Aladdin Theater facts for kids
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Aladdin Theater, State Theater, Fine Arts Theater, Cocoa Village Playhouse
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| Address | 300 Brevard Avenue Cocoa, Florida United States |
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| Owner | City of Cocoa |
| Operator | The Historic Cocoa Village Playhouse |
| Type | Community theatre |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1924 |
| Reopened | 1990 |
| Website | |
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Aladdin Theater
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 Location in Florida
Location in the United States
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| NRHP reference No. | 91001541 |
| Added to NRHP | October 17, 1991 |
The Historic Cocoa Village Playhouse is a famous theater in Cocoa, Florida, United States. It is also known as the Aladdin Theater. You can find it at 300 Brevard Avenue. This theater first opened its doors a long time ago, on August 18, 1924. Because of its importance, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on October 17, 1991.
From 1985 to 2010, Brevard Community College owned the theater. The college helped save the theater when it was in bad shape. In 2010, the college gave ownership to the city of Cocoa. The theater is now managed by its own special board of directors.
Contents
The Theater's Story
Early Days and Name Changes
The Aladdin Theater first opened in 1924. It cost about $80,000 to build. In its early years, it showed silent movies and hosted live performances.
In 1939, a company called Sparks Theater chain bought the Aladdin. They changed its name to the "State Theater." Later, in 1960, the Kent Theater Chain purchased the building. They decided to rename it the Fine Arts Theater.
Becoming the Cocoa Village Playhouse
After a while, the city of Cocoa bought the building. They gave it the name Cocoa Village Playhouse. In 1984, the city sold it to Brevard Community College for just $1.
The college worked hard to restore the theater. From 1985 to 1989, they used donations and grants to fix it up. In 1990, the playhouse started putting on musicals for the community.
A Movie Star Theater
The theater even appeared in a movie! It was heavily featured in the 1993 film Matinee. In the movie, it pretended to be the Key West Strand Theater. The film was set during the Cuban Missile Crisis and starred actor John Goodman.
Recent Updates and Visitors
In 2007, work began on a new addition to the theater. This annex cost about $2.8 million. In 2011, the building was officially returned to the city of Cocoa.
By 2012, the theater was very popular. About 50,000 people bought tickets to see shows there each year. Today, it continues to be a beloved place for live performances in Cocoa.
