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Iowa theater’s four-legged resident makes moviegoers smile

Iowa theater’s four-legged resident makes moviegoers smile
WEBVTT AND "THIS, TRULY IS IOWA". ♪ ERIC: ON NEWTON’S TOWN SQUARE, THERE’S DRAMA UNDER THE DILAPIDATED AWNING. CONSTRUCTION CREWS HAVE BEEN RIPPING APART THE CENTURY-OLD TOWN THEATER FOR MONTHS, -- >> PART OF THE DISCOVERY WHERE THESE MOLDINGS. ERIC: BLENDING ORNATE HISTORY WITH LEATHERED COMFORT. >> THERE IS IN A BAD SEAT IN THE HOUSE -- >> BUT ONE DAY BEFORE OPENING; >> SO EXCITED. ERIC: EVERYONE WAS ON EDGE. BECAUSE THE THEATER’S DRAMA QUEEN HAD JUST PULLED UP - >> TODAY IS YOUR DAY, YES IT IS. SNOR[SNORTING] ERIC: READY TO INSPECT HER SILVER SCREAMED PALACE -- SILV SCREEN PALACE. AFTER A QUICK POTTYBREAK AT THE TREE OUT FRONT -- [LAUGHTER] JOY MINIPIG HAS BEEN A FIXTURE ERIC:JOY MINIPIG HAS BEEN A FIXTURE AT NEWTON’S THEATER SINCE THE BLEEKER’S BOUGHT IT SIX YEARS AGO, AND DIDN’T WANT TO LEAVE THEIR PET AT HOME ALL DAY. >> WHAT HE THINKS, JOY? COME ON! THIS IS YOUR NEW PLACE. ERIC: BUT JOY HADN’T STEPPED HOOF INSIDE SINCE RENOVATIONS STARTED IN AUGUST. HER NEW OFFICE OVERLOOKING THE SQUARE? PASSED THE SMELL TES AND WITHIN MINUTES -- >> GOOD GIRL! ERIC: SHE WAS POSING FOR CONSTRUCTION WORKERS, PERFORMING THE ACT NEWTON MOVIEGOERS DROOL OVER. >> GET THE GRE ONE, THERE YOU GO. ERIC: AND SPRAWLING OUT ON HER NEW PURPLE DAYBED, SATISFIED THAT THE NEW STUFFED ANIMALS FOR SALE NEXT TO THE TWIZZLERS LOOKED ENOUGH LIKE HER. >> SHE IS VERY MUCH A DIVA. YES YOU ARE, AREN’ YOU? ERIC: BECAUSE TH SIX-YEAR-OLD BRICKWORK HAS BECOME LIKE A LOCAL CELEBRITY. >> PUT THIS THEATER ON THE MAP. EVEN BACK WHEN THE THEATER WAS ROUG >> I SAID, WE HAD 4-D EXPERIENCE, IT WAS RIDICULOUS. [LAUGHTER] ERIC: BUT TWO MONTHS OF OVERHAULING WERE PAYING OFF. UNTIL THE THEATER’S CENTURY OLD FIXTURES WALKED AWAY FROM THE CONSTRUCTION SIT >> THERE IS NO GOING TO A BIG BOX STORE TOGETHER REPLACED. ERIC: DAWN’S NEIGHBORS HAD VOLUNTEERED SO MANY HOURS TO HELP RESTORE THE THEATER. >> I FELT LIKE I LET DOWN THE COMMUNITY. ERIC: THE SHOWPIECES WERE GONE. UNTIL THOSE SAME NEIGHBORS SHARE THE POST SO MANY TIMES, IT REACHED "WEST END ARCHITECTURAL SALVAGE" IN DES MOINES. >> YEAH, WE’VE GOT THEM. THEY CAME RIGHT OVER ONE HOUR LATER, AND THEY GOT THEM BACK. [LAUGHTER] ERIC: NO ONE’S SURE HOW THE LIGHTS ENDED UP IN DES MOINES. BUT RIGHT NOW, THEY DON’T CARE. THEY ARE BACK -- GOOD GIRL. SHE IS A TODDLER MENTALITY WITH A TEENAGE ATTITUDE. ERIC: THEY’RE BACK, AND THEIR STAR’S READY FOR OPENING NIGHT. IN THE THEATER WHERE EVERY MOVIE BRINGS OUT JOY [LAUGHTER] THE POTTY TRAINED. IS BACK AT THE NEWTON THEATE
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Iowa theater’s four-legged resident makes moviegoers smile
On-demand movies make it so easy to stay home in your La-Z-Boy, but the newly-renovated Capitol II Theater in Newton has an experience like no other. The historic theater on Newton's square features leather recliners and a star with a snout you can't find at home. Joy the 6-year-old mini pig in a tutu is as much of an attraction as the movies themselves. Eric Hanson was there when Joy settled in to her new office. Grab some popcorn and check out the latest edition of “This is Iowa.”

On-demand movies make it so easy to stay home in your La-Z-Boy, but the newly-renovated Capitol II Theater in Newton has an experience like no other.

The historic theater on Newton's square features leather recliners and a star with a snout you can't find at home.

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Joy the 6-year-old mini pig in a tutu is as much of an attraction as the movies themselves.

Eric Hanson was there when Joy settled in to her new office. Grab some popcorn and check out the latest edition of “This is Iowa.”