Fox Theatre (Detroit) facts for kids
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The Woodward facade in 2022
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| Address | 2211 Woodward Avenue Detroit, Michigan 48201 |
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| Public transit |  Montcalm Street |
| Owner | Olympia Entertainment |
| Operator | 313 Presents |
| Type | Performing arts center |
| Capacity | 5,174 |
| Current use | live event venue |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1928 |
| Reopened | November 19, 1988 |
| Website | |
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Fox Theatre
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| Architect | C. Howard Crane Restoration by William Kessler |
| Architectural style | Art Deco with a blend of Burmese, Indian, Persian, Chinese, and Hindu motifs |
| NRHP reference No. | 85000280 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | February 14, 1985 |
| Designated NHL | June 29, 1989 |
The Fox Theatre is a famous place for shows and events in Downtown Detroit, Michigan. It is located at 2211 Woodward Avenue, close to the Grand Circus Park Historic District.
This amazing building first opened in 1928. It was a huge movie palace and the biggest theater in Detroit at the time, with over 5,000 seats! The theater was designed by a talented architect named C. Howard Crane.
Because of its special design, the Fox Theatre was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. It was also named a National Historic Landmark in 1989. The area around the Fox Theatre is even called Foxtown!
Today, the Fox Theatre has 5,048 seats. If you include extra seats that can be placed in the orchestra pit, it has 5,174 seats. It is the largest movie palace from the 1920s that is still standing. The theater was fully brought back to its original beauty in 1988. The office building next to it is home to Olympia Entertainment and Little Caesars.
Contents
History of the Fox Theatre
The Detroit Fox Theatre is one of five amazing Fox Theatres built in the late 1920s. These theaters were created by a film pioneer named William Fox. The other Fox Theatres were in Brooklyn, Atlanta, St. Louis, and San Francisco.
Unique Design and Features
Architect C. Howard Crane designed the Fox Theatre with a very "exotic" look. He used ideas from Burmese, Chinese, Indian, and Persian styles. The theater has three levels of seating: the Main Floor, the Mezzanine, and the Gallery (balcony).
The outside of the 10-story office building has Asian designs. These designs light up at night and can be seen from far away. The Fox Theatre in St. Louis, Missouri looks very similar inside, but it has about 500 fewer seats. The Detroit Fox Theatre building also holds the main offices for Olympia Entertainment. The plaster molds used to decorate the Detroit Fox in 1928 were used again for the St. Louis Fox in 1929.
Years of Operation and Restoration
The Fox Theatre opened in 1928 and was Detroit's top movie spot for many years. Unlike many other theaters nearby, it stayed open continuously until the early 1980s. It then closed for a big restoration project. By the 1960s, the theater was getting old, and some parts were not kept up. By the 1970s, the mezzanine and balcony seating areas were closed to the public.
In 1988, Mike and Marian Ilitch bought the theater. They spent $12 million to fully restore it. Their company, Ilitch Holdings, Inc., has its main office in the Fox Theater Office Building. The area around the Fox Theatre is sometimes called Foxtown. Other big sports venues like Comerica Park (opened in 2000), Ford Field (opened in 2002), and Little Caesars Arena (opened in 2017) also helped bring new life to the neighborhood.
Memorable Performances and Events
The grand opening of the Fox Theatre was on September 21, 1928. It showed the silent film Street Angel starring Janet Gaynor. The live show told the history of Detroit. There were movies, short films, newsreels, and performances by the 60-piece Fox Theatre Grand Orchestra, a 50-voice choir, and a 32-member dance group called the Tillerettes.
In the 1930s, child star Shirley Temple visited the theater when her movies were playing. During World War II, the Fox Theatre stayed open 24 hours a day. This was to allow defense plant workers on different shifts to see movies. The theater often made $75,000 a week when tickets cost only 35 cents. In 1953, the Fox was the first theater in Michigan to show movies in CinemaScope. It premiered the epic film The Robe.
In May 1956, Elvis Presley performed three shows at the Fox. During the 1960s, many Motown music artists performed there. By the 1970s, the theater was showing its age. However, it stayed open by showing action and martial arts films.
After its restoration, the first show at the Fox was on November 19, 1988. It was a concert with Joe Williams and the Count Basie Orchestra. Since then, many famous artists have performed. These include Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., and Liza Minnelli in 1989. Victor Borge also performed in 1990, and his show was recorded for TV.
The theater hosted the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony on March 31, 2007. This was the night before WrestleMania 23 at nearby Ford Field. The day before, on March 30, 2007, the Fox hosted the world premiere of the film The Condemned.
Many live shows for families have also been held here. These include Blue's Clues Live!, Dora the Explorer Live, Go Diego Go! Live, Sesame Street Live, and Yo Gabba Gabba! Live. The Radio City Christmas Spectacular was a popular show every year from 1997 to 2005. The Fox Theatre was also featured in a Chrysler commercial during the Super Bowl XLV in February 2011.
The Australian children's music group The Wiggles have performed at the theater several times. They were there on August 20 and 21, 2003, August 17 and 18, 2004, September 22, 2013, October 11, 2015, and August 26, 2019.
Many famous musicians from Michigan have also played at the Fox Theatre. These include Aretha Franklin (1994, 2012), The Temptations (1988), Stevie Wonder (1969), The Spinners (1977), Smokey Robinson (1988), Al Green (1989), Diana Ross (1990), Alice Cooper (1990), Iggy Pop and The Stooges (2007), Kid Rock (2012), Jack White (2014), and Greta Van Fleet (2018). Chris Cornell of Soundgarden played his last show there on May 17, 2017.
On July 30 and 31, 2019, the theater hosted a two-night debate for the candidates running for president in 2020.
Architecture and Design
The Fox Office Building is 10 stories tall and forms the front of the theater on Woodward Avenue. The front and sides of the office tower are covered with a cream-colored material called terra cotta. There are fancy decorations above the windows on the second and tenth floors. The building wraps around the theater lobby, making a U-shape. The main theater and the back of the office tower are made of brick.
The current sign (marquee) was put up during the 1987 restoration. It looks like the original sign, which was replaced in the 1950s. In 2015, it was updated with new lights and digital screens.
Inside the Lobby
The theater entrance on Woodward Avenue has 16 doors. These open into a small entry area called the storm lobby. This lobby has a black and white marble floor and small, fancy plaster designs on the ceiling. The storm lobby then leads into the main lobby. This main lobby is about 87 feet (26.5 meters) deep and six floors high. The floor is made of terrazzo with brass designs. This floor was hidden until the 1988 renovation.
A story says that Eve Leo, the wife of Fox President William Fox, wanted carpet in the lobby. So, the largest single-piece wool rug ever made was put down. This rug covered 3,600 square feet (334 square meters) and weighed 3,000 pounds (1,360 kg).
Above the entrance doors are fake organ pipes made of plaster. In a balcony to the upper left, there is a real Moller organ. Its pipes are hidden in a room above the console. The Fox's Moller organ is the only one still in its original spot.
On each side of the lobby are eight red columns made of a material called scagliola. These columns have eagles, flowers, and glass jewels. They are about 12 feet (3.7 meters) tall. The tops of the columns are silver and have pictures of animals and birds. These columns hold up plaster beams decorated with faces, starbursts, and fancy designs. Between the columns are small balconies on the mezzanine and balcony levels. From here, people can look down into the main lobby. The ceiling is blue with a sunburst design and Fox griffins.
At the back of the lobby, a grand staircase leads to the mezzanine level. Two plaster lions with jeweled eyes guard the bottom of the stairs. Fish-like creatures decorate the railings. On the mezzanine level, four columns frame large windows that look into the main theater. A walkway above these windows lets people on the balcony level look down into the lobby.
The Auditorium
Next to the grand stairs are doors that lead to the 2,898 seats on the orchestra level. The main theater room (auditorium) is 108 feet (33 meters) high and 175 feet (53 meters) wide. An inner lobby wraps around the seating area. It has two oval stairways that lead to the upper seating levels and the lounges downstairs. The walls of the auditorium are light brown. They are decorated with molded plaster plants, human faces, geometric designs, birds, and animals.
The stage opening (proscenium) is 70 feet (21 meters) wide and 30 feet (9.1 meters) high. Like the side walls, it is decorated with animals, human figures, starbursts, and flowers. Above the center of the proscenium is an elephant's head. Below the elephant is a large, fancy container that hides the speakers. The backstage area originally had 18 dressing rooms for performers, offices, and a broadcast booth. In the basement were staff dressing rooms, workshops, a first-aid room, a screening room, and storage rooms.
The orchestra pit and parts of the stage can be moved up and down using hydraulic lifts. The stage is 78 feet (24 meters) wide and 32 feet (9.8 meters) deep. It also holds a large Wurlitzer organ. This organ was made especially for the Fox Theatre. It is one of the few theater organs in the world that is still in its original place.
On the side walls at the orchestra level are arches that go up to the balcony. Above these is a row of nine red scagliola columns at the balcony level. These columns match the ones in the lobby. The columns support decorated arches. Behind some of these arches are grilles that hide the 2,700 pipes and other parts of the organ. The areas between the other columns have tinted mirrors. The walls are topped with a decorative border that has lion and human faces among designs and sunbursts.
The ceiling looks like a round tent with a hole in the middle (oculus). The tent hangs down slightly and is covered with a special felt that has a stenciled design. The ceiling of the oculus is blue. A globe chandelier made of colored glass hangs from a starburst design in the center. This chandelier is 13 feet (4 meters) across and weighs 2,000 pounds (907 kg). It has 1,200 pieces of glass.
The projection booth was very large for its time. It originally held four projectors, three spotlights, and a special machine to create effects.
See also
In Spanish: Fox Theatre (Detroit) para niños
