Earlier this week I had the privilege of walking through the glorious Lyric Theatre, the historic vaudeville theater located directly across from the Alabama Theatre on 3rd Avenue North downtown. Built in 1914, stars like Sophie Tucker, the Marx Brothers, Mae West, Will Rogers, and Milton Berle all graced the stage in front of an audience that consisted of both white and black entertainment-seekers, making the Lyric one of the first places in the South where everyone could watch the same show at the same time, for the same price.
Her time to make a grand (re)entrance is now. The Lyric is a Birmingham treasure worth saving.
There are many more great photos and information here.
And also here.
As you can see, this Birmingham jewel has been neglected for over three decades, and the decay builds daily. There are people (such as myself) who refuse to watch this landmark fade in to the forgotten.
I’ll go ahead and share a little secret. Well, it’s really no secret that the Lyric is well-poised for her ultimate comeback. Stay tuned over the next few weeks and you’ll hear about how you can help, both with your free time and with your pockets… I’ll be nagging you, specifically, to reach in to your pockets and give. There is a plan to focus on restoring one critical piece of the structure, the lobby, in an effort to gain steadfast momentum on the even bigger goal of full restoration.
I’ll leave it at that… for now.
Happy weekend to you all! Oh, and don’t forget about Member Day tomorrow!
