Alabama Theatre

Alabama Theatre is a historic vaudeville and movie palace located in Birmingham, Alabama, and is one of the most famous venues in the Southern United States, alongside the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee and the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. The theatre was designed by David O. Whilldin and built in 1927 by the Milo B. Fultz and Charles H. McCauley construction company, with funding from the Paramount Pictures corporation, which also owned the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans, Louisiana and the Tennessee Theatre in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Alabama Theatre has hosted many famous performers, including Hank Williams, Sr., Elvis Presley, and Judy Garland, who also performed at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California and the Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York. The theatre is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a member of the League of Historic American Theatres, which also includes the Orpheum Theatre in Memphis, Tennessee and the Palace Theatre in Columbus, Ohio.

● History

The Alabama Theatre was built during the 1920s, a time of great growth and development in Birmingham, Alabama, with the help of United States Steel and the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company. The theatre was designed to be a vaudeville and movie palace, with a large stage and seating capacity for over 2,500 people, similar to the Chicago Theatre in Chicago, Illinois and the Boston Opera House in Boston, Massachusetts. The theatre was opened on December 26, 1927, with a performance by the Mighty Wurlitzer organ, which was also installed at the Fox Theatre in Detroit, Michigan and the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Over the years, the Alabama Theatre has hosted many famous performers, including Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Frank Sinatra, who also performed at the Carnegie Hall in New York City, New York and the London Palladium in London, England. The theatre has also been used for film screenings, including the premiere of the Paramount Pictures film Wings in 1927, which starred Clara Bow and Charles "Buddy" Rogers, and was also shown at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles, California.

● Architecture

The Alabama Theatre was designed in the Adam style by David O. Whilldin, with a mix of Greek Revival and Art Deco elements, similar to the Fox Theatre in St. Louis, Missouri and the Palace Theatre in Louisville, Kentucky. The theatre features a large stage and seating capacity for over 2,500 people, with a proscenium arch and a Wurlitzer organ, which was also installed at the Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco, California and the Paramount Theatre in Oakland, California. The theatre's interior is decorated with intricate plasterwork and gilding, with a large chandelier in the center of the auditorium, similar to the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City, New York and the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia. The theatre's exterior is designed in the Neoclassical style, with a large portico and columns, similar to the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. and the White House in Washington, D.C..

● Performances

The Alabama Theatre has hosted many famous performers over the years, including Hank Williams, Sr., Elvis Presley, and Judy Garland, who also performed at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee and the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California. The theatre has also been used for film screenings, including the premiere of the Paramount Pictures film Wings in 1927, which starred Clara Bow and Charles "Buddy" Rogers, and was also shown at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles, California and the Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York. The theatre has also hosted many Broadway shows, including The Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables, which were also performed at the Majestic Theatre in New York City, New York and the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto, Ontario. The theatre has also been used for concerts, including performances by The Rolling Stones, The Who, and Bruce Springsteen, who also performed at the Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York and the Wembley Stadium in London, England.

● Restoration

In the 1980s, the Alabama Theatre underwent a major restoration project, which was funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Alabama State Council on the Arts, with the help of United States Senator Richard Shelby and United States Representative Spencer Bachus. The project included the restoration of the theatre's interior and exterior, as well as the installation of new seating and sound and lighting systems, similar to the restoration of the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia and the Palace Theatre in Columbus, Ohio. The project was completed in 1998, and the theatre was reopened with a performance by the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, which also performed at the Alys Stephens Center in Birmingham, Alabama and the Tuscaloosa River Market in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

● Current Use

Today, the Alabama Theatre is used for a variety of purposes, including concerts, Broadway shows, and film screenings, similar to the Orpheum Theatre in Memphis, Tennessee and the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans, Louisiana. The theatre is also used for weddings and other events, and is available for rental for private functions, similar to the Fox Theatre in Detroit, Michigan and the Palace Theatre in Louisville, Kentucky. The theatre is managed by the Alabama Theatre for the Performing Arts, a non-profit organization that is dedicated to preserving and promoting the theatre, with the help of Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin and Alabama Governor Kay Ivey. The theatre is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a member of the League of Historic American Theatres, which also includes the Tennessee Theatre in Knoxville, Tennessee and the Metropolitan Theatre in Morgantown, West Virginia. Category:Theatres in Alabama