theatre is a wonder
tommyFrom the Tampa Theatre website:
LIFE Magazine will celebrate Tampa Theatre and 20 other enchanting places across the United States in its cover story on “AMERICA’S 21 WONDERS.” The story appears in the final printed issue of the iconic magazine dated April 20, 2007. LIFE is distributed through 70 newspapers including The St. Petersburg Times.
Tampa Theatre has been attracting this kind of national attention lately. In 2005, USA TODAY named Tampa Theatre one of “America’s Ten Best Places to Revel in Cinematic Grandeur” along with venerable theatres such as Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood and the Ziegfield Theatre in New York City. In 2006, MSNBC proclaimed Tampa Theatre to be the “perfect setting for an indie flick or rock concert.”
“We are honored that LIFE magazine is recognizing Tampa Theatre in this way,” said John Bell, Tampa Theatre President & C.E.O. “It really is an honor for the entire Tampa community for its steadfast support for this storied landmark. Tampa’s citizens are the reason that Tampa Theatre has survived and thrived.”
A beloved community treasure since 1926, Tampa Theatre is one of America’s best-preserved examples of grand movie palace architecture. Faced with an uncertain future in a declining downtown, Tampa Theatre was rescued by the City of Tampa in 1977 and has been managed since by the Arts Council of Hillsborough County.
Today, the Theatre is a fiercely protected and generously supported Tampa landmark. Designed by famed movie palace architect John Eberson, the Tampa is a superior example of the “atmospheric” style of theatre design which Eberson pioneered. Inside the Tampa, audiences are transported to a lavish, romantic Mediterranean courtyard replete with old world furnishings, fixtures, statuary, flowers, and gargoyles. Over it all is a nighttime sky replete with twinkling stars and floating clouds.
The Theatre hosts over 600 artistic and educational events a year including films, concerts, special events, and summer camps. Additional funding and support is provided by the Tampa Theatre Foundation, a non-profit organization. The Theatre is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is a Tampa City Landmark.
For event schedules and general information, please call the 24-hour information line at 813-274-8981, visit www.tampatheatre.org, or check the newspaper movie listings.
Congratulations to the Tampa Theatre on more well-deserved publicity. Go see a movie there.
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April 16th, 2007 at 8:07 pm
Aren’t there other theaters in the downtown area that could be revamped like ‘The Tampa’..i read that there are about three others that are all boarded up.
April 17th, 2007 at 1:22 am
I had no idea how stunning the Tampa Theatre is until we went there almost by accident to see a movie (The Lost City) we were interested in about a year ago. Like being in a different place and time. I wish they did the backstage tour more often: http://www.tampatheatre.org/comingAttractions.php#potter
April 17th, 2007 at 12:20 pm
There might be another theatre or two downtown, but nothing at all like the Tampa Theatre. It’s one of a kind, and one of the only remaining atmospherics of its type in the nation.