Fox Theater (Stevens Point, Wisconsin) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Fox Theater
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The Fox Theater
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| Location | 1116-1128 Main St. Stevens Point, Wisconsin |
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| Built | 1894 |
| Architect | Oscar Cobb |
| Architectural style | Romanesque Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 82000698 |
| Added to NRHP | July 26, 1982 |
The Fox Theater is a historic building located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 because of its special architecture. This theater has a long and interesting history, changing names and purposes over the years.
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The Theater's Beginning: Grand Opera House
The Fox Theater building was first built in 1894 for a businessman named G. F. Andrae. An architect from Chicago, Oscar Cobb, designed it. When it first opened, it was called the Grand Opera House. It was a popular place for live shows like vaudeville and other stage performances.
G. F. Andrae was a German immigrant and a well-known person in Stevens Point. He built several buildings in the city, and the Opera House was his gift to the community. His family owned the building for a very long time, until September 2020.
The Grand Opera House was a big project for Stevens Point. It was built to be a modern and comfortable place for entertainment. On February 11, 1897, the Grand Opera House showed the very first motion pictures, called Vitascope. The Grand Opera House closed its doors on February 3, 1915.
New Name, New Look: The Majestic Theater
The theater later reopened with a new name: The Majestic Theater. During this time, the building was changed quite a bit. A stage house and dressing rooms were added to the back. Also, the special box seats were removed to make the main seating area larger. The Majestic Theater opened again on November 1, 1920, with a show called "All Aboard For Cuba."
In 1941, the Fox Theater got another big makeover. A new canopy was built over the entrance, which you can still see today. Inside, new sound equipment and movie projectors were installed. They also added an air-conditioning system to keep everyone cool. The main floor got a new concrete floor with a better slope for viewing. New seats were put in, making the theater able to hold 772 people. The main colors inside were burgundy, and the lobbies were green-turquoise and yellow. The ladies' restroom was also made larger. The Fox reopened on August 14, 1941, showing the movie "Life Begins For Andy Hardy."
In May 1954, a new movie technology called CinemaScope was added, along with an updated sound system. The first widescreen movie shown at the Fox was "The Robe." The Fox Theater closed for a short time in May 1955 but reopened in July 1955.
Later, different companies managed the theater, including United Artists Theaters and Rogers Cinema. The last company to operate it was Essaness Theaters before it closed in 1986.
In the early 1980s, a mall project in the city caused some parts of the theater to be removed. The stage, dressing area, and heating units were taken out. The theater only stayed open for a short time after these changes. The last two movies shown at the Fox were "Off Beat" and "Out of Africa. The theater officially closed on April 25, 1986.
Bringing the Fox Back to Life
Many people have tried to reopen the Fox Theater over the years. In 2006, the theater's marquee (the sign outside) was fixed up by the original family, and its lights were turned on sometimes.
In 2011, the Sanders family, who owned the building, announced plans to redevelop the theater. This depended on Stevens Point voters approving money to improve the mall area, which they did. The Sanders family then decided to donate the Fox Theater to the Arts Alliance of Portage County. This was a joint effort between Bill Schierl, the Arts Alliance president, and Ada Sanders, G. F. Andrae's granddaughter. On February 1, 2013, the Arts Alliance officially received the donation of the Fox Theatre. Ada Sanders said they had waited a long time for the right chance to give the Fox to the community.
The Arts Alliance created a committee to develop and run the theater as a nonprofit organization called Fox Theatre, LLC. Gerard McKenna, a former dean from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, was chosen to lead this committee.
In 2020, a new group called The Opera House LLC was formed. They started to change the building into a multi-purpose event space. They added a catering kitchen, a full-service bar, a ballroom on the second floor, and an elevator. They also worked hard to keep the building's historical features. The renovations were completed in 2022. The land around the Opera House was also restored to its original size. The city agreed to include the green space that was once part of the original lot in the redevelopment plan. This extra space was turned into an outdoor gathering area, like a traditional German beer garden, with seating, an outdoor stage, and public Wi-Fi.
Famous People at the Fox
Many famous people performed or spoke at the Fox Theater:
- Harry Houdini, the famous escape artist, performed on April 7 and 8, 1897.
- Eugene V. Debs, a well-known speaker and five-time Socialist candidate for president of the United States, spoke at the Grand on January 6, 1904.
Important Moments at the Fox
- 1893: G.F. Andrae announced he would build an Opera House, and work began.
- 1894: The Opera House opened with F.E. Bosworth as manager. German comedian Andy Amann performed on opening night.
- 1897: Edison picture shows (early movies) began to be shown.
- 1904: Traveling moving-picture shows were first seen.
- 1912: The first silent movie was screened, including "Keystone Kops."
- 1915: The Opera House closed.
- 1920: The Opera House reopened as the Majestic Theater with a new canopy.
- 1921: Myron "Archie" Neumann became manager and stayed until 1952.
- 1923: A Barton theater organ was installed.
- 1928: Wisconsin Amusement Company (now Fox Corp.) took over.
- 1930: The first "sound" films were screened.
- 1939: The theater closed for a month and reopened with a new Fox marquee.
- 1953: The theater closed for three days because students protested higher ticket prices. It reopened with "student priced" tickets.
- 1955: Projectionists went on strike.
- 1961: Prudential Insurance took over management.
- 1968: United Artists took over management.
- 1978: Rogers Cinema became the new management company.
- 1982: During the construction of CenterPoint Mall, 50 feet of the theater was removed.
- 1985: The theater closed.
- 2013: The Arts Alliance of Portage County officially accepted the donation of the Fox theater.
- 2019: The Arts Alliance sold the building to the city of Stevens Point for $1.
- 2020: Due to damage, the back two-thirds of the theater, including the main auditorium, was taken down. Only the front part remained for future plans.
- 2020: The city of Stevens Point sold the remaining building and lot to a local business owner.
- 2020: The Opera House LLC was created.
- 2020: Renovation work began in the fall.
- 2022: The Opera House reopened.
