Retro Dome Theater to Close Jan. 31

Situated on the Saratoga-San Jose border, the multifaceted Retro Dome offers programming ranging from movie screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show to dance performances of The Nutcracker -- and a bit of everything in between.

Yet on Jan. 31, the theater will shut its doors after a 3½-year run. The owners are currently searching for a new space to carry on the same performances.

“It’s disheartening for us, but we know it’s the people and not the building that make the Retro Dome,” said co-owner Shannon Guggenheim, who opened the theater on Sept. 4, 2009.

The owners are looking for a venue in Silicon Valley, with Saratoga, Los Gatos, Campbell and downtown San Jose on their list of possibilities, said Guggenheim. She's currently renting the property from Federal Realty. She welcomes suggestions of available properties that have a large seating capacity.

“The Retro Dome has been a really neat use of space,” said Saratoga Mayor Chuck Page, who said the theater would be a big benefit to the community if it were to relocate within city boundaries.

When Guggenheim first opened the theater with her husband, native Saratogan Scott Guggenheim, the company leasing the space said its stay would have to be temporary, as there were plans to demolish the property within a few years. The Dome, constructed in 1962, was previously a Century 25 Cinema.

Now is a crucial time for support, said Shannon Guggenheim. “We’re not dead in the water,” she said. “We’re very much alive and offering really great programming."

Currently the Retro Dome is hosting a performance of “The Game Show Show,” a colorful musical which plays homage to a variety of game shows. The holiday-themed musical Santastic! will begin its run in December. The theater also screens movies, and will next be playing The Rocky Horror Picture Show tonight at 9 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 31, Halloween.