Tennessee Theatre

The Tennessee Theatre is a 1920s-era movie palace, located in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee, at 604 South Gay Street.

History

The Burwell Building was built in 1908. Measuring in at 166 feet (51 m) in height, it was Knoxville's tallest building until 1912.^{[1] [1]} In the 1790s, the lot now occupied by the Burwell Building was home to a two-story log structure where the classes of Blount College— the forerunner of the University of Tennessee— were first held.^[2]

The theater first opened on October 1, 1928, and with nearly 2,000 seats in the auditorium, was billed as "Knoxville's Grand Entertainment Palace". The theater was designed by Chicago architects Graven & Mayger in the Spanish-Moorish style, although the design incorporates elements from all parts of the world: Czechoslovakian crystals in the French-style chandeliers, Italian terrazzo flooring in the Grand Lobby, and Oriental influences in the carpet and drapery patterns.It was built by George A. Fuller, also form Chicago, which also built the famous Flatiron Building in New York City. The theatre was one of the first public buildings in Knoxville to have air conditioning. It also featured a beautiful Wurlitzer Organ.

During its heyday, the theatre played host to a few world movie premieres, including So This is Love (1953), and the adaptation of James Agee's All the Way Home (1963).

After a refurbishment in 1966, the theatre's seating capacity was reduced to 1,545.

The theater changed owners several times over its life, and eventually closed for the first time in 1977. Thereafter it was open and closed intermittently for the remainder of the late 1970s. It was purchased by local radio company Dick Broadcasting in 1981, who started a renovation effort to prepare it for the 1982 World's Fair. On April 1, 1982, the theater was placed in the National Register of Historic Places.^[3]

Portions of the 1999 film October Sky were filmed in and around Knoxville, and the facade of the theater can be seen during a scene in which the main characters go to the movies.

The theater is home to the Knoxville Opera, and the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra.

The Mighty Wurlitzer

The Wurlitzer was installed in the Tennessee Theatre at the time of its opening in 1928. It was built by the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company in North Tonawanda, New York, and cost about $50,000 at that time.

In October 2000, virtually the entire organ was shipped to Reno, Nevada, to master organ rebuilder Ken Crome, who painstakingly restored the instrument piece by piece, and artisans and craftsmen returned the organ's appearance to its original 1928 color scheme and design. The chambers on either side of the stage, which house the pipes, were replastered to fully ensure the protection and preservation of the restored instrument.

The Wurlitzer returned to Knoxville in August 2001 and was re-installed over the course of the next month. Acclaimed theatre organist Lyn Larsen was involved in the configuration and tonal regulation of the organ, and was the first to publicly perform it at a gala concert on October 1, 2001.

Renovation and restoration

Entrance along Gay Street

The Historical Tennessee Theatre was formed in 1996 and Dick Broadcasting donated the theater to the non-profit. It was designated "The Official State Theatre of Tennessee". In 2001, the Foundation announced a campaign to completely restore and renovate the Theatre. The $29.3 million project was funded through public and private donations, with the help of $6.3 million in tax credits.^[4] The theatre closed for renovations in June 2003 to completely restore it to its original glamor.

Renovations included expansions of the stage depth via a cantilever two stories about State street, to accommodate larger and more elaborate productions, a custom orchestra shell to enhance the acoustics of the new larger stage, an enlarged orchestra pit, upgraded dressing room facilities, modernization of the lighting, rigging, and other theatrical equipment, the installations of elevators, and a new marquee.

The restorations included new carpets, draperies, and lighting fixtures that duplicated the original designs, and historically accurate restoration of all plaster and paint surfaces throughout the lobby, lounges, foyers, and the auditorium. Integration of acoustic treatments into the restored auditorium and lobby, and a substantially improved exterior sound isolation system were included in the restoration design. Seating capacity is now 1,645 people.^[4]

The theatre reopened on January 14, 2005 and presented a near sold-out season, and now offers a wide range of performing arts events and classic films to the public. It is managed by AC Entertainment. Thermocopy

The design team for this renovation effort was led by McCarty Holsaple Architects of Knoxville, Tennessee and included Westlake Reed Leskosky Architects of Cleveland, Ohio; Evergreene Studios, Historic Restoration Consultants of New York, New York; and Acoustic Consultant Kirkegaard Associates of Chicago, Illinois. The conductor was Knoxville-based Denark Construction.

Broadway at the Tennessee

After the failed "Broadway in Knoxville" series at the Knoxville Civic Auditorium finally had to come to an end due to a lack of profit, quality 'Broadway-Style' entertainment in Knoxville did not end, but was transferred to the Tennessee Theatre for a 2008-2009 season. The series, now presented by the Tennessee Theatre, was renamed 'Broadway at the Tennessee' and kicked off with 'Chicago'.^[5] Productions at The Tennessee Theatre included Movin' Out, Hairspray, Jesus Christ Superstar, Sweeney Todd, and Stomp.^[6] Broadway at the Tennessee's 2009-2010 season was scheduled to include Camelot, The Wizard of Oz, Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance, Mamma Mia!, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, and Avenue Q.^[7]

See also

• Bijou Theatre
• Staub's Theatre

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Burwell Building.

• Tennessee Theatre website
• Burwell Building (website for building that contains the theatre)