Fox Theatre (St. Louis) facts for kids
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The Fox Theatre, St Louis
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| Location | 527 N. Grand Blvd. St. Louis, Missouri, United States |
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| Coordinates | 38°38′19″N 90°13′54″W / 38.63861°N 90.23167°W |
| Public transit |  MetroBus |
| Owner | Fox Associates |
| Type | Concert venue |
| Capacity | 4,500 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1929 |
| Renovated | 1982 |
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Fox Theater
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| Architect | C. Howard Crane |
| Architectural style | Siamese Byzantine style |
| NRHP reference No. | 76002261 |
| Added to NRHP | October 8, 1976 |
The Fox Theatre in St. Louis, Missouri, is a famous performing arts center. It used to be a grand movie palace, a huge movie theater from the past. People often call it "The Fabulous Fox." You can find it at 527 N. Grand Blvd. in the Grand Center arts area. The theater first opened its doors in 1929. It was fully brought back to life in 1982 after a big restoration.
Contents
History of the Fox Theatre
The Fox Theatre was built in 1929. It was created by a movie pioneer named William Fox. He wanted a special place to show films from his company, the Fox Film Corporation. The theater also hosted amazing live stage shows.
The St. Louis Fox was one of five grand Fox Theatres built around that time. The other four were in Brooklyn, Atlanta, Detroit, and San Francisco.
Opening and Early Years
When the Fox Theatre opened on January 31, 1929, it was one of the largest theaters in the United States. It had 5,060 seats. For many years, it was one of St. Louis's most important movie theaters. Today, it is a versatile place for many different kinds of performances.
Unique Design and Style
The Fox Theatre was designed by C. Howard Crane, an architect who specialized in theaters. Its style is a mix of Asian designs, sometimes called Siamese Byzantine. The inside of the St. Louis Fox looks almost exactly like the Fox Theatre in Detroit, which opened in 1928.
In 1929, reporters described these theaters as "awe-inspiring." They said the design was like "Hindoo Mosques of Old India," full of richness and dazzling details. William Fox called this unique style the "Eve Leo Style." This was a tribute to his wife, who bought many of the decorations, paintings, and sculptures for the interior during her travels.
Restoration and Reopening
The Fox Theatre closed its doors in March 1978. Then, in 1981, a group called Fox Associates bought it. They spent at least $3 million to restore the theater. This was a big project, especially since the theater only cost $6 million to build in 1929.
The Fox Theatre reopened in September 1982. The first show after its restoration was the Broadway musical Barnum. Fox Theatricals, which operates the Fox, also runs the Briar Street Theater in Chicago.
Today, the Fox Theatre has 4,192 seats for theatergoers. It also has a special area called the Fox Club with 234 private seats. In September 2007, the theater celebrated 25 years since its reopening. They had a concert and showed movies, just like when it first opened.
Famous Events at the Fox
The Fox Theatre has hosted many memorable events over the years.
Movies and Music
The outside of the Fox Theatre briefly appeared in the 1981 film Escape from New York. In the movie, the character Snake approaches the theater. You can even see "FOX THEATRE" written in graffiti on the building.
In 1986, the Fox hosted a 60th birthday concert for Chuck Berry. He was a famous rock and roll pioneer from St. Louis. Keith Richards from The Rolling Stones helped lead the band for the concert. This concert was part of a documentary film about Chuck Berry called Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll. In the film, Chuck Berry shared that when he was a child, he was not allowed into the Fox Theatre because he was Black.
On June 25, 1991, musician Dan Fogelberg performed at the Fox. This concert was filmed and recorded. It was later released as a concert film and live album called Dan Fogelberg Live: Greetings from the West.
Other Notable Performances
The theater was a stop for the politically focused Vote for Change Tour on October 6, 2004. Pearl Jam performed during this event.
The Fox was also the final stop for the Third National Tour of Les Misérables. The very last show took place on July 23, 2006. This tour had run for 17 years and performed 7,061 times.
The popular NBC show America's Got Talent came to the Fox Theatre from March 8 to March 10, 2012. They filmed five tapings there. Over 75 contestants performed for the celebrity judges, Howie Mandel, Sharon Osbourne, and Howard Stern. Nick Cannon was the host. Howard Stern said that St. Louis had the "best talent" among the cities they had visited. The judges were also impressed by the energetic audiences at the Fox.
Theater Organs
The Fox Theatre has a special Wurlitzer pipe organ. This organ cost $75,000 when it was installed in 1929. It has four keyboards, 36 sets of pipes, and 348 stops. Marlin Mackley restored this organ in 1981.
Tom Terry was the theater's main organist from 1929 to 1935. The organ was not played for the public again until 1952. In 1952, Stan Kann became the resident organist. He played the organ at the Fox for 22 years and became very well-known among theater organ fans.
During the theater's renovation in the 1980s, a second Wurlitzer organ was placed in the lobby. This smaller organ has two keyboards and 11 sets of pipes. It was originally installed in the Majestic Theatre in East St. Louis, Illinois, in 1930.
