Fitzgerald Theater

Infobox_nrhp | name =Sam S. Shubert Theatre and Shubert Building
nrhp_type =

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caption = Now the Fitzgerald Theater
location=488-494 Wabasha Street North and 10 East Exchange Street Saint Paul, Minnesota
lat_degrees = 44
lat_minutes = 56
lat_seconds = 56
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 93
long_minutes = 5
long_seconds = 50
long_direction = W
locmapin = Minnesota
area =
built=1910
architect=
architecture=
added = August 20, 1984
governing_body = Private
refnum=84004140cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2007-01-23|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service] The Fitzgerald Theater is the oldest existing stage venue in the city of Saint Paul, Minnesota, and the home of American Public Media's "A Prairie Home Companion". It was one of many theaters built by the Shubert Theatre Corporation, and was initially named the Sam S. Shubert Theater.cite book|title=The National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota|last=Nord|first=Mary Ann|publisher=Minnesota Historical Society|date=2003|isbn=0-87351-448-3] It was designed by the noted Chicago architectural firm of Marshall and Fox, architects of several theaters for the Shuberts.fact|date=December 2007 In 1933, it became a movie outlet known as the World Theater.fact|date=December 2007 The space was purchased by Minnesota Public Radio in 1980 and restored with a stage in 1986 as a site for "Prairie Home", and was renamed in 1994 after St. Paul native F. Scott Fitzgerald.cite web|title=About the Fitzgerald Theater|url=http://fitzgeraldtheater.publicradio.org/about/|publisher=Minnesota Public Radio|accessdate=2007-12-15]

The theater is owned by Minnesota Public Radio.

On November 4, 2002, the theater was the site of a memorable election-eve debate between United States Senate candidates Norm Coleman (previously mayor of St. Paul) and Walter Mondale (formerly a U.S. Vice President) and moderated by Gary Eichten of MPR and Paul Magers of local television station KARE. Tension was heightened at the time because Mondale stepped in as a candidate at the last minute after the death of Paul Wellstone, who had been running for re-election.fact|date=December 2007

In 2005, the theater was used for filming the "Prairie Home Companion" movie directed by Robert Altman. While a certain level of realism is added by using the normal venue for the show, the regular equipment was eschewed in favor of sets designed for the movie. Because the theater is a small building, other theaters in the region were also scouted prior to filming, just in case the Fitzgerald wasn't big enough, but eventually it was determined to be adequate for the movie's needs.fact|date=December 2007

References

External links

* [http://fitzgeraldtheater.publicradio.org/ The Fitzgerald Theater]
* [http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/200211/04_zdechlikm_sendebate/ MPR: Coleman, Mondale debate]