March 17, 2026

This Theater Was a Refuge for Queer Americans. Now It's Been Reborn.

22 minutes

She’s 104 years old, newly renovated, and she’s ready for her close-up.

On this episode of Unpacked: America 250, host Aislyn Greene talks about the newly renovated ⁠Castro Theatre⁠ in San Francisco, a $41 million transformation of one of America’s most beloved LGBTQ+ landmarks.

Aislyn sits down with Mary Conde, SVP at ⁠Another Planet Entertainment⁠, the independent concert promoter behind the renovation, to explore what it took to bring this icon back to life, and why this was always about more than a building.

In this episode, you'll learn

The history behind the Castro Theatre, from a Lebanese immigrant’s grocery store to a 1,400-seat icon.

How the Castro became the heartbeat of San Francisco’s LGBTQ+ community.

What a $41 million renovation actually looks like, from a peach-glazed ceiling to a color-changing chandelier.

The story of the organs (yes, plural) that have defined the Castro’s sound for decades.

Why Another Planet Entertainment sees this as a gift to San Francisco, not just a business investment.

Chapters

00:00:00 The Castro's Comeback

00:02:00 From Grocery Store to Icon

00:05:30 A Safe Harbor for a Community

00:09:00 Inside the Renovation

00:13:00 The Organ's New Life

00:15:30 What's Coming Next

Meet this week’s guest

Mary Conde, Senior Vice President at Another Planet Entertainment and a lifelong San Franciscan who has shaped the city’s music scene for decades. Another Planet is the independent concert promoter behind Outside Lands and the recent mayoral inauguration party, and the company that took on the Castro’s renovation.

Resources

Read the transcript of this episode.

Explore the history of the ⁠Castro Theater⁠.

Buy tickets for upcoming ⁠Castro events⁠.

Read about the ⁠Frameline LGBTQ+ Film Festival⁠.

Be sure to subscribe to the show and sign up for our podcast newsletter, ⁠Behind the Mic⁠, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, ⁠⁠⁠Travel Tales⁠⁠⁠, which celebrates first-person narratives about the way travel changes us, and ⁠⁠View From Afar⁠⁠, where we spotlight the people and ideas shaping the future of travel.
Unpacked by Afar is part of ⁠Airwave Media⁠'s podcast network. Please contact ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast.

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