Tennessee Theatre

Infobox_nrhp | name = Burwell Building, Tennessee Theater (a.k.a.; Knoxville Banking and Trust Company Building)
iucn_category = (US National Register of Historic Places)


caption = The historical Tennessee Theatre on Gay Street
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location = Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
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long_direction = W
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built = October 1, 1928
architect = Graven & Mayger
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established = 1982
refnum = #82003979
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governing_body = The Tennessee Theatre, is a 1920s-era movie palace, located within the Burwell Building in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee, at 600 Gay Street.

History

The Burwell Building was built in 1907. At a height of 166 ft, it was Knoxville's tallest building until 1912. [http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=burwellbuilding-knoxville-tn-usa Burwell Building] , Emporis.com] The Tennessee Theater occupies an annex to the building that was added in 1928.

The theatre first opened on October 1, 1928, and with nearly 2,000 seats in the auditorium, was billed as "Knoxville's Grand Entertainment Palace". Its interior was designed by Chicago architects Graven & Mayger in the Spanish-Moorish style, although the design incorporates elements from all parts of the world: Czechoslovakian crystals in the French-style chandeliers, Italian terrazzo flooring in the Grand Lobby, and Oriental influences in the carpet and drapery patterns. The theatre was one of the first public buildings in Knoxville to have air conditioning. The theatre also featured a beautiful Wurlitzer Organ.

During its heyday, the theatre played host to a few world movie premieres, including "So This is Love" (1953), and the adaptation of James Agee's "All the Way Home" (1963).

After a refurbishment in 1966, the theatre's seating capacity was lowered to 1,545.

The theater changed owners several times over its life, and eventually closed for the first time in 1977, and then was open and closed intermittently for the remainder of the late 1970s. The theatre was purchased by local radio company Dick Broadcasting in 1981, who started a renovation effort to prepare it for the 1982 World's Fair. On April 1, 1982, the theatre was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. [ [http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/TN/Knox/state.html Knox County Listings at the National Register of Historic Places] ]

Portions of the 1999 film "October Sky" were filmed in and around Knoxville, and the facade of the theatre can be seen during a scene in which the main characters go to the movies.

More recently, the theatre was the home for the Appalachian Ballet, the Knoxville Opera, and the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra.

The Mighty Wurlitzer

The Wurlitzer was installed in the Tennessee Theatre at the time of its opening in 1928. It was built by the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company in North Tonawanda, New York, and cost about $50,000 at that time.

In October 2000, virtually the entire organ was shipped to Reno, Nevada, to master organ rebuilder Ken Crome, who painstakingly restored the instrument piece by piece, and artisans and craftsmen returned the organ's appearance to its original 1928 color scheme and design. The chambers on either side of the stage, which house the pipes, were replastered to fully ensure the protection and preservation of the restored instrument.

The Wurlitzer returned to Knoxville in August 2001 and was re-installed over the course of the next month. Acclaimed theatre organist Lyn Larsen was involved in the configuration and tonal regulation of the organ, and was the first to publicly perform it at a gala concert on October 1, 2001.

Renovation and restoration

In 1999, the theatre, now owned by The Historic Tennessee Theatre Foundation, was designated "The Official State Theatre of Tennessee". In 2001, the Foundation announced a campaign to completely restore and renovate the Theatre. The $25.5 million project was funded through public and private donations. The theater closed for renovations in June 2003 to completely restore it to its original glamour.

Renovations included expansions of the stage depth and height to accommodate larger and more elaborate productions, an enlarged orchestra pit, upgraded dressing room facilities, modernization of the lighting, rigging, and other theatrical equipment, the installations of elevators, and a new marquee.

The restorations included new carpets, draperies, and lighting fixtures that duplicated the original designs, and historically accurate restoration of all plaster and paint surfaces throughout the lobby, lounges, foyers, and the auditorium.

The theatre reopened January 14, 2005 to a near sold-out season, and now offers a wide range of performing arts events and classic films to the public. It is managed by AC Entertainment.

References

External links

* [http://www.tennesseetheatre.com/ Tennessee Theatre website]
* [http://www.theburwell.com/ Burwell Building] (website for building that contains the theatre)