Michigan Theater (Ann Arbor, Michigan)

Michigan Theater (Ann Arbor, Michigan) is a historic theater located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and is one of the oldest movie palaces in the United States. The theater was designed by Maurice Finkel, a renowned architect who also designed the Detroit Fox Theatre and the Redford Theatre. The University of Michigan, located nearby, has a significant influence on the theater's programming and audience. Film festivals such as the Ann Arbor Film Festival and the Michigan Theater Film Festival are often held at the theater, featuring films by Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, and Steven Spielberg.

● History

The Michigan Theater was built in 1928 during the Roaring Twenties, a time of great cultural and economic change in the United States. The theater was originally designed as a vaudeville house, featuring live performances by actors such as Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. The theater also showed silent films accompanied by live music performed by organists such as Fats Waller and Duke Ellington. In the 1930s, the theater began to show talkies, including films by Warner Bros. and MGM Studios. The theater has hosted numerous film premieres, including the Michigan premiere of Star Wars in 1977, which was attended by George Lucas and Harrison Ford.

● Architecture

The Michigan Theater is an example of Gothic Revival architecture, with a façade designed to resemble a medieval castle. The theater's interior features a grand lobby with a stained glass ceiling, as well as a balcony and box seats designed to resemble a European opera house. The theater's organ loft features a Wurlitzer organ, which is still played during silent film screenings and concerts by organists such as Cameron Carpenter and Virgil Fox. The theater's design has been influenced by the works of Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Sullivan, and has been recognized by the National Register of Historic Places and the American Institute of Architects.

● Notable Events

The Michigan Theater has hosted numerous notable events over the years, including concerts by Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, and The Who. The theater has also hosted film screenings and Q&A sessions with directors such as Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, and Quentin Tarantino. The theater has been the site of several film festivals, including the Ann Arbor Film Festival and the Michigan Theater Film Festival, which have featured films by Spike Lee, Oliver Stone, and Woody Allen. The theater has also hosted live performances by comedians such as Richard Pryor and George Carlin, and has been recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs.

● Restoration and Preservation

In the 1970s and 1980s, the Michigan Theater underwent a major restoration project, which aimed to restore the theater to its original Gothic Revival design. The project was led by the Michigan Theater Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the theater and promoting the arts in Ann Arbor. The restoration project included the repair of the theater's stained glass ceiling, as well as the restoration of the theater's Wurlitzer organ and organ loft. The project was recognized by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the American Institute of Architects, and has been supported by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs.

● Current Use

Today, the Michigan Theater is a thriving arts center, hosting a wide range of film screenings, concerts, and live performances. The theater is home to the Ann Arbor Film Festival and the Michigan Theater Film Festival, and has hosted numerous film premieres and Q&A sessions with directors and actors. The theater also hosts live music performances by musicians such as Jack White and Iggy Pop, and has been recognized by the Detroit Free Press and the Ann Arbor News as one of the best theaters in Michigan. The theater is supported by the University of Michigan, the City of Ann Arbor, and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, and continues to be a vibrant part of the Ann Arbor arts scene, with performances by companies such as the New York City Ballet and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Category:Theatres in Michigan