Fitzgerald Theater facts for kids
The Fitzgerald Theater illuminated at night
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| Address | 10 East Exchange Street Saint Paul, Minnesota United States |
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| Coordinates | 44°56′56″N 93°05′50″W / 44.94889°N 93.09722°W |
| Owner | First Avenue |
| Type | Provincial |
| Capacity | 1,058 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1910 |
| Architect | Marshall and Fox |
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Sam S. Shubert Theater and Shubert Building
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 Location in Minnesota
Location in the United States
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| Location | 10 East Exchange Street and 488-494 Wabasha Street North |
| NRHP reference No. | 84004140 |
| Added to NRHP | August 20, 1984 |
The Fitzgerald Theater is the oldest active theatre in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It is known as the home of American Public Media's Live from Here radio show. This show was previously called A Prairie Home Companion.
The theater was first built in 1910. It was one of many theaters created by the Shubert Theatre Corporation. Its first name was the Sam S. Shubert Theater. A famous architectural firm, Marshall and Fox, designed the building. In 1933, the theater started showing movies and was called the World Theater.
In 1980, Minnesota Public Radio bought the building. They restored it and added a stage in 1986. This was so A Prairie Home Companion could be performed there. In 1994, the theater was renamed after F. Scott Fitzgerald. He was a famous writer from Saint Paul.
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Important Events and History
A Special Political Debate
On November 4, 2002, an important political debate happened at the theater. It was the night before a big election. Two candidates for the United States Senate debated there. They were Norm Coleman and Walter Mondale. Mr. Mondale had also been a U.S. Vice President. The debate was led by Gary Eichten from MPR and Paul Magers from KARE television.
Filming a Movie
In 2005, the Fitzgerald Theater was used to film the movie Prairie Home Companion. The movie was directed by Robert Altman. Using the real theater helped make the movie feel very realistic. However, special movie sets were used instead of the usual stage equipment. The theater was just big enough for the film's needs.
New Ownership for the Theater
In March 2019, a company called First Avenue bought the Fitzgerald Theater. First Avenue operates many music and performance venues in the Twin Cities area. They purchased the theater from Minnesota Public Radio.
The Theater's Organ
The Fitzgerald Theater also has a special theatre organ. This organ was made by a company called Wurlitzer.
Images for kids
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Interior of Minnesota Public Radio's Fitzgerald Theater
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Mural on building exterior depicting F. Scott Fitzgerald
