Fox Theatre

2211 Woodward Avenue,
Detroit, MI 48201

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Showing 76 - 96 of 96 comments

mrchangeover
mrchangeover on December 20, 2004 at 6:21 pm

I posted a couple of photos of the Fox, Detroit that I took about 4 years ago on the Cinephoto UK website. One is of the lobby and the other shows part of the auditorium exterior:

View link

I also took a couple of interior photo’s that don’t reproduce too well. I was almost thrown out of the place for taking them but what the heck…it was worth the aggravation to have my own pictures!
The Detroit Fox is a marvel to see. I make a point of visiting there from Canada once every year or so just to be overwhelmed.

Patsy
Patsy on December 20, 2004 at 5:09 pm

John Lauter: I was going to send you an email, but it’s not listed in your profile so will let you know here that you can go to www.ajc.com and read the articles with photos about the Fox Theatre in Atlanta and the upcoming 75th anniversary open house that is being planned on Dec. 26th from 1-7. You can also visit the Fox site on this cinema site. A Fox documentary was none on GPBS that will be shown on the 26th in the theatre with much more planned throughout the day….ballroom dancing in the theatre’s ballrooms, too! Our Atlanta friends taped the GPBS program and will be sending it to us.It’s been run on local GA TV throughout the month of December! Enjoy!

johnlauter
johnlauter on December 9, 2004 at 2:33 am

Keith, that record is a real collectors item today. It was on a private label (I don’t even remember what the label name was) but it was Ed Gress' own label. He was from Detroit, moved to Boston in the late 50’s and became a respected builder/designer of church and concert organs. Funny thing about that album—he was young when he recorded that disc, and played every song in the key of C! nice arrangements, though. After he moved to Boston an eminent professor of organ (who was a theatre organist in the 20’s) heard him play, and Ed wanted to know what he thought of his playing. He replied that his style was good, but that there were 11 other keys that a song could be played in, and it might make his playing more enjoyable. Ed dug right in and studied all twelve keys, modulations between them, etc. and became very proficient in them.
I have only ever seen one copy of that album, a friend lent it to me in 1975, I made a really bad cassette copy and returned it. Good luck. John

koppenneer
koppenneer on December 8, 2004 at 8:20 pm

I remember the Fox where, in the late 1950’s, I attended a pipe organ recording session with Edgar Gress. I no longer have the record, and am interested if anyone knows where I can get a copy.

johnlauter
johnlauter on November 29, 2004 at 2:05 am

The RCMH Christmas spectacular has been running at the Detroit Fox since 1997, and has done very well. It shows no sign of ending within this decade. The Ilitch family, who owns the Fox (and the Little Caesar’s Pizza chain, the outfit that paid for the restoration of the Fox) truly believes that the Fox should be doing that show every December (we run from 11/26-12/26) and have stated that they are not bottom line sensitive on that show. That hasn’t been a problem, as the show has really caught on, and does very well. The RCMH people are enlarging the number of franchises they operate. I believe the Ohio theatre in Columbus is new this year with the show. John

Patsy
Patsy on November 29, 2004 at 1:43 am

I guess if I had to pick where I would really like to see the RCMH Christmas show it would be in NYC, but would certainly go if I were near one of the performance cities! I see the list of cities are all first-timers this year so wondered if the Fox in Detroit will be on the docket for next year as well or will they have all new cities in ‘05? I recall years ago it was in Cincinnati, Cleveland OH and Myrtle Beach SC.

johnlauter
johnlauter on November 26, 2004 at 5:38 am

In that sense, yes. NY still has a (ever shrinking) live orchestra, and the full 36 Rockette troupe. The set pieces are pretty much the same, we have 2 camels, 2 donkeys and 4 sheep for the finale. No, it’s not exactly like New York, but we’re not exactly in New York. It’s still a lot of spectacle.

bruceanthony
bruceanthony on November 26, 2004 at 5:26 am

How does the Radio City Christmas show at the Fox compare to the one at Radio City. The show in New York uses 36 Rockettes on its stage where many of the out of town shows only use 20-24 Rockettes.Is the show at the Fox a smaller show than the one in New York.brucec

johnlauter
johnlauter on November 26, 2004 at 4:53 am

Patsy, Yes I will be seeing lots of that show. I will be playing the Moller lobby organ and the auditorium Wurlitzer (both original to the theatre) before 13 of the sixty-some shows. We are the only “live” musical act in the show, the orchestral accompaniment being pre-recorded. The “review” nature of the RCMH Christmas show is a great fit for the Detroit Fox, and is remarkably like the live entertainment that preceded the movies during the halycon days. Thousands upon thaousands see this show every year, get to experience the magic of a movie palace (and what a palace!) and hear one of the last remaining all original, as built, still in it’s original home—Wurlitzer theatre pipe organs. The Fox Wurlitzer is one of five made of the largest stock model Wurlitzers, only the Radio City Music Hall one-off organ in manhattan being larger.

Patsy
Patsy on November 25, 2004 at 2:26 am

John Lauter: I just read that you “have been associated with the Detroit Fox since 1975, in one way or another” and “have been on the staff since the 1988 re-opening” so I’m quite sure you will be seeing the Radio City Music Halls' grand Christmas Spectacular many times over this holiday season! Lucky you! I wanted to see the show at the Shea’s in Buffalo, but plans changed and I wasn’t able to stay in the Buffalo area during those dates in November! :–(

Patsy
Patsy on November 25, 2004 at 2:21 am

This Fox theater sounds to be as nice as the Fox in Atlanta and if you are in either Buffalo or Detroit this holiday season the Shea’s in Buffalo and the Fox in Detroit have the Radio City Music Hall’s Christmas Spectacular on their performance schedule! It is also in Columbus OH, Denver CO, St. Louis MO and Boston MA. Check the site www.thegarden.com/xs_cities.html for further details.

sdoerr
sdoerr on November 12, 2004 at 9:44 pm

great to see you made it to the site John!
It’s Sean from WaterWinterWonderland.

johnlauter
johnlauter on November 12, 2004 at 8:59 pm

I would like to ad a word of correction to the previous comments regarding style. the offical style of the Detroit and St. Louis Fox theatres is “Siamese Byzantine” as described by it’s architect, C. Howard Crane. It is not Rococo, as that term is properly used to describe Italian and French styles of the 17th and 18th century (many movie palaces were decorated this way). The term “Eve Leo” (not Eva) was a bit of 20’s advertising ballyhooy (it was, after all a decade of intense ballyhoo) that was playing up on Mrs. Fox’s habits in acting as purchasing agent for decorative items for the theatres. She had some descretion in what to buy, but many of the furnishings were specified by the architect/decorator. Her barganing powers were legendary. An often told story is where a supplier of furniture told her if she ordered what they had discussed they wold give her a very expensive piece for her home (which they would be pointing to at the moment) her reply was “how much is that table worth?” the salesman would reply with a grossly inflated figure. Her response: “fine,if you can afford to give me that table you can keep your table and subtract that amount from our bill!"
The "oriental” description on this site is adequate, and far more accurate than many I have seen in print and in cyberspace (the great un-editied library). I have been associated with the Detroit Fox since 1975, in one way or another. I have been on the theatre’s staff since the 1988 re-opening. John

dwnrvrguy
dwnrvrguy on September 24, 2004 at 8:29 pm

Both of the 2001 links are inactive. If anyone has current links, please post them.

melders
melders on March 30, 2004 at 8:51 pm

An exact twin to the St. Louis Fox. They only differ on the exterior.

William
William on December 6, 2003 at 11:14 pm

The Fox Detroit Theatre was operated by the Fox Michigan Corp. which was a division of National Theatres Inc.. Which also operated Fox West Coast Theatres, Fox Mid-West Theatres, Fox Inter-Mountain Theatres.

LarryToll
LarryToll on December 6, 2003 at 9:26 pm

The style of the Fox is “Eva Leo”, named for William Fox’s wife Eva Leo Fox.
Designed by famous Detroit architect C. Howard Crane, The Fox seated 5041(41 seats more than The St.Louis Fox) prior to the 1988 12.5 million dollar renovation.
During the 60s The Fox was co-owned by movie producer Herman Cohen (I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF) with his life long friend Bill Brown.

sdoerr
sdoerr on December 1, 2003 at 1:43 am

It’s a grand large theatre now that it is restored. Once you step inside it is such a site to behold!

Kiki
Kiki on January 7, 2003 at 1:46 am

A good site for info on this theatre: detnews.com/history/fox/fox.htm

KarenBreenBondie
KarenBreenBondie on August 14, 2001 at 1:42 am

8/01 – The above link is no longer active.

Here is an active link: http://detroityes.com/rebound/foxsign.htm

The style of the Fox is, I believe, Rococo.

BrianCarmody
BrianCarmody on March 7, 2001 at 10:36 am

here is my unofficial Fox Theatre Website:

View link