THIS IS SO EXCITING. FOUR YEARS AND $5 MILLION LATER, THE RIVER AND VARSITY CINEMA IS ABOUT TO OPEN ITS DOORS IN THE DRAKE NEIGHBORHOOD. KCCI AND SENIOR REPORTER TODD MCDONALD GIVES US A TOUR OF THIS 80 YEAR OLD DES MOINES LANDMARK. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I STILL FEEL WHEN I COME THROUGH THE DOORS IS THIS JUST THIS URGE TO SMILE. WE’RE ENTERING INTO THAT MAIN AUDITORIUM RIGHT HERE AND GO DA AND MICHAEL WAGNER LOVES SHOWING OFF THEIR NEW BABY. IT DOES TAKE PASSION, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE’RE A NONPROFIT THAT’S DEDICATED TO THE ART OF FILM. THEY’RE NONPROFIT GROUP, DES MOINES FILM HAS POURED ITS HEART AND SOUL INTO RENOVATING THE VARSITY THEATER, NOW CALLED THE VARSITY CINEMA. TO THINK THAT WE’RE REALLY ONLY A COUPLE OF WEEKS AWAY FROM BEING ABLE TO WELCOME PEOPLE BACK IN HERE AND SHOW MOVIES AGAIN, WE ARE EXTREMELY EXCITED. OUTSIDE, THEY’VE TRANSFORMED THE 1938 ART DECO FACADE. INSIDE, THEY’VE EXPANDED THE LOBBY, BUILT A BIGGER CONCESSION AREA, AND MOST IMPORTANT, REBUILT THE AUDITORIUM. GIANT BLACK AND RED V’S DECORATE THE THEATER WALLS. V FOR VARSITY. IT’S THIS GREAT MIX OF WHAT YOU REMEMBER ABOUT THE VARSITY. BUT THIS NEW EXPERIENCE THAT’S REALLY GOING TO WOW EVERYONE WHEN THEY COME TO THE DOORS. THE VARSITY DESIGNED TO RETURN THE THEATER TO ITS FORMER GLORY AND REESTABLISH IT AS A DRAKE NEIGHBORHOOD INSTITUTION. IT WILL OFFER A VARIETY OF POPULAR, CLASSIC ART AND DOCUMENTARY FILMS, BOTH IN ITS MAIN THEATER AND THE SMALL LOFT THEATER ON THE SECOND FLOOR. YOU CAN EVEN BUY A MEMBERSHIP FOR FILM AND CONCESSION DISCOUNTS. THE GOAL BE A NEIGHBORHOOD THEATER, WHICH IS WHAT THIS THEATER WAS WHEN IT WAS BUILT. AND WE’RE EXCITED TO BE THAT AGAIN. TICKETS FOR THE NEW VARSITY CINEMA ARE ALREADY ON SALE. IN FACT, THEY’RE SELLING RIGHT NOW. FOR MORE INFORMATION, YOU CAN GO TO VARSITY DES MOINES DOT COM. TODD MAGEL. KC