Tenth Neon Sign Restored on Route 66: The El Rey Theater In December 2003, the New Mexico Route 66 association, with funding provided by the National Park Service Route 66 Corridor Preservation Office, restored the marquee of the historic El Rey Theater in downtown Albuquerque. This is the tenth neon restoration on New Mexico's Route 66 performed by the Association. The contractor for the restoration was RAM Studios of Farmington New Mexico. An unusual feature of the marquee was the original use of "ruby" glass for the red portions of the sign. Original ruby glass in a red tinted glass rather than the common white powdere coated glass that is often seen in neon signs. The deeply tinted glass is used to provide an attractive appearance in the daytime. Restoring with original ruby glass is problematic since ruby glass is hand drawn and therefore difficult to work with due to its non-uniform thickness. For the El Rey project, we chose a glass with a similiar look to ruby glass with a deep red tint. The glass is called TechniLux. Use of the TechniLux glass allowed a cost effective restoration while preserving the look of the original ruby glass. National Park Service funding was supplemented by funds from the Albuquerque Downtown Action Team and funds from the El Rey building owner. In 1941, Luigi Puccini built the Puccini Building, which houses the El Rey Theater, adding on to an existing 1928 building and installing a new facade. The El Rey originally seated up to 900 movie fans but in its current configuration, can seat about 600 patrons. The theater is on the State Registry of Historic Properties and is recognized as a distinctive example of Mediterranean style architecture. Kathy Zimmer, the present owner/manager of the El Rey, is the granddaughter of Luigi Puccini (builder of the El Rey and PastTime theaters) and great-grandaughter of Oreste and Maria Bachechi (Kimo Theater). So we see the Bachechi family and the Puccini family were socially intermingled but on the other hand - business is business. In 1981, Kathy together with her mom and her aunt, acquired the Puccini building from Luigi. At the time the building had fallen into disrepair and was dilapidated. Kathy’s aunt, a woman in her sixties, started booking rock shows and with a lot of hard work, turned the theater around. Acts such as Lyle Lovett, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Taj Mahal, and Blues Traveler have played the El Rey. Next to the El Rey in the Puccini Building, the Golden West Saloon was opened. The name “Golden West” was chosen not as a nod to cowboy heritage, rather the name referred to the Puccini Opera, “Girl of the Golden West.” Aha! Kathy’s Aunt ran the businesses for many years into her seventies and finally leased the business during the 1990s. During this time Kathy was in New York and other centers of showbiz pursuing an acting and film-producing career. Kathy was a student at the prestigious “Actors Studio” founded by Lee Strasburg and whose students included Marlon Brando, Dustin Hoffman and Elizabeth Taylor. In January of 2002, Kathy’s family did not renew the existing lease and Kathy decided she wanted to return to New Mexico and reinvigorate the El Rey. She has been immersed in the business since January taking up an office in a balcony room in the Golden West. She happily admits to being a Saloon Gal and with her formal training, could easily act the part of the saloon owner in The Girl of the Golden West. Or would it be acting? While we are at it, consider for a moment that The Girl of the Golden West is set in a western mining town in a saloon inhabited by miners, Wells Fargo agents, Minnie the barmaid, gamblers, bandits and lawmen where the characters break into arias sung in Italian. First performed in 1910, this folks is the original spaghetti western! Kathy’s work has resulted in a makeover of the inside of the theater creating an attractive performance space. Kathy also aggressively went after the neon restoration funds available through the New Mexico Route 66 Association. She partnered with the Albuquerque Downtown Action Team to submit a winning proposal and the exterior neon façade and marquee will be restored to its former brilliance. The El Rey currently presents live entertainment in a nightclub type atmosphere. The theater has been used recently to present film such as the Flicks on 66 competitions and Kathy hopes to be able to present classic movies in the future. Be sure to visit the Golden West Saloon next door and admire the Puccini Opera posters on the wall. After reading this, you’ll know why Puccini posters decorate the wall. Located downtown at 620 Central SW. Phone 505-764-2624