are designed to imitate the sounds of a full orchestra. It takes a dedicated crew a full day to bring the
massive organ from its resting place to the stage for a performance.
The Fox opened on Christmas Day in 1929 to a sold out crowd with the showing of “Steamboat Willie”,
the original cartoon of Disney's Mickey Mouse.
People lined up to see the beautiful
red-carpeted entrance, the ornate gilt
work, spectacular stained glass
windows, and the famous cobalt blue
ceiling that looks like a starry night.
There is even a rumor that one of the
96 stars--a third of which twinkle-is a
piece of a coke bottle (which proved
true when restoration workers in
2010 made it a fact).
In 1932, The Great Depression
wreaked havoc on the rich and poor-The Fox Theatre was no exception.
William Fox was forced to declare
bankruptcy and The Fox was sold on
the courthouse steps for a mere
$75,000. The Fox continued to draw fans to see such highlights as The Metropolitan Opera Company,
pop star NELSON EDDY and to be the host to the sweeping craze of Big Band and Swing music.
In the late 60's, The Fox, like many movie theatres, was again falling behind--this time due to suburban
MoviePlexes. In the mid 70's, The Fox had fallen into disrepair and the doors were closed, seemingly
forever. The residents of Atlanta had different ideas though, and a campaign was waged to “Save the
Fox:; with such greats as LYNYRD SKYNYRD to LIBERACE holding benefit concerts, schoolchildren
donating their coins and mass corporate and private sponsors donating to save The Fox from closure.
In 1975, The Fox reopened after restoration, with many of the original blueprints being followed and
adding to the grandeur of The Fox, as budget concerns had deleted much of the original buildings
architecture during initial construction. That year, it was also added to The National Register of Historic
Buildings.
Now the highly successful Fox Theatre hosts a variety of Broadway shows, national music talent, various
special events and even weddings. Some of the bands scheduled to play this year at The Fox include
CROSBY, STILLS AND NASH, ALABAMA, BLUE MAN GROUP and more. The Fox Theatre is located at
660 Peachtree Street in Atlanta, Georgia. Call 404-881-2100 for more information.
http://foxtheatre.org/
https://www.facebook.com/TheFoxTheatreAtlanta