More than 80 ticket holders toured, explored and sampled Lucy memorabilia at the Reg, 116 E. Third St. During the tour, Len Barry, the Reg’s director of marketing, gave a detailed and historical account of the history of the Reg and of Lucy’s history-making involvement and performances at the center for the arts.

The theater opened as a high-class vaudevillian center in 1923 called the Palace, and it remained that way for years, said Barry. Later, Nikita Dipson purchased the building and refurbished it. Adding stage shows, orchestras and a bit of vaudeville alongside a first-run movie schedule through 1956.

However, in 1956, the national spotlight shone brightly on the Palace as Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz premiered their film Forever Darling to a hometown crowd, complete with a parade and celebrity guests. 1956 was also the last year live events would be regularly scheduled until 1981, according to reglenna.com.

“This was unheard of at the time,” said Barry, regarding the first and official screening of Forever Darling. “Movie studios would buy rights to screen their movies at theaters, but Lucy wanted her hometown to be the first to see the movie before anyone else.”

Len Barry briefs the first group of 40 National Comedy Center Lucille Ball Festival goers under the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts Marquee, 116 E. Third St. Thursday, prior to taking a tour and a screening of the 1956 Ball/Arnaz movie Forever Darling. New, state-of-the-art seating was recently installed at the Reg, and the more than 80 event attendees are the first to use them. P-J photo by Christopher Blakeslee

Now, 68 years later, the same movie was screened at the same location where Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, her husband at the time, stood on the same stage and welcomed all into the theater.

Barry said it is believed Lucy’s first public appearance happened at the theater in 1927.

Lucy may have been part of the Scottish Right Review in 1927 he said.

“I’m in awe,” said Shelly Appleton of Racine, Wis. “I’m a huge fan of Lucy and her work. Now I get to be where she was and see where she got her roots in acting from.”

While Forever Darling movie is considered a classic, it was actually a flop at the theaters and lost money for MGM.

Center, Len Barry, the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts, marketing director, discusses the history of the theater and its historical ties to Lucille Ball on Thursday before leading a tour of artifacts provided by the National Comedy Center and a screening of the Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz 1956 feature film, Forever Darling. P-J photos by Christopher Blakeslee

However, beyond the theatrics and historical artifacts being showcased at this event – viewers were treated to new, state-of-the-art, comfortable, seating recently installed.

As previously reported in a May 20th edition of The Post-Journal, the current seats – dating back to the 1950s – were removed in the first week of June. And according to Barry, the last set of seats were fully installed last week. In addition to commemorative plaques, most of the seats have more comfortable cushioning and include cupholders. Several of the new aisle seats are equipped with transfer arms which allow easier access for patrons with mobility issues, Barry said.

For more information visit comedycenter.org.

Michael Zabrodsky contributed to this article.