Click image to enlarge. When it was constructed in 1914, the Lyric was the largest theater in Birmingham; today, it is the oldest surviving one in a city once boasting over sixty silent movie houses, theaters, opera houses, and nickelodeons. The biggest names in vaudeville performed here, including Buster Keaton, Sophie Tucker, Will Rogers, Mae West, and the Marx brothers. When it opened, the building displayed classical elements on the exterior, and stunned the audience with an amazing interior, replete with hand-painted murals and other touches of elegance. The theater and adjoining office building (constructed in 1913) were designed by New York architect C. K. Howell and were constructed by Jake Wells of the Wells Amusement Company.
After closing its doors in 1958, the Lyric suffered from years of neglect. A leaking roof caused harmful water damage, especially to the ceiling and the upper balcony walls. Although the city of Birmingham provided a grant in 2004 that would help fund some renovations, substantial money is still needed to repair the damage. The dedicated owners of the property want to develop the Lyric into a fine arts theater and restore it to its former grandeur.
RSS Feed