Stefanie H. Weill Center for the Performing Arts facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Sheboygan Theatre
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| Location | 826 North 8th Street Sheboygan, Wisconsin  United States |
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| Built | 1928 |
| Architectural style | Spanish Colonial Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 99001606 |
| Added to NRHP | December 22, 1999 |
The Stefanie H. Weill Center for the Performing Arts is a special old theater in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. It used to be called the Sheboygan Theatre. Today, it's a busy place where people can enjoy live shows, music, and other performances.
Contents
A Look Back: The Theater's History
Building a Dream Theater
The Sheboygan Theatre was built a long time ago, in 1928. It cost a lot of money back then, about $600,000! A company called Universal Pictures, which makes movies, built it.
The theater was designed in a style called Spanish Colonial Revival. This means it looks like old buildings from Spain, with fancy details and a warm, inviting feel.
Stepping into a Spanish Garden
This theater was a special kind called an "atmospheric" theater. This means the inside was made to look like you were somewhere else. When you walked in, it felt like you were in a beautiful Spanish garden at night, under a starry sky. It was a magical experience for moviegoers!
A fun fact: Carl Laemmle, who started Universal Pictures, had family roots not too far away in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Changes Over the Years
Later on, another company bought the theater. They changed it into two smaller movie theaters inside one building. It was then known as the Plaza 8 Cinema.
Even with these changes, most of the theater's original beautiful details stayed hidden but safe. The theater closed in 1992 when the company opened a bigger movie complex in another part of Sheboygan. It was the last movie theater left in downtown Sheboygan.
Saving a Landmark
In 1996, a group called the Weill Center Foundation stepped in. They bought the building because they wanted to save this historic theater. Their goal was to fix it up and make it a special place for performances again.
On December 22, 1999, the theater was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's a very important building that should be protected. The Weill Center also uses other buildings nearby for things like selling tickets, practicing, and meetings.
A Place for Big Events
The Weill Center is still a popular spot for many events. For example, in 2019, a TV show called Fehrety Live was filmed there. The show talked about the 2021 Ryder Cup, a huge golf tournament. Famous golf captains, Steve Stricker and Pádraig Harrington, were guests on the show.
