Home to Hilarities 4^th Street Theatre

Fact Sheet

Inspiration

• Owner Nick Kostis, grew up in Brooklyn New York. He felt E 4^th Street had the same character that the intimate streets in New York have.
• Inspired by Charles Dicken’s The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club
• Staff Culture Conviviality! (Adj.) Defined as, relating to, occupied with, or fond of feasting, drinking and good company.
• “Short Vincent” was once the entertainment district in Cleveland featuring many major entertainers in from the 1950’s through the 60’s. On this street, there was a Frolic Show Bar and the Pickwick Restaurant.
• “Pickwick will define the Restaurant, Frolic is what you do there!”

Food

• American Rustic Cuisine
• 100 % made from Scratch!
• Buffet catered from the main Pickwick kitchen is served in the lower level Cabaret.
• Appetizers and finger foods are also available in Hilarities and Kevin Clintons Martini Bar.

Location Facts

• Pickwick & Frolic’s building is constructed on the former site of the Euclid Avenue Opera House. It was demolished in 1921. The Opera House boasted the largest gas burning chandlers with 325 gas burning jets.
• The S.S. Kresge Building was constructed in 1922.
• Pickwick & Frolic replaced 5 individual store units and two floors of the former S.S. Kresge Building

Building Facts

• 27,000 square foot. 2 floors.
• Project estimated cost, nearly 5 million dollars.
• In development for 4 ½ years. 20 months under construction.
• The entire complex can accommodate 900 guests at any given time.
• Over 130 employees.

Décor and Design

• Architect Joe Hanna, GSI Inc.
• General Contractor, DAS Construction Inc.

• In the summer of 2001, “Welcome to Collinwood” staring George Clooney was filmed in the building. Released as an independent film at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival in France and nationally in September of 2002.
• Scenic Artist, James Todd with over 20 years of Motion Picture experience was hired to transform Pickwick & Frolic interior.
• Custom 23-foot marquee extending over five feet onto East 4^th Street, the $100,000 marquee is composed of two giant pieces, which is illuminated by purple and blue neon lights. It is designed with over 400 feet of neon glass that beams with radiant colors. Over 650 hours of labor have been put into Pickwick & Frolic’s signature item. Pickwick & Frolic owner, Nick Kostis was inspired by a vision of a year gone by. His idea is to emulate the look of Cleveland’s famous Short Vincent Street of the late 40’s using unique, grand, well-lit signage for the street.
• Everything from the wooden doors to the walls are all hand painted. It took over 3000 man-hours to complete the look.
• Purchased at auction, four chandeliers originally lit the former O’Neil’s Department Store in Akron, Ohio that closed in 1984. These chandeliers were restored and grace the main lobby, above the Cabaret, the ornamental staircase and above the stage in Hilarities. These chandeliers are a monument to the grand chandeliers of the Historic Opera House.
• All handrails was completely designed and constructed by scratch over an

8-month period. All custom built and powdered coated to give it a rustic look.

Lobby

• Designed to look like an old lobby of a theatre.
• Faux finished walls.
• Grand chandelier with hand painted pitted medallions.
• Amazing hand painted wooded doors detailed to the hardware.

Pickwick Restaurant

• 185 seats
• Open kitchen
• Kitchen staff of 60
• Full Service 30-seat bar with dark brown marble and crotch grain mahogany finish.
• All the booths custom built.
• Reservations are accepted for groups of eight or more.

Cabaret

· 125 seats

· Nightly Dinner/Show

· Table side magic

· Recreate the “Spirit of Annabelle” A spirit from the Old Euclid Avenue Opera House.

· “Cabaret Rock” Five female vocalists assembled specifically for Pickwick & Frolic. The floor show is produced by our staff Music Director.

Kevin Clinton’s Martini Bar

· Named in honor of a wonderful gentle man who name we honor.

· Bar top is under lit dicrolam invented by Clevelander John Blazy. This amazing material helps set the mood and style of the martini bar.

· Red faux finished wall and imported white Italian furniture. Comfortable Tulip chairs actual replicas of the same 60’s style furniture on display in the Smithsonian will be located in the bar.

· High end cocktail, no draft beer is served in the Martini Bar.

· Cigar smoking is allowed.

Hilarities 4^th Street Theatre

· The largest made for comedy showroom in the country seating 425 guests.

· Shows every night of the week.

· All custom built booths including intimate booths made for two.

· Mezzanine skyboxes seat 8 to 12 guest depending on the box. Total balcony capacity, 100.

· Spatted painted, exposed original brick walls.

· A 20’ x 15’ sandstone foundation section of the original foundation of the Euclid Avenue Opera house remains visible right of the main stage.

Box Office

• 3 service windows, one dedicated to preferred customers.

Sketches

• Gift Shop named after Charles Dickens’s First Book, Sketches By Boz.
• Dicken’s ghost name was Boz.

Additional Facts

• Open 7 days a week
• Carry out breakfast, lunch and diner.
• Lunch time delivery service (Downtown Cleveland) will be phased in after initial opening.
• $4.00 Valet Service and additional parking within walking distance.
• Unique air handle units weighing over 8,000 pounds were airlifted on top of the building. This is the first time since the creation of The Ohio Air Quality Development Authority that an air quality bond has been issued to a restaurant. These unique units will create the best quality of air circulation available.
• Smoking and non-smoking

Dickens Facts

• Born Friday, February 7, 1812
• Charles Dickens visited Cleveland in 1842.
• Wrote 15 major novels and countless short stories until his death on June 9, 1870.
• Buried in Poet’s Corner of Westminster Abbey.