2008 Tours
*Current 1/28/07. Subject to change*
REGISTER NOW •
Sponsorship Info •
PRE-CONFERENCE RAMBLE, 7/15/08
Springer Opera House, Columbus, GA •
Windsor Hotel, Americus, GA •
Rylander Theatre, Americus, GA •
Douglass Theatre, Macon, GA •
Grand Opera House, Macon, GA •
Madison- Morgan Cultural Center, Madison, GA •
DURING THE CONFERENCE
Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA, 7/16/08 •
The Grand Theatre, Cartersville, GA, 7/17/08 •
Historic Canton Theatre, Canton, GA, 7/17/08 •
Rialto Center for the Performing Arts, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, 7/18/08 •
The Balzer Theater at Herren's, Atlanta, GA, 7/18/08 •
The Plaza Theatre, Atlanta, GA, 7/18/08 •
Springer Opera House
Columbus, GA
Built 1870; Opened 1871; 700 seats
The Springer Opera House, the State Theatre of Georgia and a leading southern cultural institution for over 135 years, was built by Francis Springer, who immigrated from Alsace before the Civil War and who prospered in the grocery business. Designed by architect J.B. McElfatrick, the Springer opened in 1871 and soon became nationally known as the finest house between Washington and New Orleans.
The Springer continued as a major theatre center until the Great Depression, with the collapse of the vast network of road companies. The great, old Edwardian theatre survived as a movie house for a while, but lack of maintenance and the eventual decline of Columbus' historic commercial district began the Springer's slide toward near oblivion.
In 1964, the Springer was saved by a group of local citizens, renovated and reopened in 1965. A comprehensive $12 million restoration completed in 1999 included areas of the building untouched in 1964 and expanded program space from 35,000 to 75,000 square feet. This preservation project included one of the most ambitious historic interior treatments of any theatre in America and a complete re-equipping with state-of-the-art lighting, sound, rigging, rehearsal facilities and technical support equipment.
Currently owned and operated by a non-profit organization, the Springer is home to resident companies producing live events and is also available for rental engagements.
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Windsor Hotel
Americus, GA
Built in 1892
The historic Windsor Hotel, built in 1892 to attract winter visitors from the North, was a 100-room, five-story Victorian structure complete with towers, balconies, and a three-story open atrium lobby. It occupies nearly an entire city block, and was the site of numerous balls and celebrations. In her time, the Windsor had such noteworthy guests as boxing champ John L. Sullivan, Congressman William Jennings Bryan, labor leader Eugene V. Debs, and the Governor of New York and soon-to-be President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The Windsor closed its doors in the early 1970s, but recently underwent a $5.8 million restoration which returned the historic structure to its original grandeur. Its grand opening celebration was attended by former President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter. Now, visitors can stay in any of the 53 period style rooms with modern amenities.
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Rylander Theatre
Americus, GA
Built in 1919; opened in 1921; 630 seats
Americus businessman Walter Rylander began construction of one of the South's premier performance and movie palaces in 1919. After a year and a half, the Rylander Theatre opened for its first live performance, the hit play, Lightnin; three weeks later it presented its first movie double feature with Mary Pickford's The Love of Light and Harold Lloyd's Get Out and Get Under. Through most of the next 30 years, the Rylander hosted live entertainment and motion pictures and closed in 1951.
Designed by New York architect C.K. Howell with interior design by William Saling, the Rylander included ornate plasterwork, stencil patterns and murals. Closed for more than 40 years, the theatre still had much of its original grandeur intact when it underwent a $4.8 million restoration. The theatre reopened on October 1, 1999 in celebration of President Jimmy Carter's birthday and the auditorium was named in his honor.
The Rylander seats over 600 on three levels and includes a 1928 restored Moller theatre pipe organ.
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The Douglass Theatre
Macon, GA
Built in 1921; 400 seats
The Douglass Theatre was the premier movie theatre and vaudeville hall for Macon's African- American community. The theatre hosted early jazz and blues greats Ida Cox, Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey and comedy stars Butterbeans and Susie, while at the same time running feature-length films and serials. During the 1920's, the Douglass Theatre was an important venue for early African-American films, written and produced by blacks for black audiences. Musical stars such as Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington filled The Douglass before moving on the city auditorium in the 1940s.
In 1958, a local DJ, "Hamp Swain," introduced a Saturday morning live broadcast talent show called "The Teenage Party," which offered local performers such as Otis Redding the opportunity for exposure. During the early 1960s, The Douglass Theatre became a showcase for new musical talent such as Little Richard and James Brown.
In 1972, the theatre closed its doors. The Douglass Theatre reopened in 1997 and now serves all races and cultures with events, films and performances.
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Grand Opera House at Mercer University
Macon, GA
Built in 1883; 1,025 seats
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Madison-Morgan Cultural Center
Madison, GA
Built in 1895
The Madison-Morgan Cultural Center is located in Madison's 1895 Romanesque Revival public graded school building. Constructed of red brick with slate roof, electricity, and interior finishes of heart pine and plaster, the building stands a monument to the creative ingenuity prevalent at the turn of the century. Built by the Board on Education of the City of Madison as the town's first graded school (for grades one through seven), the building served as a public school until 1957, when county schools consolidated and outgrew the old facility. In the 1960s the building served as a public library, but by the early 1970s was deem inadequate for that purpose, as well.
With advice from Dr. Philip Weltner, then director of the Woodruff Foundation and a longtime friend of the Madison, and others, the decision was made to restore the city-owned building's exterior and adapt the interior for use as a center for the performing, visual and decorative arts. At that time Madison's only large auditorium was at the high school and the town did not have a museum of art gallery. The Madison-Morgan Cultural Center opened its doors to the public in July 1976.
The Hall, located behind the Main Building and renovated in 1994, provides additional space for performances, visual art exhibitions and many other uses. Today, the Center serves Georgia's Piedmont region with a variety of cultural and educational programs, serving more than 30,000 people annually, presenting 507 exhibits, 10-20 professional performances and a wide variety of workshops, lectures, residencies, symposia and other programs.
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DURING THE CONFERENCE
Photo courtesy of Atlanta CVB>
The Fox Theatre / Atlanta Landmarks, Inc.
Atlanta, GA
Built and opened in 1929; 4,674 seats
Atlanta's Fox Theatre, local host of the League of Historic American Theatres' 2008 Annual Conference and Theatre tour, was originally the Yaarab Temple Shrine Mosque, designed by Olivier Vinour in the Art Deco / Moorish Revival style in the late 1920s as headquarters for the 5,000 member Shriners organization.
The mosque-like structure is a beautifully outlandish, opulent, grandiose monument to the heady excesses of the pre-crash 1920s, complete with minarets, onion domes, and an interior décor which was even more lavish than its façade. The interior was a masterpiece of trompe l'oeil; false beams, false balconies, false tents, ornate grillwork hiding air conditioning and heating ducts. Virtually every practical feature was disguised with artistic fantasy.
Detailing and furnishing were equally ornate. No space, no furniture, no hardware escaped the gilt, the tile, the geometric design. Men's and Ladies' Lounges, broom closets, telephone booths were emblazoned with intricate plaster, bronze and painted detail.
Its history has been as dramatic as its décor. Cost overruns threatened the Yaarab Temple mosque from the onset. The Shriners worked out a deal with movie mogul William Fox, who made this theatre his Southeastern jewel. The Fox opened as the Great Depression began. After 125 weeks of talking pictures and elaborate stage entertainment, it declared bankruptcy. Revived after temporary city ownership, it scraped by through the 1930s. During the 1940s through the 1960s under strong management, the Fox prospered as one of Atlanta's finest movie houses. During the time that the movie palace finally ran out in the early 1970s, the Fox faced yet another threat: the relentless growth of metropolitan Atlanta.
Almost sold and demolished, the Fox was rescued through the efforts of Atlanta Landmarks, Inc., a non-profit organization of energetic, committed Atlantans. Their four-year "Save the Fox" fundraising campaign opened the hearts and check books of individuals and corporate donors.
Under Atlanta Landmarks' ownership, the Fox was once again on sound financial footing a multi-purpose performing arts center. To date, more than $20 million has been spent restoring the Fox and it boasts its own in-house restoration staff made up of highly skilled artisans directed by an expert in historic preservation.
The Fox Theatre has been recognized as a leading venue in the performing arts industry for 2007. Venues Today magazine has ranked the Fabulous Fox Theatres as the #1 Venue in the Country for 2007 for venues between 2,001 and 5,000 seats, outpacing others in dollars and attendance. Billboard magazine has ranked the Fox Theatre #2 in North America for venues with 5,000 seats or less, based on total gross revenue. Pollstar magazine ranked the Fox Theatre 5th in the World among the world's Top 100 Theatre Venues for 2007, based on ticket sales.
The Fox has generated millions of dollars for the Atlanta economy. Booked for more than 300 performances each year, ranging from Broadway to concerts to operas, ballets and movies, the Fox annually attracts over 750,000 visitors. The Fox stands today as a fiercely protected landmark and a nationally acclaimed theatre, having survived depression, mortgage foreclosure, bankruptcy, competition, television, real estate development and age.
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The Grand Theatre
Cartersville, GA
Built in 1910; 505 seats
Since 1929, the Grand Theatre has served as the cultural centerpiece of Bartow County. Originally designed by J.W. Smith, an architect from Atlanta, the Grand underwent an extensive renovation recently that closed the theatre for seven months.
Owned and operated by a private, non-profit, the theatre functions primarily as a presenting organization, providing a wide range of education, performing arts and entertainment programs throughout the year. It is also the premier rental space for other local performing arts organizations.
The Grand seeks to foster a life-long appreciation for the performing arts by offering quality educational programs, including a high school theatre camp during the summer, and providing a variety of cultural events to audiences in Bartow County. It actively seeks input from the community about programs and entertainment options.
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Historic Canton Theatre
Canton, GA
Built and opened in 1911; < 800 seats
The Historic Canton Theatre was the first to show slides and silent movies in downtown Canton. In the early 1920, the theatre changed owners and was renamed the "Bonita," showing movies on Fridays and Saturdays. With its growing popularity during this era, the theatre was renovated, expanded and renamed the "Haven" and showed Canton's first talking motion picture, "Singing Fool," starring Al Jolson.
The Haven continued as a movie house until the late 1930s when the theatre was sold to the Martin-Thompson Theatre Company. The newly named "Canton Theatre" was then remodeled to reflect the art deco design so popular during that time. Playing the best motion pictures of the 1940s, the Canton was described as a "thoroughly modern sound and movie palace, with all the comfort, light and cheer that denotes a first class picture theatre housed in larger cities."
The Canton Theatre continued to show moves for 30 more years, but by the mid 1970s it declined, sitting idle for many years and falling into disrepair.
In 1994, an individual purchased the theatre for restoration. The City of Canton then acquired the property in 1997 and later deeded it to the Downtown Development Authority to secure financing for restoration. The Canton Theatre's renovation and operation is the largest and most successful project to date undertaken by the Downtown Development Authority.
Through presenting and facility rentals, the Historic Canton Theatre's programming consists of music, variety and community events. The theatre's 2 full-time and one part-time staff members are augmented by a corps of 25 volunteers.
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Rialto Center for the Arts
Georgia State University
Atlanta, GA
Originally opened 1916; 833 seats
In the fall of 1916, the Rialto, a 925-seat theatre, the Southeast's largest movie house, opened in the Central Business District and the original theatre district of Atlanta. The Rialto continued to operate during the Depression and at one point in its history boasted the largest electric sign above the marquee south of New York City. In 1962, the original theater was torn down and a new 1,200-seat Rialto was erected on the same site. It was the first movie theatre to be constructed in downtown Atlanta in 35 years and stayed open until 1989 before falling victim to a declining downtown economy. In the early 1990's, Georgia State University, interested in further weaving itself into the fabric of downtown Atlanta, purchased the Rialto, initiated a very successful $14 million fund-raising campaign to make a major cultural contribution to the city with a first-class performance hall. Construction began in the fall of1994 on the hold Rialto Theater and adjacent buildings.
Following extensive renovations, the Rialto Center now boasts superb acoustics after the roof was raised 12 feet. Interior renovations include a larger lobby, box office facilities, ADA-accessible improvements, new stage with proscenium, orchestra pit and comfortable new seats.
In March 1996, the reopening of the 833-seat Rialto Center for the Performing Arts marked a turning point in the revitalization of the historic Fairlie-Poplar District of Atlanta. The venue is home to the Rialto Series presenting national and international jazz, world music and dance; School of Music performances; and the Atlanta Film Festival.
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The Balzer Theater at Herren's
Atlanta, GA
Opened in 1934 as Herren's Restaurant; 199 seats
Prizefighter Charlie "Red" Herren opened Herron's Restaurant in 1934. Purchased five years later by Guido Negri and operated by his family until 1987 when it closed, Herren's is noted for being downtown Atlanta's first restaurant to voluntarily desegregate, which it did in 1962. Herren's Restaurant was also the birthplace in 1974 of the "Save the Fox" campaign.
In 2004, the former historic restaurant, following a $5 million conversion into the Balzer Theatre, became the home of Theatrical Outfit, Atlanta's third oldest professional theatre company. Theatrical Outfit is a professional, not-for-profit organization which operates under a SPT-8 (Small Professional Theatre) contract with Actor's Equity.
This historic restaurant-turned-theatre is the first freestanding theatre in the Southeast to receive LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
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The Plaza Theatre
Atlanta, GA
Opened 1939; 377 downstairs; 202 upstairs
Designed by architect George Harwell Bond, the Plaza Theatre opened its doors in 1939 as an 1000-seat Art Deco cinema and live theatre. During the 1970s, the theatre operated as an X-rated adult cinema and live burlesque theatre. In 1983, George Lefont purchased and renovated the Plaza, enclosing the balcony to create a second screen. The theatre underwent renovations again when purchased by longtime Atlanta residents Jonathan and Gayle Rej in August 2006 as a home for independent film. The Plaza Theatre is the last cinema of its kind in Atlanta as well as the oldest continuously operating cinema in the city.
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