Description:                                

Anchoring Detroit"s revitalized Theater District, the Fox Theatre is the largest "movie palace" in the nation. Built in 1928 by William Fox and designed by architect C. Howard Crane, the theater was molded after an Arabian tent. The Fox Theatre opened its doors in 1928, and to this day still produces the same powerful twinge of excitement in its patrons as they enter the Grand Lobby, and are surrounded by exquisite beauty.

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The 1920"s marked a nation-wide era of economic growth, fueling the development of extravagant architectural designs. Detroit especially flourished in the 20"s due to the automobile industry"s success, and grew to be the fourth largest city in the country. The Fox Theatre was just one of the beautiful buildings erected during this period.


The exotic Siamese Byzantine architecture (a masterful blend of Persian, Burmese, Indian, Siamese, and Chinese) boasts gold-leaf, hand-stenciled walls, leather-lined elevators, 300,000 sparkling glass jewels embedded in decorative figures, a sunburst ceiling, brass ornamentation and marble-finished pillars. The lobby is six stories high and contains a grand chandelier stretching 13 feet and weighing two tons. Golden ornaments cover the walls and ceilings, along with an array of niches, balconies, stairways, borders and scrolls, mirrored glass, and marble pillars.


The Ilitch family, founders of Little Caesars Pizza, purchased the crumbling Fox Theatre in 1987, and began an intense restoration of the magnificent building, leaving no detail unattended. Upon completion of the project, one could almost hear the sixty-piece orchestra playing "The Star Spangled Banner", and envision the silent film feature "Street Angel", starring Charles Fartell and Janet Gaynor, as if it were the day the Fox originally opened.


Today, the Fox hosts a variety of events, and is alive with activity, making it one of the top-grossing theaters of its size in the nation. One of the most treasured annual events at the Fox Theatre is the staging of The Radio City Christmas Spectacular Starring the Rockettes. Although much of the theater"s success can be attributed to the number and diversity of A-list acts that visit the stage, a larger part of the Fox"s success is derived from the sheer beauty and character of the building. The Fox Theatre is a true temple of amusement that arouses the senses and touches the soul of every patron.

 

TRAVELAPE RELATED LINKS

Music Hall Center for Performing Arts in Detroit Belle Isle Park in Detroit

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