceremony on June 11, 2011. It should be noted that Mayor Bartlett also made a strong presence at the Oct. 16, 2010 fundraising concert by making a private contribution to the cause.
Mayor Bartlett and Smith were joined at the ribbon cutting by delegates of Credit Union and Jim Glover Chevrolet who graciously underwrote the event.
Tulsa rock favorites (and drive in namesakes) Admiral Twin appropriately provided the live music which was staged near the towering screens. A historic group photo was taken at 8 p.m. at the stage. All ticket buyers who were in place at that time were part of that moment.
The Admiral Twin first opened May 24, 1951.
Updated 08-10-2012
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