Majestic Theatre

From Bhamwiki
Revision as of 21:01, 5 March 2020 by Dystopos (talk | contribs)
Jump to navigation Jump to search

The Majestic Theatre or New Majestic, was a 1,200-seat theater located at 1808-1810 3rd Avenue North. It was opened in 1906 as the city's fourth Vaudeville hall ,and presented a full schedule of nightly entertainment and daily matinees.

The theater project was developed by Karl Hoblitzelle's newly-formed Interstate Amusement Company. Hoblitzelle was an assistant to the director of works for the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St Louis, Missouri (where he would have viewed Vulcan towering over the Alabama Mineral Exhibit in the Palace of Mines and Metallurgy). His experience there convinced him of a major opportunity in bringing Vaudeville into the southern United States, and he quickly began opening theaters in Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana before extending his circuit to the booming city of Birmingham.

Construction on the site, previously the address of the Jesse French Piano & Organ Company showroom, which moved to 2018 2nd Avenue North, began in October 1905. George H. Johnson, a theater builder from St Louis, Missouri contracted for the work of erecting the four-story masonry building for B. M. Allen to lease to Hoblitzelle. Interstate claimed that the 1,200 seat auditorium with its 40-foot-deep stage was, "constructed on modern lines of Theater architecture, insuring perfect accoustics in every corner of the house—an unbroken line of vision—making it essentially a perfect Theater." [sic]. In its review of the opening, however, the Birmingham News, confidently predicted that, "when the cooler weather comes and there will be no necessity for electric fans the acoustics of the house will be excellent."

The ground floor would have space for a retail tenant and the upper floors would be leased as offices to help finance the development. The first year's rent for the theater space was $6,000, paid upon signing of the roughly $40,000 construction contract. The total cost of Allen's investment, including furnishings and equipment, was later reported as $75,000.

The opening night, scheduled for February 1906, was delayed until September 10, partly because the city's building inspector, stopped work until some portions could be rebuilt in conformance with the city's code. Frank Parry was engaged as the theater's manager. He noted that Birmingham would serve as a regional headquarters for Interstate's "Majestic circuit," and assured the public that, "we expect to maintain a very high standard at the Majestic. Every act produced here will be absolutely clean and we expect to cater to women and children. Especially this will be true of the matinee performances." When it opened, the Majestic employed a staff of uniformed "attaches" to attend to patrons, allowing mothers to drop off children for matinee performances unaccompanied. The facility included ladies' retiring rooms staffed with maids and footmen stationed at the porte-cochère to assist those arriving by carriage.

Ticket prices for opening night ranged from 15 to 75 cents. Mayor George Ward spoke at the dedication. The opening night's acts included Ernest and Adele Yerxa ("royal Stockholm athletes, equilibrists, gymnasts and flexible posturists); Fox and Duball ("the dancing wonders"); The Three Westons (Catherine, Florence and Juliette); Duffy, Sawtelle & Duffy (in "Papa's Sweetheart", a one-act play); Mr & Mrs Robyns (in "The Counsel for the Defense", a one-act play by McKee Rankin); Charles B. Ward ("the original Bowery boy"); and Schepp's famous dog, pony and monkey circus.

A sample bill from the theater's opening season included a full-cast production of "Pals"; the "Parisian Marvel" Jeanette Laurelle; Lew Wells "The King of Monologue and Saxophone Eccentricities"; Veolette & Old "Telepathic Mind Reading"; Belle Gordon "The Champion Girl Bag Puncher"; and De-Coe, the "Ten-Story Man". Harry Stevenson succeeded Parry as manager in November 1906. One of his first acts was to extend an invitation for free admission to chaperoned groups from the Boys Industrial School, the Mercy Home, and the St Thomas Home-on-Hill orphanage for a Friday matinee. The overall regular admission prices were reduced to 10 to 50 cents.

In March 1907, after the regular Vaudeville season closed, the Majestic hosted four performances by Warfield and Hopper, under arrangement with the Shubert Organization. The higher ticket prices inadvertantly bumped the Majestic's annual business license fee from $200 to $300, a fact reported to City Hall by a rival manager.

The off season brought a range of other events into the auditorium through the summer. The Birmingham Free Library Association was organized during a meeting at the Majestic Theater on May 9, 1907. Later that same month the theater hosted a mass meeting called by American Federation of Labor organizer Ben Commons to propose a general strike in support of street railway workers. On June 4 a major wrestling match between Charlie Leonhardt and Jim Parr was staged there. Parr won two "catch as catch can" falls, while Leonhardt claimed an intervening "Graeco-Roman style" pin before a reportedly small crowd.

Under the management of __ Gould, the Majestic may have been the first theater in Birmingham to exhibit motion pictures in the silent film era.

The bill for the week of February 13, 1909 included the James S. Devlin-Mae Elllwood Company performing the short comedy "The Girl from Yonkers", a sensational acrobatic act of stair-descending cycles by Hill & Silviany, a Mexican drama "Beggars" performed by Ann Hamilton & Company, a musical comedy sketch by trick pianist Nick Russell and his wife, Lida, a "surprise act" by the Great Vardaman, presenting three characterizations in female costume, a vocal recital of "Irish Mellodies and 'Coon' Songs" by Tom Moore, a comedy act of vocal impressions by the dainty Mamie Hornish, a program of new pictures exhibited by the "Majestograph" projector, and Capt. Treat's trained seals and sea lions.

In 1912 the Majestic, managed by Carl Rettick, was still part of the Interstate Vaudeville circuit based in Chicago, Illinois. The auditorium seated 364 on the ground floor, 300 on a balcony, 300 in a gallery, and 88 in boxes. The stage proscenium was 26 by 30 feet and the stage was 46 feet wide and 37 feet deep. The rigging loft was 50 feet tall with a fly gallery and 25 feet and eight dressing rooms were available.

The theater re-opened on June 4, 1916 as Birmingham's "newest house."

The Majestic Theatre later became the home of Jefferson Furniture, Joiner Furniture, Haverty Furniture and Superior Furniture.

References

Retrieved from "http://bhamwiki.com/w/index.php?title=Majestic_Theatre&oldid=164982"