Opened on September 3, 1931, this
Robert Chambers Reamer design is a large art deco building, not atypical of the time, which had seating for 2,350. The theatre was built by Fox West Coast Theaters as a venue for movies produced by Fox.
Architecturally, the interior spaces of the theatre have been referred to as "flat and boxy". It operated continuously as a movie theatre until its closure on September 21, 2000. Saved from demolition by the Spokane Symphony, they launched a fundraising campaign to restore the building. Having been multiplexed in 1975, partitions were removed and seating capacity reduced to 1,700 as part of the $31 million renovations that were completed in November of 2007.
When reopened on November 17, 2007 it was renamed the Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox and serves as the home of the Spokane Symphony. As a result of the renovation, the theatre has been returned to essentially its original appearance, both inside and out.
Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Katharine Hepburn have all performed here, and now one can rent the building for occasions, such as weddings. The building is capable of handling parties of 2 to 1,600 persons for ceremonies and 50 to 450 for receptions. That would be a BIG wedding, in our estimation. The theatre produces seasonal events, symphonies and concerts throughout the year.
Strangely, given its renown, there has been only one book released here, but it is one of my favourites, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. It was released on Tuesday, February 16, 2010 and remains in the wild.
