BG Theater Prepares for Midnight 'Harry Potter' Show

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1," the first in a two-part finale to the popular series, will be released in theaters Nov. 19.

And isn't wasting any time. In response to the hype about the series' seventh theatrical installment, the theater will air the movie beginning at 12:05 a.m. Tickets are $5.50 for adults and $4.50 for children, students and seniors.

The theater is kicking off the celebration tonight (Nov. 18) with a double feature of the fifth and sixth movies in the series. Tickets to the combined shows, which begin at 6 p.m., are $15. The admission price includes a hot dog meal; for another 50 cents, patrons can opt for pizza instead.

Theater owner Debbie Benjamin said one screen will be dedicated to the double feature, while two adjoining theaters, offering a total of 500 seats, will be available for the midnight showing.

She said plenty of advance tickets remain available; as of Wednesday, 56 had been pre-sold online. Due to the uncertainty of tonight's attendance, she said she's prepared to remain open for another run of the movie after the midnight show ends.

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" will run at Buffalo Grove Theater at least through Dec. 2. If demand is high enough, it will likely remain through mid-December, Benjamin said.

Those who purchase tickets during the first week of its run will be entered into a raffle awarding a pair of Blackhawks tickets, a one-night hotel stay and gift cards to local restaurants.

The promotion is just one part of the theater's efforts to become more engaged with the community, said Benjamin, who noted that it has also teamed with a number of charities. Among other efforts, the theater is currently accepting donations or food or cash to benefit the Lake County Food Pantry, and has partnered with the Northwest Suburban United Way for its annual holiday toy drive.

"We're trying to do a lot of give back to the community. This theater never seemed to be a big part of the community, and we're trying to change that," said Benjamin, who purchased the theater with her daughter, Kim, in early 2009.

The pair has also focused on making the community feel more at home at the theater through a long list of improvements.

"We're trying to let people know that it's not the same theater as it was in the past," Benjamin said. It's not the pit that it used to be."

"We've totally cleaned the place up. You don't stick to the floors anymore. The graffiti is gone," she said. Other improvements include an updated sound system, two 3-D screens, a revamped concession stand, shows that begin during the 11 p.m. hour, regularly shampooed carpets and clean theater seats.

The clientele has since changed, too, she said.

"We've gotten rid of the riff-raff," she said. "We've made it a safe environment."

She said she hopes that movie-goers who were turned off by the theater's previous conditions will give it another chance.

For the last year, it has offered first-run movies, while keeping tickets at roughly half the cost of those at other nearby theaters.

"We're very economy driven," Benjamin said. "We've just made it a discount first-run theater."