Discuss Detroit » Archives - January 2008 » Fisher Theatre overhaul in wings A $3.5M renovation « Previous Next »
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Sg9018
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Username: Sg9018

Post Number: 101
Registered: 10-2006
Posted on Saturday, December 22, 2007 - 1:18 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The Fisher Theatre will start a 3.5 milllon dollar renovation that will add new capacity to the theatre. Thougth this renovation will shut down the theatre for most of 2008.
More info at the Detroit news,
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pb cs.dll/article?AID=/20071222/E NT01/712220354
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Jt1
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Post Number: 11109
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Saturday, December 22, 2007 - 1:25 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I wonder if they are going to bring out some of the old detail in the theater. Gistok probably knows better but I am pretty certain that I have seen pictures of the theater with a beautiful, if over done interior.

Last time I was there the interior is certainly nothing to write about.

I hope I'm not confusing theaters. If I am I hope Gistok can clarify.
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Rfban
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Post Number: 227
Registered: 02-2004
Posted on Saturday, December 22, 2007 - 1:39 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I remember the first time I stepped into the Fisher Theatre and thought, “what the hell is this?" It is said, in architecture, most of the time you should have some sense of what is going on inside a building from the exterior—this was certainly not the case. I am interested in what they plan to do.
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Scottr
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Post Number: 848
Registered: 07-2006
Posted on Sunday, December 23, 2007 - 12:59 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

although i'd love to see it, i doubt any of the mayan temple motif is coming back. i would imagine that would cost far more than 3.5 million, since none of it is remaining after the 1961 remodel.

some pictures of the original are here: http://waterwinterwonderland.c om/location.asp?id=593&type=5
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56packman
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Username: 56packman

Post Number: 1949
Registered: 12-2005
Posted on Sunday, December 23, 2007 - 2:05 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

There are a couple of small sections of side-wall plaster remaining from the original interior on the house-left side, above the 1961 remodel ceiling, sections of phony rectangular temple blocks. They were almost left so that there was one little part left of the original interior, so complete was the demolition phase in '61. Friends of mine who used to go to shows at the Fisher in the old days speak very reverentially about how beautiful it was, albeit dark.
Having said that, I find the remodeled Fisher to be a definitive example of high quality (materials) early 60s design and quite tasteful for that era. It's no longer a 20s movie palace, no one in their right mind has the kind of money it would take to bring that back (you can lump that in with the dreams of restoring the Michigan on Bagley).

Those who bemoan the loss of the original movie palace interior should be reminded that by 1960 the Fisher was past its prime days as a first-run elite movie house and was not attracting the kinds of audiences the Fisher brothers (most of whom were still alive) wanted for their building--then, as today one of the city's premier business addresses.

The theater had gained a reputation for attracting a rough crowd and the housecleaning and maintenance had begun the long death spiral of declining business.

The conversion of the theater into the beautifully proportioned, (then) modern playhouse we have today restored the image of the theater and building, and has remained upscale for longer than the original movie palace operation.

Nederlanders have a long history in that theater and in this region, and they are looking to reinvest in the Fisher property. This is good news.

(Message edited by 56packman on December 23, 2007)
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Gistok
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Username: Gistok

Post Number: 5979
Registered: 08-2004
Posted on Sunday, December 23, 2007 - 2:06 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

When the Fisher Theatre opened on November 11, 1928, it had 2,975 seats, and was built in an impossibly wonderful Mayanesque style. (It never had 3,500 seats... as mentioned in a lot of websites.)

The Theatre Historical Society says of the old Fisher... "Mayanesque theatres were never in great supply, and on a truly grand scale, they numbered only 1, the Fisher".

The interior was quite unusual with its' primitive Central American motif. The theatre had Banana Plants and live Macaw's in the lobby.

The exotic old Fisher ceased to exist in 1961, when a renovation removed nearly all of the ornate plasterwork, and reduced the size of the theatre shell that dropped the seating from 2,975 to 2,089. So there is a lot of dead space behind the wood and brass finishes in the auditorium. They may be regaining some of that dead space to expand the auditorium seating.

Interesting enough the original lobby was 3 stories tall with fake plaster stonework with notched arches (as found in the Guardian Bldg.), and it had an atmospheric sky ceiling.

When the 1961 remodeling was finished, the lobby dropped significantly in height (only 2 stories tall), as well as having simple marble finishes.

Today Fisher Theatre patrons rarely congregate in the tame theatre lobby, preferring the show stopping building lobby instead.

There is an old wall that remains of the old Mayan style Fisher lobby. I don't know its' whereabouts.

The old Fisher Theatre was designed by the Chicago architectural firm of Graven & Mayger, an architectural firm that was only in business for 15 months in 1927-28 (possibly the 2 principal partners didn't see eye-to-eye). They designed 5 theatres, but the other 4 were tame compared to the Fisher.

And ironically the new Fisher was designed by Rapp & Rapp, the same architects who designed the Michigan (in 1926) and the Leland House Hotel. Rapp & Rapp had disbanded by the time the 1960-61 Fisher commission was established. They got enough of the old employees together to do the modernized rehab of the Fisher. The founding Rapp and Rapp brothers (C.W. Rapp & George L. Rapp) were long dead by then. The Fisher was therefore Rapp & Rapp's last commission.

The fancy one-of-a-kind Wurlitzer organ that the Fisher had can still be found in Detroit, with the console containing its original fancy Mayan decor. It is located in the Senate Theatre on Michigan Ave., and is used frequently for concerts.

56packman beat me posting by 1 minute! :-)

Anyone have a color pic of the Fisher Organ Console?

(Message edited by Gistok on December 23, 2007)
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Gistok
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Username: Gistok

Post Number: 5980
Registered: 08-2004
Posted on Sunday, December 23, 2007 - 2:15 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I just saw this disturbing piece of info on moving the Fisher Organ out of Detroit... on second thought... this is dated 2003...

http://www.metrotimes.com/edit orial/story.asp?id=5368

56packman... are they still looking for a suburban location to move the organ to?

I think they should move it to the Detroit Opera House. DOH isn't busy every day, and could probably handle organ concert business. Plus the DOH is not a part of Detroit that suburbanites are afraid of, like the Senate Theatre location.

DOH no longer has an organ (it's Publix 1 Wurlitzer is long gone), but it does have massive organs screens on either side of its' cavernous auditorium. I bet the world class DOH accoustics would be an ideal match for such a magnificent and unique organ. Wonder if there's room for the pipes?

(Message edited by Gistok on December 23, 2007)
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Gistok
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Username: Gistok

Post Number: 5982
Registered: 08-2004
Posted on Sunday, December 23, 2007 - 2:45 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Back in the movie palace era a lot of theatre owners liked to boast that their theatres were larger (more seating) than they actually were. Sometimes they included every seat in the house, including toilet seats! :-)

Detroit's theatre impressario John Kunsky was no exception. Here's what he boasted that his theatres seated (with actual numbers supplied by Theatre Historical Society in parenthesis):

Fisher Theatre: 3,500 (2,975)
Capitol Theatre: 4,250 (3,384)
Michigan Theatre: 4,500 (4,050)

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