The Lyric Theatre Restoration
As Birmingham real estate agents, we are always excited to see our community gain new and exciting things to do. Sure, it helps us as agents, but it also helps us a Birmingham citizens, and it makes us feel even better about selling homes to new families.
We know home owners value community, safety, and entertainment. That’s why the addition of new parks (like Railroad Park) and exciting restaurants (like El Barrio) are so exciting. It’s even better when these new venues come with a little bit of Birmingham history.
Well, Birmingham, Alabama is about to get back potentially one of it’s most exciting venues: The Lyric Theatre. We know how much community the Alabama Theatre has given Birmingham already, and we can not wait to see what this new addition will bring.
(There is tons of family fun in Birmingham! Check it out.)
The Birth of the Lyric
If you didn’t catch it early, we mentioned that Alabama is about to get a new venue back. That’s right! The Lyric Theatre existed once before, and it’s history is rich and exciting.
Built in the late 1910s by C. K. Howell for Louis V. Clark, the Lyric Theatre was designed for vaudeville. Clark leased his theatre to the well-known Jake Wells, a man who ran a number of theatres in Birmingham, and the South. The Lyric became the last theatre ever built for vaudeville performances.
On January 14, 1914, the Lyric Theatre opened for its debut. The performances featured that night included the cartoonist Rube Goldberg, Archie and Gertie Falls, the Jesse Lasky company performance of Gertrude Jennings’ The Rest Cure, and much more. Rave reviews were given, and the Lyric would go on to host a number of wildly famous celebrities including the Marx Brothers, Mae West, Buster Keaton, and Will Rogers (just to name a few). By 1925, silent films began to show accompanied by a new organ. It was an exciting place to be.
The Fall
As the Great Depression swept our nation, Birmingham was hit particularly hard, and with it, the Lyric Theatre. Times were so hard, Jake Wells had to shut down the Lyric’s doors. Following its first closing, The lyric saw a number of re-openings, and closings, all in an effort to try and preserve its history and Birmingham’s entertainment. Through these times the Lyric became a movie theatre, a second-run movie theatre, an adult film cinema, and even a beauty salon. By 1993, the theatre had lost its thrill, and maintenance was too heavy to take on. Birmingham Landmarks purchased the Lyric from the Waters Family for a whopping $10.
The Revival
Birmingham Landmarks is the same company who restored our stunning Alabama Theatre, and since 2009, they have launched a restoration program to revive the Lyric Theatre, as well.
Today, the community has raised over 8 million dollars for these restorations efforts, and it’s opening is rapidly approaching. It’s an exciting time for Birmingham. Currently, very few venues offer the space that the Lyric will for certain types of performances, including opera, ballet, symphony performances, and theatre. The city currently turns away over 100 of these events, simply because of space, and along with it, up to $5 million dollars annually. In addition, the restoration has created over 200 permanent and construction jobs.
Perhaps the Lyric is just excitement Birmingham needs to speed up the pace of the entire city’s restoration.
As Birmingham real estate agents, we can’t wait to see how this great change affects the economy. We are so proud of Birmingham’s progress, and proud to call it our home.
Are you interested in purchasing a home in Alabama? Contact our Birmingham real estate agents today!
