Historic Tennessee Theater: Crown Jewel of Gay Street
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.
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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.
