Bama Theatre facts for kids
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Bama Theatre-City Hall Building
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The theatre in 2010
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 Location in Alabama
Location in the United States
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| Location | 600 Greensboro Ave, Tuscaloosa, Alabama |
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| Built | 1937 |
| Architect | David O. Whilldin of Birmingham |
| Architectural style | Streamline Moderne |
| Part of | Downtown Tuscaloosa Historic District |
| NRHP reference No. | 84000746 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | August 30, 1984 |
The Bama Theatre is a historic building in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Today, it serves as the city's main performing arts center. It's a three-story building made of brick and limestone. You can find it in downtown Tuscaloosa. The Bama Theatre was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. This means it's an important historical site.
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History of the Bama Theatre
The First Bama Theatre
Before the current Bama Theatre, there was an older one. It was built in 1924 on Broad Street. This first theatre showed silent movies and live vaudeville shows. Vaudeville was a type of entertainment with different acts. When the new Bama Theatre opened, the old one changed its name. It became the Druid Theater. This new name came from Tuscaloosa's nickname, the "Druid City."
Building the Current Theatre
The Bama Theatre you see today was built between 1937 and 1938. It was part of a big government program called the Public Works Administration. This program was part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's "New Deal." The "New Deal" helped create jobs during a tough economic time.
The building was designed to be both a theatre and the city hall for Tuscaloosa. David O. Whilldin, an architect from Birmingham, designed it. He also designed other important buildings in Tuscaloosa.
The theatre opened its doors on April 12, 1938. It was one of the last "movie palaces" ever built in the South. Movie palaces were very grand and fancy cinemas. The outside of the building looks modern and sleek. This style is called Streamline Moderne. Inside, it's decorated to feel like you're outdoors. The ceiling even has twinkling stars and clouds! The city hall moved out of the building in 1968.
Modern Updates
In 1976, the Bama Theatre became a performing arts center. It was updated for live shows and concerts. For many years, it was a popular place for touring artists to perform. The theatre also started showing special movies. This was called the Bama Art House Film Series. It featured independent, foreign, and documentary films. Some famous movies shown there include Boyhood and Moonrise Kingdom. A movie called Honeydripper, which was filmed in Alabama, even had its first showing there.
Today, the Bama Theatre hosts many different kinds of events. You can see concerts, movies, dance performances, and live plays. In 2017, the theatre's outdoor sign got a new LED screen. In 2022, the theatre had a big renovation. All the seats and carpets were replaced, and the building was upgraded.
Performance Groups
The Bama Theatre is a home for many local performance groups. These groups come from Tuscaloosa and nearby areas.
- The Tuscaloosa Children's Theatre performs here a few times a year.
- The Tuscaloosa Community Dancers also perform here regularly.
- Many dance schools hold their end-of-year recitals at the theatre. These include The Dance Centre and The Academy of Ballet and Jazz.
- High school drama departments also use the theatre. Groups like The Tuscaloosa Academy Players and the Tuscaloosa County High School Drama Dept have put on shows here.
