Knoxville's Downtown Regal Riviera Theater Enjoys First Birthday

Posted on August 18, 2008 by Lori Riverstone-Newell

The Regal Riviera 8 Theater opened one year ago this month (August 2007) in Knoxville's downtown. I'm happy to report that it is doing well, drawing customers not only to the theater itself, but to Knoxville's other downtown establishments. Regal Entertainment, which operates over 550 theaters in 39 states, is headquartered in Knoxville. While most of Regal's new theaters are larger and placed in suburban areas, the company responded to the public and private support for a downtown theater, the smallest and one of few downtown theaters it has built in recent years. Besides the company's commitment to its hometown, the historic importance of the actual site must have been an influence!


Photo by Michael Wender.

Located on Gay Street, the new Riviera "is on the same site as the original Riviera Theater established in 1920." While the original theater, which closed 32 years ago, first featured silent films, such as DeMille's Conrad in Search of His Youth and the works of Charlie Chaplan, over the next 40 years it would go on to show movies such as Charade and Gone with the Wind. In addition, "Like most theaters, the Riviera featured its share of live entertainment, from dancer Ginger Rogers to early jazz bands like the popular local orchestra Maynard Baird’s Southland Serenaders." After a 1963 fire and subsequent restoration, the original theater underwent many tough years of changed ownership and failed efforts. Finally, the building was torn down in the late 1980s and converted to a parking lot. As part of the city's revitalization movement, several local leaders decided to push for a new Riviera. Two years and $14.85 million in public and private funding made the decision a reality. Today's Riviera features first-run releases and offers over "2,000 seats in a total of 8 auditoriums. Regal patrons can enjoy free parking with validation anytime at the State Street Parking Garage." What's showing? Click here. For more information about Knoxville's downtown, submit your inquiry here.

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Historic Tennessee Theater: Crown Jewel of Gay Street

Posted on August 9, 2007 by Jeremy Floyd

Owned by the Historic Tennessee Theater Foundation, Inc., and managed by AC Entertainment, Knoxville’s Tennessee Theater has the distinction of being one of 249 theaters on the National Register of Historic Places (NR). When listed on the Register in 1982, the Tennessee Theater joined an elite group of properties which, in most circumstances, must be at least 50 years old and, according to the NR’s guidelines, must “have made a significant contribution to our country’s history and heritage.” The Tennessee Theater certainly has done just that.

Tennessee Theatre

When George M. Fuller broke ground for the Theater in 1927, he couldn’t have known the growing pains that were in store for the grand building. Opening in 1928, the Theater’s first show was Clara Bow’s, The Fleet’s In. Moviegoers paid 60 cents to take in the evening event. Over the next 80 years the Theater would experience bouts of great success followed by failures as ownership of the Theater changed hands and political and public interest waxed and waned. Nevertheless, the Tennessee Theater has done much more than survive; the Theater has flourished to host more than 200 public events per year, including operas, ballets, dance presentations, concerts, and cinematic screenings.

The Tennessee Theater was decorated in the Spanish Moorish style, so popular in the Roaring Twenties. The lobby is decorated with tile inlaid walls, gold overlays, and five French-style, Czech crystal chandeliers valued (today) at $150,000 each, terrazzo marble from Italy, and lavish handwoven carpeting and draperies. The 1,650 seat auditorium houses the Theater’s original Wurlitzer organ, a 55-person orchestra pit, red velvet seating, and a truly incredible concaved and frescoed ceiling, all of which underwent a $25.5 million restoration with the theater reopening in January 2005. All restorations were done with a dedication to historical accuracy.

The Mighty Wurlitzer also underwent restoration - from August 2000 to September 2001. Master organ rebuilder, Ken Crome of Nevada, and his crew of artisans and technicians worked to refurbish “almost the entire organ - all the pipes and the console with its manuals, stops, and pedals.” The result led acclaimed organist, Lyn Larson, to claim that the organ’s tonal quality and acoustics of the Theater placed it “among the handful of the very finest 'in-theatre' installations in the country.”

What’s in store for the coming season? Go to the Tennessee Theater event calendar or visit Tickets.com for ticket purchases and more information.

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