Cannons hurling T-shirts into the crowd. Food vendors weaving through the aisles as festive music fills the air. The 2026 World Cup<\/a> lighting up giant screens. <\/p>\n That\u2019s the vision George Castro IV and his father, George Castro II, have for their 3,000-seat, Art Deco theater in downtown Elizabeth: part stadium, part festival, all spectacle.<\/p>\n \u201cWe see the Ritz as more than just a theater \u2014 it\u2019s an entertainment hub for all types of events: concerts, interviews, sporting events and even live boxing matches,\u201d said George Castro IV, 23, chief operating officer at The Ritz Theatre. \u201cWe\u2019re currently preparing for the 2026 World Cup. With the final taking place at MetLife Stadium, we plan to host some of the biggest watch parties in the nation.\u201d <\/p>\n President and CEO George Castro II, 60, and his son, Castro IV, own and operate Castro\u2019s Ritz Theatre<\/a> at 1148 E. Jersey St. <\/p>\n They have restored the historic building, carefully preserving its ornate architectural details. <\/p>\n Looking beyond traditional performances, the Castros have also expanded the venue\u2019s reach by presenting a wide range of events and opening the theater to film projects, music videos and community discussions. <\/p>\n Netflix, HBO, and other major production companies have filmed at The Ritz multiple times, a testament, Castro II says, to the theater\u2019s critically acclaimed acoustics. <\/p>\n The theater served as a location for \u201cThe Life of Sylvester Stallone,\u201d as well as the recent Bob Dylan biopic starring Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet. The venue has also welcomed stars such as Tito Nieves<\/a>, Victor Manuelle,<\/a> Willie Col\u00f3n<\/a>, Vanessa Williams and Cyndi Lauper and Julio Iglesias. <\/p>\n Rihanna filmed her \u201cUnfaithful\u201d music video there, which has nearly half a billion views on YouTube.<\/p>\n According to historical records, the theater was originally built in 1865 as the Drake Opera House<\/a>. It was a modest venue designed for small operas, built in an era before microphones existed. In the early 1900s, it became Proctor\u2019s Theatre.<\/a><\/p>\n In 1926, architect Jacob Fabian<\/a> purchased Proctor\u2019s Theatre, already expanded from the original Drake Opera House, and developed it further into the structure that stands today.<\/p>\n Castro II says that over the decades, the theater became home to many legendary performers. In 1956, Frank Sinatra took the stage. Elvis Presley, Liza Minnelli, Ray Charles, Maya Angelou and other notable artists also performed there.<\/p>\n Castro II spoke about how he came to own the Ritz.<\/p>\n \u201cWe bought the theater in 1994,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was one of those moments when, as they say, \u2018God shows you the door, but it\u2019s up to you to open it and walk through.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n He explained that he and his brother, Maurice Castro, had purchased the broadcasting rights for the 1993 World Cup eliminations, which were being held in the United States for the first time. After attending the match where Colombia defeated Argentina 5-0, they sat in the balcony of the Ritz, admiring its beauty, and decided to buy it.<\/p>\n At the time, Castro II recalls, they didn\u2019t have the resources to even consider purchasing such a large property.<\/p>\n \u201cWe met with the owner a few days later and when we told him we didn\u2019t have any money \u2014 he thought we were crazy but also admired our boldness. I said to him, \u2018Why don\u2019t you give us the mortgage?\u2019 And surprisingly, he thought it was a great idea. He hadn\u2019t planned on selling the theater, but he agreed.\u201d <\/p>\n In 2002, Castro II began major restorations to preserve the theater\u2019s period architecture. <\/p>\n The theater\u2019s design is distinctive. Rather than being deep, it is wide and semi-circular, giving every seat a close view of the stage. The orchestra seating features a four-foot pitch \u2014 the slope of the floor \u2014 from the stage to the back row, ensuring excellent sight lines and sound.<\/p>\n Since then, the Ritz has hosted countless shows, and Castro II said the support of the city has been invaluable.<\/p>\n \u201cThe mayor\u2019s leadership has been pivotal,\u201d he said. \u201cHe\u2019s a visionary who understands the importance of the theater and the value it brings to the city. The Ritz Theatre contributes significantly to the local economy. A weekend of shows can bring in nearly 10,000 people, many of whom dine at nearby restaurants and stay in local hotels.\u201d<\/p>\n Elizabeth\u2019s Mayor Christian Bollwage has attended several performances at the Ritz over the years. He said the Ritz Theatre is a cornerstone of downtown Elizabeth\u2019s economic vitality.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Ritz is more than a historic building\u201d Bollwage said. \u201cIt\u2019s a symbol of Elizabeth\u2019s artistic spirit and a gathering place that celebrates our city\u2019s rich cultural diversity.\u201d<\/p>\n Castro II noted that the businesses surrounding the theater benefit directly from its events. When the Ritz hosts a concert or comedy show, many restaurants in the city\u2019s Colombian enclave along Morris Avenue prepare for the influx of visitors from across the region.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ll often go to a nice restaurant on Morris Avenue before the concert,\u201d Castro II said. \u201cThose restaurants are flooded with people from the tri-state area who are heading to the Ritz. And all that activity helps infuse the city\u2019s economy.\u201d <\/p>\n Kimberly Orozco said her family-run business has a strong relationship with the theater.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen the Ritz has a show, we definitely feel it in the city. They bring a lot of big artists,\u201d said Orozco, marketing director for Brisas restaurant. \u201cWe\u2019re the official empanada supplier for the Ritz Theater, and any time they have an event, we get an order of 1,000 to 1,500 empanadas depending on the artist. We\u2019ve had that partnership with them for a while now.\u201d<\/p>\n Castro II uses the theater to serve the community, hosting cultural events and often offering the space free for fundraisers.<\/p>\n Elizabeth\u2019s Councilwoman-at-large Patricia Perkins-Auguste, says the Ritz Theatre under Castro II\u2019s leadership has been a resource for the entire community.<\/p>\n \u201cIf there\u2019s a cultural event and a certain type of atmosphere is required, the Ritz is the venue, and George has always been generous,\u201d Perkins-Auguste said.<\/p>\n Castro II paused as he reflected on his journey.<\/p>\n \u201cI wasn\u2019t born in the United States,\u201d he said. \u201cI was born in Colombia, but I love this country and this city. We are many different communities but we are one people, and that\u2019s what makes this place so special.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>\n If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement<\/a> and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and\/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.nj.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Cannons hurling T-shirts into the crowd. Food vendors weaving through the aisles as festive music fills the air. The 2026 World Cup lighting up giant screens. That\u2019s the vision George Castro IV and his father, George Castro II, have for their 3,000-seat, Art Deco theater in downtown Elizabeth: part stadium, part festival, all spectacle. \u201cWe […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[417909],"class_list":["post-2173455","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-meter"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2173455","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2173455"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2173455\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2173456,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2173455\/revisions\/2173456"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2173455"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2173455"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2173455"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}History of the theater<\/h2>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.nj.com\/resizer\/v2\/AWABWMMJWJFTNJNWT6TDO745XE.JPG?auth=1fc07bdbc88e9584a94d5d1628e229c8d00bdafc6cb0ad307683672fc85b84e9&width=1280&smart=true&quality=90\")
How the Castros took a chance <\/h2>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.nj.com\/resizer\/v2\/CI6TXLDUGVF33J55RLNIPVE75M.JPG?auth=45db38c6d989ffec273c8566cd9309bc7a0d9368b902f9d815e290f50231690c&width=1280&smart=true&quality=90\")
A Stage for the community<\/h2>\n