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shopping malls and movie multiplex-
es, the Carlton, with its gilded-age
architecture, fell into disrepair.
The joint efforts of the Junior
League of Monmouth County and
the New Jersey State Council of the
Arts helped create the Monmouth
County Arts Council (MCAC), which
focused on preserving the Carlton.
An anonymous donor allowed the
MCAC to purchase the Carlton with
the stipulation that the dilapidated
theater be renovated into a function-
al and visually attractive arts center
for the entire county.
Thus, the Monmouth Arts Center
was born. Bruce Springsteen and the
E Street Band performed at the new
In 2008, The Basie underwent a massive interior restoration that brought the theater back to its
original Spanish-influenced magnificence, similar to how it looked in 1926.
continued on page 38
The grand staircase in the lobby of The Basie.
courtesy
of
The
Count
Basie
Center
for
the
Arts
courtesy of The Count Basie Center for the Arts
