World Theatre Day: A look at 7 of the oldest theatres in Alabama [PHOTOS]
Reading time: 3 minutes
Today is World Theatre Day. A day to celebrate all the thespians in your life. So, this one goes out to all you former theatre kids. How’s that self-tape coming? Well, in honor of today’s holiday, we rounded up some gorgeous pictures of 7 of the oldest theatres in Alabama. Hope you enjoy!
Alabama Theatre (Birmingham)
- Address: 1817 3rd Ave N, Birmingham, AL 35203
- Year opened: 1927
- Architect: Graven & Mayger
- Upcoming show: Ledisi—The Goof Life Tour on April 3rd. Details here.
The Lyric Theatre (Birmingham)
- Address: 1800 3rd Ave N, Birmingham, AL 35203
- Year opened: 1914, closed in 1970s + reopened in 2016
- Architect: original design by General Louis V. Clark + Hendon Hetrack Construction; remodeled by EverGreen, Stewart Perry Construction + Westlake Reed Leskosky Design
- Upcoming show: country music star Brandy Clark. More information here.
The Princess Theatre (Decatur)
- Address: 112 2nd Ave NE, Decatur, AL 35601
- Year opened: started as stable in 1887; made a theatre 1919; was remodeled in 1941, 1978 + 2017
- Architect: Albert Frahn (1941 renovation)
- Now showing: Free showing of the movie ‘Precious’ on April 3rd. Details here.
Lincoln Theatre (Bessemer)
- Address: 1926 1st Ave N, Bessemer, AL 35020
- Year opened: 1948 (building constructed 1910, renovated into a theatre in ’48)
- Architect: Charles McCauley
- Now showing: Working on a renovation + revitalization project. Read more about it here.
Saenger Theatre (Mobile)
- Address: 6 S Joachim St, Mobile, AL 36602
- Year opened: 1927
- Architect: Emile Weil
- Upcoming show: Mania, the Abba Tribute on April 3rd. More info.
Shoals Theatre (Florence)
- Address: 123 N Seminary St, Florence, AL 35630
- Year opened: 1943
- Architect: Thomas Marr + Joseph W. Holman
- Upcoming show: Footloose the Musical is playing for 3 nights in April. More information.
Capri Theatre (Montgomery)
- Address: 1045 E Fairview Ave, Montgomery, AL 36106
- Year opened: 1941 as the Clover Theatre, remodeled into Capri in 1962, renovated in 2016
- Architect: William J. Okel
- Upcoming show: ‘They Shot the Piano Player’ on April 5-8. Tickets here.
Which of these old theatres is your favorite? Tag us on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn and let us know. And make sure you subscribe to our newsletter before you go, we’ll bring more like this straight to your inbox.
