To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.

Then come back here and refresh the page.

Built in 1929, the former showcase movie palace has been closed since the 1970s, leaving the seats to get dusty and the lights dark.

But a Texas-based developer has now been selected to work on the project, with plans to restore the theater to a performing arts center to present 250 productions a year.

"This is a magnificent space,” said Brooklyn Borough Historian Ron Schweiger. “And to have it again as an entertainment center in the heart of Brooklyn would be just wonderful."

High-vaulted ceilings, chandeliers, and a marble staircase are just some of the ornate details of this once flagship theater in the Loews franchise. Its original French Renaissance-style architecture was modeled after the Paris Opera House, and was never sub-divided into a multiplex.

"We'd like as much as possible to bring it back to its original condition. So that people who haven't set foot in here in like 30 or 40 years will come back in and recognize it as the place they remembered,” said Seth Pinsky, president of the New York City Economical Development Corporation.

The Loews Kings showcased live acts and vaudeville shows, and attracted the top names in entertainment.

"The biggest stars appeared here: Jimmy Durante, Eddie Cantor, Bob Hope, Milton Berle, Sophie Tucker,”said Brooklyn Borough Historian Ron Schweiger,” said Bruce Friedman of the “Save the Kings” organization.

The theater became city property in 1983 when it was foreclosed on for non-payment of taxes. The city and the Brooklyn Borough President's Office came up with $50 million in capital funds to restore the building. The rest of the money will come from federal and state tax credits and the developer, ACE Theatrical Group, which is known for restoring national historic sites.

Officials say the project will create 50 permanent jobs and employ 500 people during the renovation.

"One of our goals is not just restoring an architectural gem, but also creating economic development opportunities, which is just as important to us,” said Pinsky.

Once completed, the Loews Kings will be the largest indoor theater in Brooklyn. The target date for the theater's grand reopening is in 2014.