- State Theatre (Bay City, Michigan)
The State Theatre is a single screen movie theater located in
Bay City, Michigan . Built in 1908 during the booming lumbering era inMichigan , the State Theatre was originally known as the Bijou, and was one of the many vaudeville and burlesque houses in Bay City. In 1930 the theater was renovated and reopened as the "Bay". The ownership and the name of the theater changed over the years until July 2000, when the theater was purchased by the Bay City Downtown Developement Authority, with the intent of restoring it to it's Mayan roots.History
In September 1908, the Bijou vaudeville theatre opened on Washington Avenue in Downtown Bay City. In August of 1920 the theatre's name was changed to the "Orpheum". The theater was renovated in 1930 to resemble a Mayan temple by renowned architect
C. Howard Crane whose impressive body of work includes the twin Fox Theatres in Detroit andSt. Louis, Missouri . [http://www.statetheatrebaycity.com/history.htm] [The Bay City Times, Volume 134, Number 256]Restoration
Renovations to the theater began in 2000 with the replacement of the roof, carpet, and stage curtains, and seating. The hardwood floors were refinished, and the lighting and sound systems were updated.
Digital projector
In August 2008, The State Theatre became the first single screen theater with a digital projection system in the United States.
New marquee
On September 11, 2008 a new marquee was unveiled. The new design copies the front of the theater from the time of the Mayan redesign of 1930. The $220,000 marquee, with its retro Mayan Indian headdress, digital display, and colorful lighting, is part of a multi-phase project to renovate the theater.
References
External links
* [http://cinematreasures.org/architect/24/ List of cinemas designed by C. Howard Crane]
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