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 famous old theater in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Today, it is the city's main place for performing arts. This beautiful building was updated thanks to teamwork. The Arts Council of Tuscaloosa and the Tuscaloosa County Parks and Recreation Authority worked together.
The Bama Theatre is a three-story building made of brick and limestone. You can find it in downtown Tuscaloosa. It is at the corner of Gary Fitts Street and Greensboro Avenue. This historic building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 30, 1984. It is also part of the Downtown Tuscaloosa Historic District.
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History of the Bama Theatre
The First Bama Theatre
Before the current Bama Theatre, there was another theater with the same name. This older Bama Theatre was built in 1924. It was on Broad Street, which is now University Boulevard. This first theater showed silent movies and live vaudeville shows. Vaudeville was a type of entertainment with many 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 we know today was built between 1937 and 1938. It was part of a big government project. This project helped create jobs during a tough time. The building was designed to be both a theater and the city hall for Tuscaloosa.
The architect was David O. Whilldin from Birmingham. He also designed other important buildings in Tuscaloosa. The Bama Theatre opened its doors on April 12, 1938. It was one of the last grand "movie palaces" built in the southern United States.
The outside of the building has a cool, modern look called Streamline Moderne. Inside, it's very fancy and "atmospheric." This means it feels like you're in a special place. The decorations mix modern and old styles. The ceiling even has twinkling stars and clouds. This makes it feel like you are watching a show outdoors. The city hall moved out of the building in 1968.
Updates and Changes
In 1976, the Bama Theatre became a performing arts center. It was fully updated for live shows and concerts. For a while, it was a very popular place for touring artists. The theater also started showing independent and foreign films. This was called the Bama Art House Film Series.
Some movies shown included Boyhood, Moonrise Kingdom, and Room. The Bama Theatre even hosted the first showing of John Sayles's movie Honeydripper. This movie was filmed in Alabama. Nearly 900 people came to see it. Today, the Bama Theatre hosts many different events. These include concerts, movies, dance shows, and live plays.
The big sign outside the theater got a new LED screen in March 2017. In 2022, the theater had a major renovation. All the seats and carpets were replaced. The entire building was also upgraded.
Groups That Perform Here
The Bama Theatre is home to many talented groups. These groups are 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 shows at the theater. These include The Dance Centre and The Academy of Ballet and Jazz.
- High school drama groups also put on plays here. These include the Tuscaloosa Academy Players and groups from Tuscaloosa County High School and Brookwood High School.
